Forum Discussion
Windows Update error (Your device is missing important security and quality fixes)
You can try these methods to troubleshoot your Windows 10 update issue:
Method 1: Run SFC Scan.
To run an SFC scan, follow these steps:
Run Command Prompt as Administrator.
Type sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
This will check and run an auto-repair on the issue.
Method 2: Run DISM Tool.
After running the SFC scan and the issue still persist, run the DISM to check the system health and to try restoring the files. To run DISM tool, follow these steps:
Run Command Prompt as Administrator.
Type the following commands:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /scanhealth
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
NOTE: This might a while to finish scanning. Do not cancel.
Method 3:
After doing Method 1 and Method 2 but the issue still persist, you can manually reset the Windows Update Components and Run Windows Update process again.
Resetting Windows Update Components will fix those corrupted Components and will help the Update installation quickly. To reset Windows Update Components, follow these steps:
Run Command Prompt as Administrator
Stop BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer and Windows Update Services. To do this, type the following commands:
Net stop wuauserv
Net stop cryptSvc
Net stop bits
Net stop msiserver
Rename SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folder. To do this, type the following commands:
Ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
Ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old
Restart BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer and Windows Update Services. To do this, type the following commands:
Net start wuauserv
Net start cryptSvc
Net start bits
Net start msiserver
Restart your computer and try to install Windows Update.
Let us know how it goes.
So I recently reinstalled windows10, and have the issue described. I went through all three solutions, and each time, something new was updated/changed, and I still have the same notification. My version is 1909, and OS build is 18363.1556
- I had this problem for a long time and tried many different methods. The problem is that Windows Update, when it fails, does not provide enough error information. I found out that if one uses the online Windows Update (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10, then choose Update now), it may give you additional information about why the update failed. In my case, it said "You can't install Windows on a USB flash Drive using setup". A little search revealed that it was caused by HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\PortableOperatingSystem was set to 1. After changing it to 0, I went through the online update successfully. Hope this helps.
Your solution same my life 🙂
I had Windows 10 installed recently from the BOX package over old Windows 7 with OEM license. Everything got OK, but realized, this was quite old production and old Win10 release. I used your link and ... it let my Windows installation to get the latest update (last quality and features update meant for Windows 10. Then I got additionally 2 cumulative updates and that's was. Now I'm told to be up to date and will get in the future only security updates 🙂 I lost some licenses for apps in the process but it was not a problem to reactivate them. In the future I will may be able to install Win11. If Microsoft accepts my i7-6700 processor and I install the TPM 2.0 module on my mobo, which is the simpliest thing from all 🙂 For sure I will not buy a new PC, because my current one is running like a hell (even being 5 years old but upgraded with SSD and new graphic card).
Thanks a lot for your hint. It was a real hit 🙂
- Thank you so much, I was very grateful for this as I tried every solution I could think of to solve my windows update problem but nothing worked, and then I came across this comment which solved it.
