How to Fix Windows Update Error 0x80246007

By ErrorFix · Updated October 19, 2026 · 7 min read

What error 0x80246007 means

Error 0x80246007 is Windows Update's way of saying the update was never downloaded. When you click "Check for updates," Windows queues the update files and hands the actual downloading job to the Background Intelligent Transfer Service, or BITS. With this error, that handoff never finishes: the required files turn out to be missing, a download gets interrupted partway, or the local cache where updates are staged is damaged. You end up with the familiar "There were some problems installing some updates, but we'll try again later" message in Settings, and the same KB fails again every time you retry.

Notice where the failure happens: at the download stage, not the install stage. That's why the fixes for 0x80246007 look different from most update errors. Instead of repairing the operating system first, you start with the download pipeline itself — the BITS service, the update cache, and the connection that feeds them. Microsoft's own support guidance points at BITS first for this exact code, and in practice a stuck or misconfigured BITS service accounts for a large share of cases.

Common causes

• BITS service stopped or misconfigured: the Background Intelligent Transfer Service does the actual downloading for Windows Update. If it's stopped, disabled, or not set to start automatically, queued downloads never complete and you get 0x80246007.
• Corrupted SoftwareDistribution cache: interrupted downloads and sudden shutdowns leave half-written, damaged files in the update cache. The next update check trips over that debris and fails with the same code.
• Network interruption during download: a VPN, proxy, or firewall rule that blocks or drops the update traffic mid-download leaves the files incomplete. Unstable Wi-Fi connections that drop packets cause the same result.
• Not enough disk space: Windows needs roughly 10 GB of free space on the system drive to stage update files. When the drive is too full, the download silently can't finish.
• Damaged system files or component store: corruption in the protected system files or the component store that supports the update engine can break the download pipeline from the inside, producing the same missing-files symptom.

How to fix error 0x80246007 — step by step

Work through these fixes in order. Step 3 alone resolves most cases.

1. Check your connection and free up disk space Open your browser and load a couple of pages to confirm your internet connection is genuinely working — not just that the Wi-Fi icon is lit. Then open File Explorer, go to This PC, and check the free space on your C: drive. Windows needs at least 10 GB free to stage update files. If you're short, open Settings, go to System, then Storage, turn on Storage Sense, click "Temporary files," and remove what you don't need. Then go back to Settings, Windows Update, and click Check for updates again.
2. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter Open Settings, go to System, then Troubleshoot, then Other troubleshooters. Click Run next to Windows Update and follow the prompts. The troubleshooter resets service states and re-registers the update engine automatically — it catches the misconfigured download states that commonly sit behind this error. When it finishes, restart your PC and check for updates again.
3. Restart BITS and set it to start automatically Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Scroll down to Background Intelligent Transfer Service, right-click it, and choose Properties. On the General tab, set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start) and click Apply. Then check the Service status — if it isn't running, click Start. While you're here, scroll to the Windows Update service and confirm it is started as well. Close the window and retry the update.
4. Clear the corrupted update cache Right-click Start and choose Terminal (Admin). Stop the update services with these commands, one at a time: net stop wuauserv and net stop bits. Now clear the damaged cache — either open File Explorer and delete everything inside C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download, or rename the whole folder from the terminal with ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old. Then restart the services: net start wuauserv and net start bits. Windows rebuilds the folder with clean files on the next update check.
5. Repair system files with SFC and DISM If the error persists after the cache is clean, the update stack itself may be damaged. Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin), and run sfc /scannow to repair protected system files. When it finishes, run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth to repair the component store. Let both commands complete — they can take 15 to 30 minutes — then restart your PC and run Check for updates one more time.
6. Install the update manually from the Update Catalog If automatic downloads still refuse to cooperate, bypass them. In Settings, go to Windows Update, then Update history, and copy the KB number next to the failed update. Open your browser and go to catalog.update.microsoft.com, paste the KB number into the search box, and download the update for your version of Windows. Run the downloaded file and the update installs directly, no BITS download pipeline involved.

Did this fix it? Quick checklist

• Windows Update checks for updates without 0x80246007
• BITS is running and set to Automatic (Delayed Start)
• No failed or stuck downloads remain in Update history
• At least 10 GB of free space on the system drive

If the error survives all six steps, temporarily disable any third-party antivirus and try once more — some security suites block update downloads at the driver level, and Windows Security takes over protection automatically in the meantime. And if you were trying to jump multiple feature versions at once, the Media Creation Tool's "Upgrade this PC now" option performs the upgrade in one pass and often sails past the incremental update path that was failing.