Try resetting the Windows Update Agent by running these commands from an elevated command prompt:

net stop wuauserv rd /s /q %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution net start wuauserv

Reset Windows Update components manually

1. Open a Windows command prompt. To open a command prompt, select Start > Run. Copy and paste (or type) cmd and then press Enter.

2. Stop the BITS service, the Windows Update service and the Cryptographic service. Type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.

   ConsoleCopy

   net stop bits net stop wuauserv net stop cryptsvc 

3. Delete the qmgr*.dat files. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:

   ConsoleCopy

   Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"

4. If it is your first attempt at resolving your Windows Update issues by using the steps in this article, go to step 5 without carrying out the steps in step 4. The steps in step 4 should only be performed at this point in the troubleshooting if you can't resolve your Windows Update issues after following all steps but step 4. The steps in step 4 are also performed by the "Aggressive" mode of the Fix it Solution above.

   1. Rename the following folders to *.BAK:

      • %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore

      • %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download

      • %Systemroot%\System32\catroot2

      To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.

      ConsoleCopy

      Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore DataStore.bak Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download Download.bak Ren %Systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.bak

      Important

      The reset step below using sc.exe will overwrite your existing security ACLs on the BITS and Windows Update service and set them to default. Skip this step unless the other steps to reset Windows Update components have not resolved the issue.

   2. Reset the BITS service and the Windows Update service to the default security descriptor. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.

      ConsoleCopy

      sc.exe sdset bits D:(A;CI;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;IU)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;SU) sc.exe sdset wuauserv D:(A;;CCLCSWRPLORC;;;AU)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;SY)

5. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:

   ConsoleCopy

   cd /d %windir%\system32

6. Reregister the BITS files and the Windows Update files. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.

   ConsoleCopy

   regsvr32.exe atl.dll regsvr32.exe urlmon.dll regsvr32.exe mshtml.dll regsvr32.exe shdocvw.dll regsvr32.exe browseui.dll regsvr32.exe jscript.dll regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll regsvr32.exe scrrun.dll regsvr32.exe msxml.dll regsvr32.exe msxml3.dll regsvr32.exe msxml6.dll regsvr32.exe actxprxy.dll regsvr32.exe softpub.dll regsvr32.exe wintrust.dll regsvr32.exe dssenh.dll regsvr32.exe rsaenh.dll regsvr32.exe gpkcsp.dll regsvr32.exe sccbase.dll regsvr32.exe slbcsp.dll regsvr32.exe cryptdlg.dll regsvr32.exe oleaut32.dll regsvr32.exe ole32.dll regsvr32.exe shell32.dll regsvr32.exe initpki.dll regsvr32.exe wuapi.dll regsvr32.exe wuaueng.dll regsvr32.exe wuaueng1.dll regsvr32.exe wucltui.dll regsvr32.exe wups.dll regsvr32.exe wups2.dll regsvr32.exe wuweb.dll regsvr32.exe qmgr.dll regsvr32.exe qmgrprxy.dll regsvr32.exe wucltux.dll regsvr32.exe muweb.dll regsvr32.exe wuwebv.dll

7. Reset Winsock. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:

   ConsoleCopy

   netsh winsock reset

8. If you're running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, you have to set the proxy settings. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:

   ConsoleCopy

   proxycfg.exe -d

9. Restart the BITS service, the Windows Update service and the Cryptographic service. Type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.

   ConsoleCopy

   net start bits net start wuauserv net start cryptsvc 

10. If you're running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, clear the BITS queue. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:

    ConsoleCopy

    bitsadmin.exe /reset /allusers