Windows Update Cannot Currently Check for Updates: Complete Fix Guide

If Windows says it “cannot currently check for updates,” start with Microsoft’s automated Windows Update troubleshooter, restart the PC, and select Check for updates again. If that fails, verify the connection, power, clock, storage and Windows Update service; then clear the update cache, reset the update components, and repair Windows files with DISM followed by SFC. These steps do not erase personal files, but Microsoft recommends backing them up before advanced repairs.

What the message means

“Windows Update cannot currently check for updates” is a general failure message, not a diagnosis. Windows may be unable to reach Microsoft’s update service, the Windows Update service may be stopped or disabled, the local download cache may be damaged, permissions may block the operation, or the component store and system files may be corrupt. A device that is no longer on a supported Windows release can also stop receiving updates.

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The practical goal is to identify which layer is failing, starting with the least disruptive repair. The sequence below applies to Windows 11 and Windows 10, with different Settings paths where Microsoft provides them.

1. Run Microsoft’s Windows Update troubleshooter first

Microsoft’s current first step is the automated troubleshooter in the Get Help app. It checks common update problems and may apply repairs automatically.

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1. Windows 11: Open Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. Find Windows Update and select Run.
2. Windows 10: Open Start > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters. Select Windows Update, then Run the troubleshooter.
3. Follow the Get Help prompts until the check finishes.
4. Restart the computer, even if the troubleshooter reports that it made a repair.
5. Open Windows Update and choose Check for updates.

If the message returns, continue with the manual checks rather than repeatedly running the same scan.

2. Check the conditions Windows Update requires

These basic conditions can prevent an otherwise healthy update service from starting or completing.

• Internet: Confirm that the PC can browse normally. Sign in to a required Wi-Fi or wired network and temporarily remove any connection that is showing “No internet.”
• Power: Connect a laptop to its charger. A shutdown during servicing can leave an update transaction incomplete.
• Date and time: Open Windows date and time settings and enable automatic time and automatic time zone. An incorrect clock can invalidate secure connections to update servers.
• Storage: Free space on the Windows drive. Microsoft specifies at least 16 GB for a 32-bit operating-system upgrade and 20 GB for a 64-bit upgrade. More space may be needed for temporary files and the particular update.
• Restart state: Restart once after installing or removing software, then check Windows Update before starting another repair.

After correcting one of these conditions, restart and try Check for updates. If the service itself is stopped, repair it next.

3. Verify that the Windows Update service is running

A disabled service is the direct cause of error 0x80070422. The same check can reveal why Windows cannot start an update scan.

1. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. In the list, find Windows Update.
3. Check its status. If it is stopped, right-click it and choose Start.
4. If it is disabled, open Properties, change Startup type to a startable setting, select Apply, and then choose Start.
5. Close Services, restart Windows, and select Check for updates.

Do not delete service entries or change unrelated services. If Windows Update starts but the scan still fails, a damaged cache or component store is more likely than a simple service-state problem.

4. Clear the SoftwareDistribution cache

Windows stores downloaded update files and its local update history in the SoftwareDistribution folder. A partial or corrupt download can make every subsequent check fail. Clearing its contents makes Windows create a fresh cache; it does not remove your personal documents.

1. Open services.msc.
2. Right-click Windows Update and select Stop.
3. In File Explorer, go to C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution.
4. Delete the contents of that folder. Leave the folder itself in place.
5. Return to Services, right-click Windows Update, and select Start.
6. Restart the PC and check for updates.

If Windows says a file is in use, the service did not stop completely. Restart, stop Windows Update again, and repeat the deletion. Do not force-delete files while the service is actively running.

5. Perform Microsoft’s documented component reset

Use this reset when clearing the cache alone does not help, or when Windows reports a database or component problem. Microsoft instructs you to run each command separately in an administrator Command Prompt, close the window, and restart the computer.

1. Open Start, type Command Prompt, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator.
2. Run these commands one at a time, waiting for each to finish:

net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
ren %systemroot%softwaredistribution softwaredistribution.bak
ren %systemroot%system32catroot2 catroot2.bak
net start bits
net start wuauserv

3. Close Command Prompt.
4. Restart Windows.
5. Open Windows Update and choose Check for updates.

The commands stop Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and Windows Update, rename the two working folders, and start the services again. Windows rebuilds the folders as needed. The renamed .bak folders are a reversible record; do not remove them until the update problem is resolved.

Microsoft Learn describes the broader reset concept as stopping wuauserv, Cryptographic Services (cryptsvc) and BITS, renaming SoftwareDistribution and catroot2, re-registering Windows Update DLLs, and restarting the stopped services. The command sequence above is Microsoft’s concise reset procedure; if a managed computer requires the broader procedure, follow your administrator’s documented instructions rather than improvising DLL registrations.

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6. Repair the component store and system files

Use DISM and SFC when update components or protected Windows files may be damaged. An elevated Command Prompt is required, and an internet connection can help DISM obtain replacement files.

1. Open Command Prompt with Run as administrator.
2. Run DISM first:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Wait for DISM to reach 100 percent and return to the prompt. It can appear to pause for a while; do not close the window during the scan.

3. Run System File Checker:

sfc /scannow

Wait until SFC reaches 100 percent. Restart the PC and try Windows Update again. Running SFC before DISM can leave SFC without a healthy component source, which is why Microsoft’s order is DISM first, SFC second.

Microsoft Learn associates errors such as 0x80073712, 0x800F0831 and 0x80073701 with component-store corruption or missing assemblies. Those codes make DISM-based repair particularly relevant, although the commands are also reasonable after cache and service repairs have failed.

Which failure pattern fits your error?

Codes are clues, not guarantees. If more than one condition exists—for example, a stopped service and a damaged cache—repair both layers in the order above.

7. Check whether the Windows release is still supported

Support status matters because an unsupported system is not expected to receive normal fixes through Windows Update. Microsoft says support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. After that date, Microsoft no longer provides free software updates through Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10.

If the affected computer is running Windows 10, identify whether it can move to a supported Windows 11 configuration. If it cannot, you need an explicit servicing decision rather than assuming that cache repairs will restore a supported update stream. A successful local reset cannot create security updates that Microsoft no longer publishes for that release.

8. Use installation media only as a later recovery step

Microsoft places a clean installation after the troubleshooting and repair procedures. It is not the first response to this message because installation media can remove applications and change the system state.

1. Back up personal files before creating or using installation media. Copy important documents to an external USB drive or another separately stored location.
2. Use Microsoft’s official Windows software-download source and select the edition and architecture that match the license and device.
3. Read every installation choice carefully. A clean installation can erase the Windows partition; an in-place option has different preservation choices and requirements.
4. Disconnect unnecessary peripherals, keep the PC on power, and allow the process to complete without forcing a shutdown.
5. After Windows starts, install device drivers and run Windows Update before restoring optional software.

Installation media is a recovery path for a damaged installation, not a guaranteed fix for hardware incompatibility, unsupported Windows 10 servicing, or a network that cannot reach update servers.

Safe order of operations

• Run the Get Help Windows Update troubleshooter.
• Restart and check again.
• Confirm internet, power, automatic date and time, free storage, and the Windows Update service.
• Clear C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution.
• Run the administrator reset commands for BITS, Windows Update, SoftwareDistribution and catroot2.
• Run DISM, then sfc /scannow.
• Check the Windows release lifecycle, especially Windows 10 after October 14, 2025.
• Only after backing up files, consider official installation media.

Stop and seek administrator or professional help if a work-managed PC has policy restrictions, if the Windows drive is failing, or if a reset repeatedly produces new errors. Keep the exact error code and the final command output; they identify whether the next step is service repair, storage and connectivity work, component repair, driver investigation or a supported-version decision.

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