Windows 10 Will Not Update / Check for Update Fails

Updated Steps 4/12/2018 to include workaround of error: WARNING: Can't find registered service Microsoft Update. Use Get-WUServiceManager to get registered service.

****If you are having difficulty with Windows 10 downloading updates or being stuck at 0% check out my other post here: http://austecjenni.blogspot.com/2017/07/windows-10-updates-wont-download.html****

The Problem:

My Windows 10 laptop seemed unable to successfully check for updates, let alone download and install them.

I just kept getting a generic "There were some problems..." message with error code 0x80244022.

The error code did not prove helpful upon my research of it, but I recalled a Powershell method I used in the past to force windows to update on Windows Server 2012, so I looked for a similar approach for Windows 10.


Steps for Resolution:

1) Download the latest version of PSWindowsUpdate.zip from Technet (https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/2d191bcd-3308-4edd-9de2-88dff796b0bc/)

2) After downloading, extract the contents of the zip file to:
             C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\

3)  Click Continue if a UAC prompt pops up

4)  Open an elevated PowerShell window
     (Search for Windows Powershell, right click and Run As Administrator)

5)  Type the following and then press enter:
       Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

6)  Confirm the change of the execution policy by pressing Y and then Enter

7)  Type the following and then press enter:
      Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate

8)  Type the following and then press enter to apply Windows Updates:
      Get-WUInstall -WindowsUpdate

8)  Type the following and press enter to get the WUServiceManager services list:
       Get-WUServiceManager

Example (notice there is only Windows Update service available):

9)  Next type the following and press enter to add the Microsoft Update Service:
      Add-WUServiceManager -ServiceID 7971f918-a847-4430-9279-4a52d1efe18d -Confirm:$false

Example (see the Microsoft Updates service is now in the list)

(Or, alternatively, type Add-WUServiceManager, enter the
ServiceID: 7971f918-a847-4430-9279-4a52d1efe18d when prompted, and press enter to confirm)

10)  Display a list of available updates from the Microsoft Update servers by typing the following and then press enter:
       Get-WUInstall -MicrosoftUpdate -ListOnly

11)  Install the available updates by typing the following and then press enter:
        Get-WUInstall -MicrosoftUpdate -IgnoreUserInput -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot -Verbose

12) Reboot the machine and repeat as necessary until there are no more available and relevant updates displayed when running the -ListOnly command and Windows Update in Settings shows as Up to Date

You can also double check by choosing "Check online for updates from Microsoft Update" and see if it returns anything.  I did not have that option to begin, but it showed up after my machine was finally updated via this method.



Sources:

Managing Windows Updates with PowerShell:
https://www.petri.com/manage-windows-updates-with-powershell-module

Windows Update PowerShell Module (TechNet):
https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/2d191bcd-3308-4edd-9de2-88dff796b0bc/

Update and Upgrade Windows 10 using PowerShell:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/76207-update-upgrade-windows-10-using-powershell.html

Powershell for Automatize Windows Update and Program Installation:
https://www.windowsbbs.com/threads/powershell-for-automatize-windows-update-and-program-installation.110303/

Windows 10 Updates Won't Download

I was having an issue where my Windows 10 machine wouldn't download updates.  It was stuck at 0%.  Other previous updates I noticed failed to install altogether as well.

I tried installing them via PowerShell (see resources links at bottom for method) to no avail, it would just get stuck downloading in the PS session.

Came across an article that had a solution.  Here's the rundown of what worked for me from it (supposedly should work for Windows stuck at downloading at any point - see link to original article also at the bottom)

1.  Open a elevated command prompt (right click cmd.exe and run as admin)

2.  Enter the following two commands one at a time:

                      net stop wuauserv

                      net stop bits         

3.  Browse to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder; delete or move all folders and files inside to a desktop folder if you are cautious about deleting...

4.  Type in the elevated command prompt the following two commands, one at a time:

                       net start wuauserv

                        net start bits

5.  Run Windows Update again - the updates should download and install successfully.

6.  Restart to complete the update process.

update 3/3/2023 I believe this process also works in the context of Windows Server 2012 or other with the correct update package and path.

SOURCES:

"Windows Update stuck downloading updates in Windows 10" - http://www.thewindowsclub.com/windows-update-stuck-downloading-updates

"Update and Upgrade Windows 10 using powershell" - 

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/76207-update-upgrade-windows-10-using-powershell.html