Updating your Windows 10 computer does not always go smoothly as there are some errors you can encounter along the way. One of these Windows Update errors is the error code of 0x80246008. This kind of error can occur during different phases of an update that’s being downloaded or installed and even when an update is being initialized.
If you narrow down the cause of this Windows Update error, you’ll most likely see that it is related to the deliverability of a file to a computer from the servers of Microsoft. In other words, the error might be due to conflicts from programs like Firewall as well as third party programs like Antivirus or it could also be due to corrupted disk image or system files or it could be that any of the supporting Windows Update components and services are not working properly. Whatever the cause may be, the potential fixes provided in this post can be applicable to Windows Updates as well as the Microsoft Store.
Refer to the suggestions provided below to resolve the Windows Update Error 0x80246008 but before you proceed, make sure that you create a System Restore point first.
Option 1 – Apply some tweak in the Windows Registry from Command Prompt
- Tap the Win + X keys and select Command Prompt (Admin) to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.
- Next, navigate to the root location of the bootable device inside the Command Prompt command line.
- Once you’re in the root location, type the following command and tap Enter to execute it:
reg add HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlBackupRestoreFilesNotToBackup
- After that, close the Command Prompt command line and then tap the Win + R keys to open Run utility.
- In the field, type “services.msc” and click OK or tap Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.
- From there, look for the following services:
- Windows Update – Manual (Triggered)
- Background Intelligent Transfer Service – Manual
- Now open their Properties and make sure that their Startup type is as mentioned above and that they are running. If they are not running, just click on the Start button.
Option 2 – Run the System File Checker Scan
If the registry tweak didn’t work, you can run a System File Checker scan instead. It is a built-in command-line utility that replaces bad and corrupted system files to good system files that might be the cause why you’re getting the error when you try updating your computer. To run the SFC command, follow the steps given below.
- Tap Win + R to launch Run.
- Type in cmd in the field and tap Enter.
- After opening Command Prompt, type in sfc /scannow
The command will start a system scan which will take a few whiles before it finishes. Once it’s done, you could get the following results:
- Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
Option 3 – Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
If the System File Checker wasn’t able to resolve the Windows Update error, you could also try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter as it could also help in fixing any issues related to Windows Update including this one. To run it, go to Settings and then select Troubleshoot from the options. From there, click on Windows Update and then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button. After that, follow the next on-screen instructions and you should be good to go.
Option 4 – Try to disable your antivirus program
Disabling the antivirus program or any security software installed in your computer is always a good idea you can try when the Windows Update process does not go smoothly. So before you try updating your computer again, make sure to disable the antivirus or security program and once the Windows Update is done, don’t forget to enable the antivirus program back again.
Option 5 – Try deleting the files from the SoftwareDistribution folder and resetting the Catroot2 folder
The downloaded Windows Updates are placed in a folder called “SoftwareDistribution”. The files downloaded in this folder are automatically deleted once the installation is completed. However, if the files are not clean up or if the installation is still pending, you can delete all the files in this folder after you pause the Windows Update service. For complete instructions, refer to the steps below.
- Open the WinX Menu.
- From there, open Command Prompt as admin.
- Then type in the following command – don’t forget to hit Enter right after typing each one of them.
net stop wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
- After entering these commands, it will stop the Windows Update Service, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Cryptographic, and the MSI Installer
- Next, go to the C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution folder and get rid of all the folders and files thereby tapping the Ctrl + A keys to select them all and then click on Delete. Note that if the files are in use, you won’t be able to delete them.
After resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder, you need to reset the Catroot2 folder to restart the services you just stopped. To do that, follow these steps:
- Type each one of the following commands.
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
- After that, exit Command Prompt and restart your computer.