How to fix Windows update error 0x8024000b?

Windows update error 0x8024000b means the update job was cancelled before it finished. Microsoft names the code WU_E_CALL_CANCELLED: the user, the PC or a service stopped the operation. Restart once, keep the PC awake and on power, and retry before you reset or repair anything.

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

What Windows update error 0x8024000b means

Microsoft's Windows Update error code list gives 0x8024000B the name WU_E_CALL_CANCELLED and the description "Operation was canceled." Microsoft's page of common Windows Update errors adds the detail: "The operation was canceled by the user or service. You might also receive this error message if we can't filter the results."

So the code does not say that the update is broken or that Windows is damaged. It says that something stopped the job before the end. The first fixes remove what usually stops it. The later ones clean the update cache, because a damaged cache is the likely reason Windows Update cannot filter the list of updates it should offer.

What cancels the update and causes 0x8024000b

Microsoft names two causes: the operation was cancelled by the user or a service, or Windows Update could not filter the results. The table turns that into what happens on a home PC, ranked from the most common to the rarest, each with the fix that answers it.

The code is not limited to Windows itself. In a Microsoft Q&A thread, a Windows 10 Home user saw Error 0x8024000b on a security update for SQL Server 2016 SP1 (KB4293801), delivered through Windows Update. If your failing KB is for another Microsoft product, Fix 6 is often the shortest way out.

How to fix Windows update error 0x8024000b

Fixes 1 and 2 stop what usually cancels the update and take a few minutes. Fixes 3 to 5 reset the update services and the cache. Fix 6 installs one update by hand. Fixes 7 and 8 repair Windows itself.

Fix 1. Restart the PC and retry the update without interrupting it

5 to 20 minutesNo riskAlways first. Most of all when the PC restarted, slept or was turned off during the update, or when another update says Restart required.

0x8024000b says the job was cancelled, not that the update is bad. A real Restart finishes any pending update work and gives the services a clean start, and an uninterrupted retry usually completes the same update.

1. Save your work and plug a laptop into power.
2. Open Start, select the power button and choose Restart. Do not use Shut down for this step.
3. After Windows starts, wait two or three minutes so background tasks can finish.
4. Open Settings > Windows Update. If you see Resume updates, select it.
5. Select Retry next to the failed update, or Check for updates.
6. Leave the PC on, awake and connected until the update says Restart now or finishes.

Fix 2. Keep the PC awake, on power and with updates allowed

5 minutesNo riskA laptop that runs on battery or closes its lid, a PC set to sleep after a few minutes, updates that were paused, or a connection set as metered.

Sleep, a pause or a held-back download all stop the update job before the end, which is exactly what WU_E_CALL_CANCELLED reports. Turning them off for the time of the update lets the job finish in one run.

1. Plug a laptop into the charger and keep the lid open until the update is done.
2. On Windows 11, open Settings > System > Power & battery (Power on a desktop). On Windows 10, open Settings > System > Power & sleep.
3. Under the screen and sleep settings, set sleep to Never while plugged in, for now.
4. Open Settings > Windows Update. If updates are paused, select Resume updates.
5. On Windows 11, open Advanced options and turn on Download updates over metered connections if your connection is set as metered.
6. Go back and select Retry or Check for updates.
7. When the update is installed, set the sleep time and the metered option back the way you like them.

Fix 3. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

5 minutesNo riskFix 1 and Fix 2 did not help, or you prefer an automatic check.

The troubleshooter checks the update services and settings that a cancelled job can leave in a wrong state, and resets them for you.

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 4. Restart the Windows Update, BITS and Cryptographic services

5 minutesLow riskEvery retry fails at once, or the troubleshooter found nothing.

Microsoft says the operation can be cancelled by a service. After a failed run, the services that download, verify and apply updates can stay half-stopped, and a restart gives them a clean start without deleting anything.

Restart these three services, in this order: Windows Update (wuauserv), Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and Cryptographic Services (CryptSvc). If one is stopped, open its properties, keep Startup type at its default and select Start. Windows Update and BITS are normally Manual, which is fine.

1. Open Services. Press Windows+R, type the command below and press Enter. You can also type Services in the search box on the taskbar and open the app.

   services.msc

2. Find the service. The list is sorted by Name. Click any row and type the first letter of the service to jump to it. Check the Status column (Running or empty) and the Startup Type column.
3. Restart the service. Right-click the service and select Restart. If the service is not running, select Start instead. Wait until the progress window closes.
4. Open its properties to change the startup type. Only if your guide says so: double-click the service. The General tab shows the Service name (used in commands), the Startup type and the Service status.
5. Set the startup type and apply. Choose the type from the Startup type list (Automatic, Automatic (Delayed Start), Manual or Disabled), select Apply, then Start if the service should run now, and OK.

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: Check and restart Windows services

Fix 5. Reset the Windows Update components and cache

15 minutesLow riskThe same KB fails every time, or you also see 0x8024000E or 0x8024200B.

Microsoft says 0x8024000b also appears when Windows Update cannot filter the results. That list is built from the data in SoftwareDistribution and catroot2. Renaming both folders makes Windows build them again from a clean download.

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. Install the update by hand from the Microsoft Update Catalog

10 to 20 minutesLow riskOne update keeps failing and you know its KB number from Update history. This includes updates for other Microsoft products, such as the SQL Server update in the Q&A report.

The catalog gives you the same package as a file, so the Windows Update job that keeps being cancelled is skipped. This works for monthly updates and product updates. A version upgrade such as 23H2 or 24H2 is not one file in the catalog: use Fix 8 for that.

1. Check your Windows version. Press Windows key + R, type winver and press Enter. Note the version (for example 25H2) and the OS build.
2. Find the KB number. Open Settings > Windows Update. A failed or pending update is listed with its KB number; earlier ones are under Update history.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Install a single file. If there is only one file, double-click it and confirm the installation in the Windows Update Standalone Installer.
8. 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

9. 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

Fix 7. Repair system files with SFC and DISM

20 to 30 minutesLow riskSeveral updates fail, also with other codes, or the manual install fails too.

DISM repairs the component store that every update writes into, and SFC repairs the system files. When the store is damaged, the update job can stop part way and be reported as cancelled.

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 8. Upgrade or repair Windows in place and keep your files and apps

45 to 90 minutesRead the warningA version upgrade such as 23H2 or 24H2 keeps failing with 0x8024000b, or nothing above worked.

Setup from Microsoft's own installation media replaces all update components at once and puts you on a current build, so the Windows Update job that keeps being cancelled is no longer needed.

On Windows 11, start with Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update > Reinstall now. It downloads a repair copy of your current version. To move to a newer version, or if that fails, run Setup from Microsoft's Windows 11 download page and choose to keep personal files and apps. Pick the newest version offered there, not an older one such as 23H2.

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.
4. If that did not help: Reset PC. Back in Settings > System > Recovery, next to Reset this PC, select Reset PC. This keeps your personal files but removes installed apps and settings.
5. Choose Keep my files. Select Keep my files. Do not select Remove everything.
6. Choose where Windows comes from. Select Cloud download to download a fresh copy of Windows, or Local reinstall to use the files already on the PC (faster, but may not include the latest updates).
7. Reset. Review the summary and select Reset. The PC restarts several times.

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 0x8024000b is still there

When every fix fails, the update log shows what cancelled the job. Windows writes it as trace files. Open PowerShell and run the command below: it builds a readable WindowsUpdate.log on your desktop.

Get-WindowsUpdateLog

If you ask Microsoft Support for help, send the KB number, your Windows version from Settings > System > About, the code 0x8024000b and the lines around it from WindowsUpdate.log. If the PC also freezes, restarts by itself or shows disk errors, check the drive first, because the problem may be hardware: Check a disk for errors (chkdsk)

How to keep error 0x8024000b from coming back

Frequently asked questions

What does error 0x8024000b mean?

It means a Windows Update operation was cancelled before it finished. Microsoft lists the code as WU_E_CALL_CANCELLED with the description "Operation was canceled." Its troubleshooting page adds that the user or a service can cancel it, and that it can also appear when Windows Update cannot filter the results. It does not prove that the update or Windows is damaged. Restart, keep the PC awake and retry first, then reset the services and the update cache.

What is "Install error - 0x8024000b" in Windows Update?

It is how Settings shows this code when the update was downloaded but the install was cancelled. Most often the PC restarted, went to sleep or was shut down in the middle, or updates were paused. Restart the PC with Restart, not Shut down, plug a laptop in, turn off sleep for now and select Retry (Fix 1 and Fix 2). If it fails again at once, restart the update services (Fix 4) and reset the cache (Fix 5).

What does 0x8024000b(-2145124341) mean?

It is the same error. Some logs, scripts and management tools print the code as a signed decimal number, and -2145124341 is exactly 0x8024000B written that way. Everything on this page applies. If you see it in a script or a management console rather than in Settings, look at the KB number in the same line and try the update on that PC with the fixes above, starting with Fix 1.

Why does "failed to install 0x8024000b" keep coming back?

Because whatever cancels the job is still there. If the PC sleeps after a few minutes, a large update never gets enough time, so turn off sleep while it runs (Fix 2). If every retry fails at once, the update services or the cache are the problem (Fix 4 and Fix 5). If one KB fails every time, install it from the Microsoft Update Catalog (Fix 6). Windows Update tries a failed update again on its own, so the error repeats until the cause is gone.

Can 0x8024000b appear on a SQL Server or other Microsoft product update?

Yes. In a Microsoft Q&A thread, a Windows 10 Home user got Error 0x8024000b on a security update for SQL Server 2016 SP1, KB4293801, offered through Windows Update. Such updates come through Windows Update when you receive updates for other Microsoft products. The shortest way is often to download that KB from the Microsoft Update Catalog and install it by hand (Fix 6), then check for updates again.

I get 0x8024000b when updating to Windows 11 23H2. What should I do?

Make sure the upgrade can run to the end: power, no sleep, no pause and enough free space (Fix 1 and Fix 2). If Windows Update still cancels it, run Setup from Microsoft's Windows 11 download page and keep files and apps (Fix 8). Today, pick the newest version offered there rather than 23H2, which is no longer the current release. Back up your files before a version upgrade.

Is 0x8024000b the same as 0x8024000E, 0x8024200B or 0x80240004?

No. 0x8024000E (also searched as 8024000e) is WU_E_XML_INVALID: Windows Update found invalid information in the update's XML data. 0x8024200B is WU_E_UH_INSTALLERFAILURE: the installer failed to install one or more updates. For both, start with the cache reset in Fix 5. 0x80240004 is another code from the same family; we could not confirm its exact meaning in the Microsoft list we read. Look it up on its own rather than using this page.

Will resetting the Windows Update components delete my files?

No. The reset renames two system folders that hold update downloads and catalog data, SoftwareDistribution and catroot2. Your documents, programs and installed updates are not touched. Windows builds new folders on the next check and downloads the pending updates again. The visible side effect is that the Update history list can look empty afterwards. You can delete the renamed .old folders later to win back space.

Should I turn off my antivirus to fix 0x8024000b?

No. Microsoft does not name antivirus as a cause of this code. Microsoft Defender does not need to be turned off for updates. 0x8024000b means the job was cancelled, so start with what cancels it: sleep, a restart, a pause or a stuck service. Do you suspect a third-party security suite during a version upgrade? Then pause it for one run only. Turn it back on right after the update. Step by step: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment

Is it safe to leave the update failed?

Not for long. Monthly cumulative updates carry security fixes, and a PC that keeps failing them stays exposed. A newer cumulative update replaces the older one, so you do not need to install every failed update separately, but the next one must go through. If you cannot fix it today, at least restart the PC and let it stay awake and plugged in during the next update.