Windows has always offered regular updates to the system. Users have the option of installing the updates manually or having Windows updates installed automatically. Automatic Windows updates are a great way to ensure your Windows 10 operating system stays up to date without any input from the user. Most of the time Windows updates set to automatically happen behind the scenes, based on whatever settings the user chooses. For instance, Windows automatic updates can be set to happen in the middle of the night when you are asleep.
Unfortunately, there have been instances where automatic updates fail to happen. This is most common with Windows 7 machines. Windows 10 update issues are actually the opposite; they keep turning on when you want them off. This can be a problem because it means your system is not up to date, which opens the door for all kinds of problems.
What can I do when the Windows update is not working?
Unfortunately, trying to find a fix when Windows updates keep turning off is difficult. No one seems to know how to fix the problem. There are plenty of message boards that talk about the issue, but very little solid advice. The problem seems to stem, in many cases, from the antivirus software being used. In fact, antivirus is a common reason your Windows updates keep turning off. This can be random and hard to detect.
Antivirus Cause Windows Update to Turn Off
Antivirus: Antivirus applications, as we stated, have been known to cause problems with many programs. It can also be an issue with the Windows Update components. This happens when the antivirus software reads a false positive on a program on your computer. Some antivirus programs are known for causing issues like these.
The first thing you want to do is disable the antivirus application and see if this fixes the problem. If it does, we recommend you consider uninstalling the antivirus software and trying another antivirus software product.
The most likely cause is antivirus, so how do you disable it? You can decide whether to keep the antivirus or uninstall it after seeing the results. Here’s how you can disable your antivirus software:
- Right-click on your antivirus icon from the system tray
- Select the antivirus icon and right-click.
- Select the option for disabling.
- Check for Windows updates. If it works, this was the issue.
Antivirus software that prevents your Windows system from updating correctly is not an antivirus software you want to use. If it is giving false positives for Windows update, how can you be certain it is working correctly at detecting real threats?
Windows Update Issues
Windows Update: Windows Update service can cause also be the cause of the problem. This could be because the update service doesn’t start properly or there is a corrupted file in the Windows update folder. These issues can typically be resolved pretty quickly by restarting the Windows Update components and making minor changes in the registry to add a registry key that sets updates to auto.
Making changes in the registry can be helpful for fixing the problem. Follow these steps to make changes to the registry. Always be cautious. Wrong changes in the registry can cause damage to your system.
- Press Windows key once
- Type command prompt in the Start Search
- Right-click Command Prompt from the search results and select Run as administrator
- Type the following command in the command prompt and press Enter: reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update" /v AUOptions /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
- Type this command and press Enter: sc config wuauserv start= auto
This change to the registry should fix the issue. If not:
Reset Windows Components
Resetting Windows Components could solve your problem:
- Press Windows key once
- Type command prompt in the Start Search
- Right-click Command Prompt from the search results and select Run as Administrator
- Type these commands in the command prompt; press Enter each time:
- net stop bits
- net stop wuauserv
- net stop appidsvc
- net stop cryptsvc
Ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
Ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old
- net start bits
- net start wuauserv
- net start appidsvc
- net start cryptsvc
This might be all you need to fix the issue when Windows 7 Update keeps turning off.
Final thoughts
If you need any further help with Windows apps, don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer service team, available 24/7 to assist you. Return to us for more informative articles all related to productivity and modern day technology!
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