How to fix Windows update error 0x8024402D?

Error 0x8024402D means that Windows Update reached an update server and the server said it is shedding load: too busy to answer right now. It is a connection answer, not a damaged update. Restart, wait an hour or two and check once more, then look for a VPN, a proxy or an old company update server.

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

What Windows update error 0x8024402D means

The code 0x8024402D belongs to the networking part of the Windows Update client: every code that starts with 0x802440 describes what happened between your PC and the update server. The Windows SDK header that defines these codes names this one WU_E_PT_LOAD_SHEDDING, and its text is "The server is shedding load."

Load shedding means that a server under heavy traffic drops some new requests so it can keep serving the ones it already has. Your PC asked, the server said "not now", and Windows Update shows the code. Nothing on your PC is broken by it, and the update file is not damaged.

Why Windows update error 0x8024402D appears

Why does this happen? Because a server on the way said it is too busy. A busy Microsoft server is a passing problem, so the code matters only when it keeps coming back. Then the request is usually going to the wrong server, or through something that is overloaded. The rows below run from the most likely cause to the least likely.

How to fix Windows update error 0x8024402D

Fix 1 is a short wait, and it is enough for most readers. Fix 2 and Fix 3 are for an error that keeps coming back: they make sure the request goes straight to Microsoft. Fixes 4 and 5 clear a stuck update session. Fix 6 gets one update past the busy server by hand.

Fix 1. Restart, wait and check for updates again once

5 minutes plus 1 to 2 hours of waitingNo riskEveryone, first. Above all when the error appeared for the first time or on the day a large update came out.

Load shedding is the server protecting itself for a while. A restart closes the refused session, and a later check reaches the server when it accepts requests again. Pressing the button many times in a row only adds requests.

1. Save your work and restart the PC with Start > Power > Restart, not with Shut down.
2. Leave the PC on and connected for an hour or two. Windows Update also retries on its own.
3. Open Settings > Windows Update. On Windows 10 open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
4. Select Check for updates once and wait until the check ends.
5. If the same code comes back, try once more the next day before you go on.

Fix 2. Turn off the VPN and reset the system proxy with netsh winhttp

5 minutesLow riskThe error comes back every day, or a VPN, a proxy app or a web filter is on the PC now or was before.

Windows Update connects through the system connection (WinHTTP), and its proxy is set apart from the one you see in Settings. A busy VPN server or a proxy left by an old program can turn every update request away, while the browser seems fine.

1. Disconnect your VPN and close any proxy, ad blocking or parental filter app that routes your traffic.
2. Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy and, under Manual proxy setup, turn off Use a proxy server if you did not set it on purpose. On Windows 10 the path is Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy.
3. Press Win + S, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
4. Type netsh winhttp show proxy and press Enter.
5. If the answer is Direct access (no proxy server), the system proxy is not the cause. Restart and go to Fix 3.
6. If it names a proxy server you do not use on purpose, type netsh winhttp reset proxy and press Enter.
7. Restart the PC and select Check for updates in Settings > Windows Update.

netsh winhttp show proxy
netsh winhttp reset proxy

Fix 3. Check whether the PC is set to a WSUS server and remove an old policy

10 minutesRead the warningA used or former work or school PC, or a PC where a tool once changed the update settings.

A PC set to a WSUS server asks only that server for updates. If that server is overloaded or was shut down after you left the company, every check can end with 0x8024402D, and waiting does not help.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator, as in Fix 2.
2. Type reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /s and press Enter.
3. If Windows says it was unable to find the key, there is no such policy. Go to Fix 4.
4. If the output shows an http:// or https:// address, often with port 8530 or 8531, the PC is set to use a WSUS server.
5. On a PC that a company or school still manages, stop here and send that address and the error code to your IT team.
6. On your own PC with a leftover setting, back up the key first: Back up the registry before editing it.
7. Then type reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /f and press Enter.
8. Restart the PC and select Check for updates.

Fix 4. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

5 minutesNo riskThere is no proxy and no policy, and the error is still there after a day.

The troubleshooter restarts the update services and drops a stuck session, so the next check opens a fresh connection instead of repeating the request the server turned away.

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 5. Reset the Windows Update components

10 minutesLow riskThe troubleshooter found nothing, and you have a direct connection without a proxy.

Renaming the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folders clears the list of half finished downloads, so Windows Update starts a new session with the server instead of retrying the old one.

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 minutesLow riskOne update keeps failing and you need it now, or you are on a network you cannot change.

The catalog download comes through your browser from Microsoft's download servers, not through the Windows Update check that is being turned away. The update then installs from the file.

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.

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

If the error 0x8024402D is still there

When the fixes did not help, the busy answer comes from a server you do not control. The update log tells you which one it is.

1. Open PowerShell as administrator, type Get-WindowsUpdateLog and press Enter. It writes WindowsUpdate.log to your desktop.
2. Open the file and search for 8024402D. The lines around it name the server address Windows Update tried to reach.
3. A Microsoft address means the busy answer came from Microsoft or from a proxy on the way. A company address with port 8530 or 8531 means a WSUS server.

How to keep error 0x8024402D from coming back

If a security suite with its own web filter or proxy is installed, pausing its protection for one check shows whether its proxy is the busy part. Turn it back on right after: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment

Frequently asked questions

What does error code 0x8024402D mean?

It means the update server is too busy and turned your PC's request away. The Windows SDK header of update codes names it WU_E_PT_LOAD_SHEDDING, with the text "The server is shedding load". Load shedding is what a server does under heavy traffic: it refuses some new requests so the rest still work. The update and your Windows files are fine. Wait an hour or two and check once more, and look at the VPN, proxy and update policy only if the code keeps coming back.

What does "There were some problems installing updates, but we'll try again later" mean with 0x8024402D?

It is the general Windows 10 message for an update that did not finish, and the code in brackets says why. With (0x8024402D) the reason is a busy server, not a damaged file and not a lack of disk space. Windows retries on its own, so a one time error often goes away without any action. If you see the message every day, the request goes to a server that is always busy or gone, and Fix 2 and Fix 3 on this page find it.

Why do I get 0x8024402D on update day only?

On the second Tuesday of each month and when a large feature update comes out, millions of PCs ask for the same files at once. A server under that load can turn some requests away, and your PC gets 0x8024402D. This is the most harmless form of the error. Restart, wait a few hours and check once. The update is not lost: Windows offers it again on the next check.

Is 0x8024402D the same as 0x8024002D?

No. The two codes differ by one digit and mean different things. The code 0x8024402D is the busy server code from the networking part of Windows Update. The code 0x8024002D, which Microsoft names WU_E_SOURCE_ABSENT, means a full file update could not be installed because it needed the source files. That one points to missing or damaged installation files, not to the network. Read the digits on your screen again. If yours is 0x8024002D, the fixes on this page do not cover it.

Can a VPN cause Windows update error 0x8024402D?

It can make it come back. A VPN sends Windows Update traffic through its own servers, and a crowded VPN server or a proxy it sets can be the part that turns the request away. Disconnect the VPN, restart and check for updates. Some VPN apps also leave a system proxy behind after they close, so run netsh winhttp show proxy as in Fix 2 if the error stays without the VPN.

Should I turn off my antivirus or firewall to fix 0x8024402D?

No. An antivirus does not make a server answer that it is busy, so turning it off for good does not fix this code and leaves the PC open. The only exception is a security suite with its own web filter or proxy. Pause its protection for one update check to test it, and turn it back on right after. If the check works while it is paused, look in the suite for a setting that lets Windows Update through.

Does freeing disk space or running SFC fix 0x8024402D?

Not for this code. Many pages suggest Disk Cleanup and the SFC and DISM scans, but low space and damaged system files cause other update errors, not a busy answer from a server. They do no harm, and they are worth running when Windows Update shows other codes too. For 0x8024402D, start with the wait in Fix 1 and the connection checks in Fix 2 and Fix 3.

Does the Media Creation Tool fix 0x8024402D?

It can get Windows past the error, because it downloads the full system in its own way and reinstalls Windows over itself. It does not remove the cause. If a proxy or an old WSUS policy is the reason, the next monthly update fails again with the same code. Use the fixes on this page first. If you still need a full repair, reinstall Windows and keep your files, which uses the same installation files.

Error aa raha hai 0x8024402D: what should I do?

This page is about that exact code, in English. In short: the code means the update server is busy. Restart the PC, wait an hour or two and select Check for updates once. If the code returns every day, turn off the VPN, reset the proxy with netsh winhttp reset proxy, and check the update policy key as in Fix 3. Your files and the update are not damaged.

Does Windows 10 still get the updates that fail with 0x8024402D?

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. Windows 10 22H2 still gets security updates only through Extended Security Updates, and Microsoft Defender still gets its definition updates. The fixes on this page work the same on Windows 10 and Windows 11, because the cause is the server or the connection, not the Windows version. If your PC can run Windows 11, moving to it is the long term answer.