Updates for newer versions of Windows are often downloaded in the background and installed automatically at the next restart. This is usually a good thing: the system stays up to date, security loopholes are closed, or new features and practical functions are added – as was the case recently with Windows 11 24H2.

Sometimes, however, this is not a good thing at all: sometimes the system does not update at all, updates are downloaded only incompletely, or are even faulty from the start. This was the case recently with Windows update KB5043145. Instead of exciting new features and optimizations, some users only saw the dreaded blue screen of death (BSOD).

If there are problems with a Windows update, you should first remove the troublesome “upgrade” from your system. Microsoft often deals with such issues promptly, and the dilemma is resolved with the next Windows update (update to update, so to speak). Until then, you can continue to use the “old” version of Windows without any problems and without taking any special risks.

We present to you various ways in which you can reset a Windows update in just a few steps.

Before resetting: Go through this checklist first

To rule out underlying problems and conflicts, you should go through this checklist in case of upgrade difficulties:

• Make sure there is enough space on the system hard drive for updates.
• Reboot the system to see if the updates can then be installed correctly.
• Run Windows Update again if necessary.
• Disconnect external hardware such as drives or storage media that are not required for system operation.
• Check Device Manager to see if conflicts or errors are reported.
• Make sure no virus or malware scanners are torpedoing the update. Such programs may be temporarily uninstalled.
• Check if the Windows update service is enabled: Click Start and enter services.msc. Click on the first hit (“Services”) and look for “Windows Update” at the bottom of the list. Startup type must be set to “manual”; this can be adjusted by right-clicking and then selecting “Properties”.

If these steps fail, you can reset or repair Windows updates as follows.

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Microsoft is also aware that its own updates sometimes throw a spanner in the works of the operating system. Therefore, modern versions of Windows come with tools to fix update problems or reset updates.

The easiest way is to troubleshoot your own Windows Update, which you can access in different ways depending on your operating system.

In Windows 11: Go to “Other troubleshooting solutions” via Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot. There you will find the “Run” command next to the “Windows Update” entry, which you can use to start the troubleshooter. A system restart is then recommended.

In Windows 10: Go to “Troubleshoot” by Start > Settings > Update & Security. Alternatively, click Start and enter troubleshooting and select the first “Debug Settings” entry. In both cases, at the bottom is the “Additional troubleshooting” entry, which we now select. On the left side of the subsequent window, you will then find the “Windows Update” field which, when clicked, reveals the “Run troubleshooter” option. Click on it and wait until the system has finished analyzing and, if necessary, correcting the error, and then reboot.

Option 2: Use system restore point

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Windows regularly creates restore points (if you don’t manually prevent the process), which can be used to restore the system to a previous state. This can help with update issues, but also many other OS annoyances, and no data or settings are lost. Users can also set such restore points manually.

How to enable a restore point:

1. Tap Start and enter restore point There. The first hit should now be “Create a restore point”, click enter.
2. In the window that opens (tab: “System Protection”), select the “System Restore…” field (see image).
3. Click on “Next” in the new window.

• Windows displays a list of available restore points, select the desired entry. Tip: You can use the “Search for affected programs” command to check in advance which components are affected by the restore.
• Confirm the selection and click “Next” and “Finish”. You may need to confirm a security notice. The system will now reset to the restore point configuration and reboot.

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Some software problems can only be solved with additional software: With Reset the Windows Update toolfor example. You can download the free open source program as a portable version (archive) from the linked page. After downloading:

• Unzip the tool to a folder of your choice.
• Run “wureset.exe” with administrator rights. (Right click and command “Run as administrator”).
• Select the program language.
• In the next step, select “Restore Windows Update components” (usually “2” and ENTER).
• The process may take several minutes. Updates should then work again.

Option 4: Install your updates manually

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If Windows Automatic Update fails because of an update, sometimes you can help manually and download and install the affected update yourself. For example, after resetting to an old restore point, you can also download important updates without having to use Windows Automatic Update to bring back the problematic update that you actually want to reset.

To do this, however, you need to know the identifier (KB number) of an update. Tip: The update IDs of new updates are often displayed under “Windows Update” before they are installed. Simply type “Check for updates” under Start and select the entry with the same name. If you can’t find the update in question there, you can also search for it in “View update history” and see all previous updates along with their names.

• Then visit Microsoft Update Catalog and enter the KB identifier in the search field.
• Download the affected update yourself.
• Start the update in the download folder.

Option 5: Manual reset and restart update services

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We can use command prompt to stop and restart update services. This method cannot be used to reset updates, but you can help the operating system if it is not updating. Proceed as follows:

• Click Start and enter cmd.
• Right-click on the top “Command Prompt” button to run the prompt as an administrator.
• Then enter these commands one after the other:

net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanupsfc /scannow
net start bits
net start wuauserv

This will stop and restart the two services BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) and Wuauserv (Windows Update Automatic Update Service). You can now try to install the problematic update again.

If nothing helps: reinstall the system

If all the steps listed here do not lead to the desired success, you may consider reinstalling Windows. Since this can lead to the loss of many settings and data, you should only do this as a last resort: For example, if your system stops working (correctly) after an update and you don’t want or can’t wait for a fix from Microsoft.