This error code can be encountered when installing an update through Windows Update, or even when trying to install an update using Windows Update Standalone Installer (WUSA.exe). Today, we will show you multiple tried-and-tested methods to mitigate and fix the error code “0x80070424” without reinstalling the Windows operating system.

Windows Update Error 0x80070424: Causes and Symptoms

The error code “0x80070424” has existed for a long time. It can come up on Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, 7, XP, and even Windows Vista. This error code occurs when the responsible Windows services are not running, have been corrupted, or malfunctioned.

Windows Update Error 0x80070424: Causes and Symptoms Fix the 0x80070424 Error on Windows Run Windows Update Troubleshooter Enable/Restart Windows Services Restore Windows Modules Installer Restore Windows Update Components Register System Files Remove Restriction from Windows Registry Fix Corrupted Files with DISM and SFC Clear SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 Folder Closing Thoughts

The Windows Update error code “0x80070424” is mostly associated with the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), which is responsible for transferring the update files from servers to clients. However, this is not the only issue that can cause this error message. This error can also occur due to unregistered multiple Windows services. If you encounter the error code “0x80070424” while trying to install a Windows update through Windows Update, you will see the following error message: If you are installing the update using Windows Update Standalone Installer, then you will see this message: If the error occurs whilst installing/updating an app through Microsoft Store, then you may see this error message: For either one of these error messages, you can apply all of the following possible solutions and fix it.

Fix the 0x80070424 Error on Windows

To fix the error code “0x80070424,” apply the following solutions one by one in the given chronological order.

Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

This method can be applied if you are encountering the error code “0x80070424” while trying to install a Windows update through Windows Update. Both Windows 11 and 10 come with pre-installed troubleshooters for several different services and features of the OS. This troubleshooter can be executed automatically to check for Windows Update issues and then suggest the necessary action(s) to be taken. Follow these steps to run the Windows Update troubleshooter: The Windows Update troubleshooter tries to resolve any issues it can. If it cannot apply the fixes itself, such as physically reconnecting the LAN wire, we suggest you perform the action. In that case, apply the fixes and then check if the issue is resolved. If you still see the error code, continue to perform the solutions shared below.

Enable/Restart Windows Services

Ensure responsible Windows services are up and running to install the update(s). If those are turned off or unable to start, Windows will go through the error code “0x80070424.” The following Windows services need to be running:

Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) DCOM Server Process Launcher Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Windows Defender Firewall Windows Modules Installer Windows Update

Note: If Windows Modules Installer or some other services are missing from the Windows Services console, follow the steps below, and then proceed to the next section(s) to restore them. To check whether these services are running, open the Services console by typing in services.msc in the Run Command box, and very their status. If you find that one or more services are not running, follow these steps to start them and set them to run automatically: Once the computer reboots, try updating/installing the Windows update/app/Visual C++ which initially caused the error. Right-click on the service and then click Properties from the context menu. From the Properties window, select Automatic from the drop-down menu in front of “Startup type.”

BITS DCOM Server Process Launcher Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Windows Defender Firewall Windows Modules Installer Windows Update

That being said, if all of the services are already running, then simply restart them using these steps: Once all the services have been started/restarted, check to see if the issue has been resolved. Right-click on the service and then click Stop from the context menu. Right-click on the service again and then click Start from the context menu. You can also use the command line to restart the services. Open Windows Terminal and run the following commands: This will stop the required services. To start the services again, run the following commands:

Restore Windows Modules Installer

The Windows Modules Installer is responsible for detecting and installing Windows updates and other Microsoft product updates, like OneDrive, Office, etc. If it is missing from your PC, then you can restore it. However, the process requires that you import functioning Windows Registries from another computer. If you have one available, please follow the steps below to restore the Windows Modules Installer service and other missing Registry Keys: When the computer restarts, check to see inside the Services console if the Windows Modules Installer service has been restored, and then apply the steps in the method given in the section above to start the service. You can also use our top selection of disk imaging and backup software so you never lose your data or operating system again. Type in regedit in the Run Command box on the PC that is functioning normally. Right-click on the TrustedInstaller Key and then click Export from the context menu. Copy the exported .REG file onto a USB/external hard drive and then paste it on the problematic computer. After running the file, you may be prompted with a UAC. Click Yes. Once the file is executed, click Ok on the dialog box.

Restore Windows Update Components

Like Windows Modules Installer, if you find either the “Windows Update” service or the BITS service missing, you can restore those too. Here is how: Basically these files will restore the following registry keys:   Windows Update Service Restore Tool (unknown, 86 hits)

WindowsUpdate.reg BITS.reg

Once rebooted, the respective Windows services will be restored. Now check if it is running using the guide shared above (start the service if it is stopped) and then check if the problem has gone away.

Register System Files

Unregistered system files can cause the respective services to not be able to run. You can register Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) using the “regsvr32” command line tool. That being said, since there are many .DLL files that can be the cause of the “0x80070424” error code, we will create a batch file to register all of them. Follow these steps to register the system files: Once the computer restarts, check to see if your issue has been resolved. Change the file type to “All files” and concatenate a “.bat” at the end of the file name to save it as a batch file. Right-click on the batch file and click Run as administrator from the context menu. You will then see a Command Prompt instance run and close by itself.

Remove Restriction from Windows Registry

The “0x80070424” error code can also pop up when attempting to install a Windows update because of a restriction imposed by the Windows Registry. If so, the issue can be fixed by removing the restriction. Here is how: If you find the DisableWindowsUpdateAccess value inside the Registry, this is likely the culprit, as this value does not exist by default. Note: If you do not see the WindowsUpdate Key, it is likely that your Registry is not blocking an update from being installed, as the Registry value does not exist. Hence, you can skip this step. However, if you did not find this value or the WindowsUpdate key, then the “0x80070424” error code was not caused by a restriction in the Windows Registry.

Fix Corrupted Files with DISM and SFC

Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) and System File Checker (SFC) are built-in tools in Windows that can scan and repair system files. Use the following steps to run the DISM and SFC scans in an attempt to repair the critical system files: Once the scans have been run successfully and all files have been repaired, check to see if the error code is gone.

Clear SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 Folder

If the “0x80070424” error code is occurring during a Windows update installation, then you can apply this fix. The SoftwareDistribution folder can be found in C:\Windows, while the Catroot2 folder can be found at C:\Windows\System32. The SoftwareDistribution folder contains temporary files within a subfolder (download) that are required to install a Windows update, while the Catroot2 folder contains Windows update-related files and folders, including signature files from Microsoft. Quite often, a Windows update fails to install and experiences an error code because of the corrupted files inside these 2 folders. In this case, these temporary files need to be removed and the update process needs to be started from the top. Here is how to clear the SoftwareDistribution and the CarRoot2 folder: Once the computer reboots, try downloading the updates again and check if the error code has been mitigated.

Closing Thoughts

Any error code on a Windows PC has a meaning that you can use to identify its root cause. However, in the case of 0x80070424, the issues lead to multiple possible causes. That is why we have created this detailed guide so you can find all of the possible solutions under one title. If the methods discussed in this post worked for you, let us know which one in the comments section below so our readers can benefit from it.