How to fix 0x8024200B error on Windows?

Error 0x8024200B means the installer behind one Windows update failed, so Windows Update rolled the update back. The code itself does not name the cause: the name of the failed update and a second code in the logs do. Restart the PC, retry the update once, and if it fails again, install it by hand from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What error 0x8024200B means in Windows Update

Windows Update does not install every update itself. It hands each one to an update handler: the servicing stack for Windows updates, the driver installer for drivers, the Defender engine for definitions. Microsoft's error code list puts 0x8024200B in the group of update handler errors and names it WU_E_UH_INSTALLERFAILURE: "The installer failed to install (uninstall) one or more updates."

So the code is a wrapper. It tells you that the installer gave up, not why. That is why the same code shows up for a Windows 11 cumulative update, an Intel chipset driver, an HP printer driver and a Microsoft Defender definition update. The fix depends on which of them failed.

Why error 0x8024200B appears

The causes are ordered from the most likely to the least likely. The meaning of the code comes from Microsoft. The order comes from the cases that show up for this code: which updates fail and which second codes appear next to it.

How to fix error 0x8024200B

Fix 1 to Fix 3 are specific to this code and solve it for most readers. Fix 4 to Fix 6 repair Windows Update itself and are for the case where the same update keeps failing. Fix 7 reinstalls Windows over itself and keeps your apps and files.

Fix 1. Restart the PC and install the update again

5 to 20 minutesNo riskThe update failed once, or you do not know yet which update it is.

0x8024200B only says that the installer stopped. A pending restart from an earlier update, a lost connection or a full system drive stops it once and not again. A real restart clears the first, and the retry downloads what was missing.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history (Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history).
2. Note the name and KB number of the item with Install error - 0x8024200b, and whether it is listed under Quality updates, Driver updates or Definition updates.
3. Select Start > Power > Restart. Use Restart, not Shut down.
4. Check that drive C: has free space in Settings > System > Storage. If it is almost full, free space first: Free up disk space and delete temporary files.
5. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Retry or Check for updates.
6. Restart again when Windows asks.

Fix 2. Install the failing driver outside Windows Update

10 to 20 minutesLow riskThe failed item in Update history is under Driver updates, for example an Intel chipset or an HP printer driver.

For a driver, the update handler is the driver installer. When it rejects the package Windows Update offers, the device often already has the same or a newer driver, or needs the maker's own package. Users report 0x8024200B mostly with Intel system drivers and HP printer drivers.

1. Open Device Manager. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.

   

2. Open the device's Driver tab. Expand the category (for example Display adapters), right-click the device, select Properties and open the Driver tab. Driver Date and Driver Version show what is installed now.

   

3. Update the driver. Select Update Driver and let Windows search automatically. To use a driver you downloaded from the device maker, select Browse my computer for drivers instead and point to the unpacked folder.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Update, roll back or reinstall a driver

1. In Device Manager, on the Driver tab, compare the Driver Version with the version in the name of the failed update.
2. If the installed version is the same or newer, the device is fine. Nothing needs to be done, and the failed entry can be ignored.
3. If it is older, download the driver from the PC or device maker's support page and install it.
4. Restart the PC and select Check for updates in Settings > Windows Update.

Fix 3. Install the update by hand from the Microsoft Update Catalog

15 to 30 minutesLow riskA cumulative or security update with a KB number fails at every retry.

The Catalog file is a fresh, complete copy of the update, so a broken Windows Update download is out of the way. If it fails too, the standalone installer usually shows the real error code behind 0x8024200B, which tells you which fix comes next.

1. Check the processor type. Open Settings > System > About and look at System type: an x64-based PC needs the x64 file, an ARM-based PC (for example Snapdragon) needs the arm64 file.
2. Search the catalog. Open the Microsoft Update Catalog at catalog.update.microsoft.com in your browser, type the KB number (for example KB5124010) in the search box and press Enter.
3. Pick the right row. Find the row whose title names your Windows version and your processor type (x64-based or arm64-based) and select Download on that row.
4. Download every file listed. A window lists one or more .msu links. Download all of them into one empty folder, for example C:\packages. On Windows 11 24H2 and later the list can include earlier checkpoint updates that the new one needs.
5. Install a single file. If there is only one file, double-click it and confirm the installation in the Windows Update Standalone Installer.
6. Install several files with DISM. If there are several files, open an elevated Terminal or Command Prompt and run DISM with the newest file. DISM finds the other files in the same folder and installs them in the right order.

   DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\packages\<newest-file>.msu

7. Restart. Restart the PC when the installation finishes, then run winver again: the OS build should have changed.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and later; Windows 10 22H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Install an update from the Microsoft Update Catalog

1. If the installer stops with a different code, write it down.
2. A code that starts with 0x800f08 or 0x80073712 points to damaged or missing update files: go to Fix 4.
3. Any other code: search our site for that code, it is the real cause.

Fix 4. Repair the component store with DISM and SFC

15 to 40 minutesNo riskA second code such as 0x80073712 or 0x800F0831 appears, or Fix 3 failed too.

When the installer behind 0x8024200B is the Windows servicing stack, it fails if the component store is damaged. DISM with RestoreHealth downloads clean copies of the damaged files, and SFC then repairs the system files that depend on them.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Fix 5. Reset the Windows Update components

10 minutesLow riskThe same update keeps failing after Fix 1 and Fix 4, or every update fails.

Windows Update reuses a broken download from its SoftwareDistribution folder at every retry, and the installer fails on it each time. Renaming the cache folders and restarting the update services makes Windows download the update again from zero.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Stop the update services. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. If Windows says that other services depend on Cryptographic Services, it stops them too. A message that a service is not started is fine.

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits
   net stop cryptsvc

3. Delete the download queue files. This clears the list of downloads that the Background Intelligent Transfer Service keeps. If Windows says it cannot find the files, continue.

   del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"

4. Rename the update cache folders. Renaming keeps a copy in case you need it; Windows creates new, empty folders when the services start again. If you get Access is denied, a service is still running: repeat the previous step.

   ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   ren %systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

5. Start the services again. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. The requested service has already been started is fine: Windows started it on its own.

   net start cryptsvc
   net start bits
   net start wuauserv

6. Restart and check for updates. Restart the PC. Then select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. The first check can take longer than usual because everything is downloaded again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset Windows Update components

Fix 6. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

5 minutesNo riskUpdates fail and you prefer an automatic check before a reinstall.

The troubleshooter checks the update services, their settings and the pending update state, and repairs what it finds. It does not fix a damaged driver package, so it comes after the specific fixes.

1. Open Troubleshoot settings. Select Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot.
2. Open the list of troubleshooters. Select Other troubleshooters.

   

3. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter. Under Most frequent, select Run next to Windows Update. The Get Help app opens and starts the checks.

   

4. Read the result. Wait until Get Help finishes. If it found and fixed a problem, it says so and asks whether this solved the problem. Answer the question so it can offer the next step.

   

5. Restart the PC. Restart when the troubleshooter finishes, even if it does not ask you to.
6. Check for updates again. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, and install the updates it finds.

These steps were written for Windows 11 (screenshots: 26H2). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

Fix 7. Reinstall Windows over itself and keep your apps and files

1 to 2 hoursLow riskEvery update fails with 0x8024200B and Fix 1 to Fix 6 did not help.

A repair reinstall replaces the servicing stack, the component store and the update services with clean copies of the current Windows version. That removes every Windows cause of an installer failure at once, while apps, files and settings stay.

1. Open Recovery in Settings. Open Settings > System > Recovery. Next to Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now. This keeps your apps, files and settings.

   

2. Start the reinstall. Choose whether the PC may restart on its own 15 minutes after the installation, then select OK.
3. Wait and restart. Windows Update downloads and installs a repair copy of your current Windows version. Keep the PC plugged in and online, and restart it when asked.

These steps were written for Windows 11 22H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reinstall Windows without losing files

If error 0x8024200B is still there

Because 0x8024200B is a wrapper, the real reason is written in the servicing log. Read it before you try anything else.

1. Press Win + R, type %windir%\Logs\CBS and press Enter.
2. Copy CBS.log to the Desktop and open the copy in Notepad.
3. Press Ctrl + F and search for error near the time the update failed.
4. Note the KB number, the package name and the code in that line, for example 0x80073712 or 0x800f0831.

How to keep error 0x8024200B from coming back

If one driver keeps failing while the device works, the failed entry is cosmetic. Windows Update offers it again until the device has that version, so installing the maker's driver is the clean way to stop it.

Frequently asked questions

What is error code 0x8024200B?

It is a Windows Update error that means the installer of an update failed. Microsoft's error list names it WU_E_UH_INSTALLERFAILURE: "The installer failed to install (uninstall) one or more updates." Windows Update itself worked, downloaded the update and handed it to the installer, which then stopped. The code does not say why. The name of the failed update and a second code in the logs tell you that, so read Update history first.

What does Install error - 0x8024200b mean in Windows 11?

It is how Windows 11 shows the same failure on the Windows Update page in Settings. The update was downloaded but did not install. Note the name next to it: a cumulative update with a KB number, a driver or a definition update. Restart the PC and select Retry. If it fails again, a KB update can be installed by hand from the Microsoft Update Catalog, and a driver can be installed from Device Manager or the maker's site.

What does Windows failed to install the following update with error 0x8024200B mean?

That is the text of the Windows Update entry in Event Viewer, under Windows Logs > System, with WindowsUpdateClient as the source. It is the same failure as in Settings, written with the full title of the update, for example a security update with its KB number. Use that KB number for Fix 3: search it in the Microsoft Update Catalog, download the file for your Windows version and install it by hand.

Is 0x8024200B a Windows 10 or a Windows 11 error?

Both. The code belongs to the Windows Update Agent, which works the same way on Windows 10, Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022. The question on this page came from a Windows 10 user, and many current reports are about Windows 11 and Server 2022. The fixes are the same, only some Settings paths differ, and the steps give both. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so plan a move to Windows 11.

Why does a driver update fail with 0x8024200B?

For driver updates, the installer that fails is the driver installer. It can reject the package when the device already has the same or a newer driver from the maker, or when the package does not fit the exact device. Users report this with Intel system drivers and HP printer drivers. Compare the installed version in Device Manager. If it is newer, ignore the entry. If it is older, install the maker's driver directly.

Can I fix 0x8024200B by turning off my antivirus?

Not as a fix. No source ties this code to security software, and turning protection off would leave the PC exposed. If you suspect another program interferes with updates, pause protection for one test only and turn it on right after: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment. A clean boot is a safer test: How to perform a clean boot in Windows. In most cases the cause is the update itself or the Windows update files, so start with Fix 1 to Fix 4.

What is the difference between 0x8024200B and 0x8024200D?

They are neighbours in Microsoft's list of update handler errors. 0x8024200B means the installer failed to install the update. 0x8024200D, WU_E_UH_NEEDANOTHERDOWNLOAD, means the update handler did not install the update because it needs to be downloaded again. For 0x8024200D, resetting the update cache in Fix 5 is the most direct fix. For 0x8024200B, find out which update failed first.

Is KB5012599 still the reason for 0x8024200B?

No. KB5012599 was the April 2022 update for Windows 10 versions 20H2 to 21H2. It failed on many PCs with 0x8024200B and 0x800F0831, and Microsoft named the root cause a regression from servicing stack changes. The fix came with the May 2022 update. Today the code has other reasons, and those versions of Windows 10 no longer get updates at all.

Do I lose my files if I reinstall Windows to fix this?

Not with the repair reinstall in Fix 7. It reinstalls the same Windows version and keeps your apps, files and settings. Reset this PC with Keep my files is different: it keeps your files but removes installed apps. Back up the files you cannot lose before any reinstall, and keep a laptop plugged in until it finishes, because a reinstall that stops halfway can leave Windows unable to start.

I searched for fehler 0x8024200b, que pasa? or cosa bisogna fare? Is this page for me?

Yes. The code is the same in every language of Windows, only the words around it are translated. Fehler is the German word for error, and the other questions ask what is happening and what to do. The fixes on this page work on a German, Spanish, Italian or any other Windows. The menu names in the steps are the English ones, so follow the position of the items in Settings.