Over decades of improvement, Microsoft’s Windows 10 is now a pretty versatile and stable operating system. However, that’s not to say that it doesn’t run into problems at all.
Windows error messages are notorious for being cryptic and not really giving the user a fair idea of what’s happening. Windows update error codes are no different.
In this article, we’re going over a few fixes for Windows update error 0x80240fff to help you get around the problem.
Also read: How to fix 0x8024401c Windows update error?
Restart your PC
Restarting your PC is by far one of the most simple and effective solutions to just about any problem you run into while using Windows. Graphics issues, network problems, update glitches, rebooting got you covered.
It’s also not a bad idea to check your internet connection real quick. At times a dead or inactive internet connection can be the root cause of a lot of problems.
Disable VPNs
Improperly configured VPNs can cause conflicts with network adaptors on Windows, whether you’ve set them up manually or using a VPN client that does all the work for you.
In any case, try disabling the VPN and reverting any changes to see if your VPN conflicted with the Windows update.
Pause updates
Strangely enough, temporarily pausing or deferring updates can also resolve this issue. Here’s how.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + I to open Windows settings and click on Update and Security.
Step 2: Click on Advanced options.
Step 3: Under Pause updates, select a date a few days ahead. We recommend pausing the updates for 3-5 days.
Now leave your system be, and a few days later, updates should work just fine.
Also read: Â Bad system config info: 8 fixes.
Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Windows 10 offers a slew of inbuilt troubleshooters that can resolve just about any issue on your PC, including Windows Update.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + I to open Windows settings and click on Update & Security.
Step 2; Head over to the Troubleshooting tab.
Step 3: Click on Additional troubleshooters.
Step 4: Click the Windows Update troubleshooter to run it and let the troubleshooter do its thing.
Also read: Windows update error 80072ee2: 5 Fixes
Restart the Windows Update Service
The Windows Update service is responsible for periodically checking for any new updates Microsoft may release. Restarting this service can help get your machine on track.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + R to open the Run prompt. Type services.msc and hit enter.
Step 2: Find the Windows Update service. Right-click it and select Stop.
Step 3: Return to the Services Console and restart the Windows Update service in step 2.
Reset Windows Update modules
Another thing you can try is completely resetting Windows Update modules to get them to work properly.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + X to open the Quick Access menu and click on Command Prompt (Admin).
Step 2: Type the following command in the prompt and press Enter.
net stop wuauserv cd %systemroot% ren SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old net start wuauserv net stop bits net start bits net stop cryptsvc cd %systemroot%\system32 ren catroot2 catroot2.old net start cryptsvc regsvr32 Softpub.dll /s regsvr32 Wintrust.dll /s regsvr32 Initpki.dll /s regsvr32 Mssip32.dll /s
Also read: How to fix ‘explorer exe class not registered’ error?
Run an SFC scan
Corrupt files are the number one reason why your PC might be behaving weirdly. Here’s how you can get rid of them and potentially resolve your issue.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + S to bring up the Cortana/Search box and search for Powershell. Open Windows Powershell from the search results.
Step 2: Type sfc /scannow to scan your system for issues.
Step 3: If the SFC scan finds any problem, use the following command to resolve them.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Restart your PC, and the error should be gone.
Install the latest version manually
If nothing else works, instead of relying on Windows updates, you can head over to Microsoft’s official download page and download the latest version of Windows manually and install it on your system.
Alternatively, you can also use the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft to install Windows 10 on a bootable flash drive and reinstall the OS on your machine.
The Windows Media Creation tool is a great way to install Windows and repair the OS. Using this, you can perform a clean installation or repair your OS without affecting your personal data.
You can download the Media Creation Tool here
Also read:Â Windows update error 80092004: 6 Fixes
