Windows updates seem to have gotten a bit messier recently, with each new update that’s supposed to improve user experience only delivering more and more issues (like the entire 24H2 version that’s been pulled multiple times). If you’re trying to go to a more stable version, you might get the 0x800f081f Windows Update error. It indicates that some of the core operating systems files are missing, which shouldn’t happen on most PCs.
This one might be a bit tricky to get rid off at first, but are some of the most consistent troubleshooting methods to get the error 0x800f081f Windows Update throws at you fixed.
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Fix 1: Restart the Windows Update Service
The Windows Update service itself is what’s checking for files. When you restart it, you reset all of its components which can download the required background files. There are two ways to do this, one that involves resetting the internal cache, and the other which restarts the app.
Step 1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator (you can search for it in the search bar and select the first result). Allow the User Account Control when prompted.
Step 2. Paste in and execute the following commands, one by one:
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
Step 3. If you get an error message such as “Access denied,” then this likely won’t solve the issue or you need administrator access to the system.
Alternatively, you can use the services menu to restart the entire service.
Step 1. Search for “Services” and open the result.
Step 2. Scroll down, find “Windows Update,” right-click on it and hit “Start” or “Restart” (whichever is available).
Fix 2: Scan and Repair Corrupted Files to Fix 0x800f081f Windows Update Error
The command prompt can also be used to execute the internal repair utility to automatically fetch missing files that could be causing the issue and fix error 0x800f081f.
Step 1. Open the Command Prompt as an admin.
Step 2. Enter the following command:
sfc /scannow
Step 3. You will get a notification about the scan. This might take a bit of time to complete.
After the scan, the system will immediately fetch and update the files. In some cases, this is enough to restart the Update process and complete it.
Fix 3: Download the Update Manually
In some cases, you can “fix” error 0x800f081f by bypassing it entirely.
Step 1. Open Windows Update and note the exact update that the system is trying to download (the code usually starts with a KB).
Step 2. Open the Windows Update catalog website.
Step 3. In the search bar, enter the exact code noted from Step 1.
Step 4. From the results, find the update you need and match it with your system, then click on “Download” on its entry.
Step 5. Run the file you downloaded. It should automatically prompt the Windows Update utility.
Step 6. Restart your PC.
