Fix 0x80070246 Windows Update Error [Solution]

I was going about my day, catching up on some work, when suddenly I noticed my Windows Update was stuck. I tried to install the latest updates for Windows, but instead of smoothly updating, I was greeted with an error code: 0x80070246. Frustrated, I tried to ignore it, hoping it would resolve itself, but the error persisted, preventing me from downloading essential updates. Determined to fix this, I embarked on a journey to resolve the 0x80070246 Windows Update error.

The error message didn’t provide much insight into what might be going wrong. I decided to start by searching online for more information about this specific error code. To my dismay, the error seemed to be somewhat obscure, with not much detailed guidance available. However, I found a few common troubleshooting steps that people often used to tackle Windows Update issues. I hoped these would help me as well.

First, I tried the basic troubleshooting steps that are typically recommended for Windows Update problems. I went to the Windows Update troubleshooter by navigating to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Windows Update. Running this troubleshooter was a hopeful first step. It scanned my system for issues related to Windows Update and attempted to fix any problems it found. However, despite the troubleshooter running its course, the error persisted.

Next, I decided to check my system’s date and time settings. Sometimes, if the date and time are incorrect, it can cause issues with Windows Update. I went to Settings > Time & Language > Date & Time and ensured that the settings were correct and synchronized with the internet. After making sure everything was accurate, I restarted my computer and tried the update again. Unfortunately, the error was still there, stubbornly refusing to go away.

Since the basics didn’t solve the problem, I moved on to more advanced troubleshooting. I opened Command Prompt with administrative privileges and ran a few commands that are often recommended for fixing Windows Update issues. I started with the System File Checker (SFC) tool. I entered the command sfc /scannow and waited for the system to scan and repair any corrupted system files. This process took a bit of time, but I hoped it would resolve underlying issues affecting the update.

After the SFC scan, I proceeded to use the Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool (DISM). I ran the following commands in Command Prompt to repair the Windows image:

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DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This command is designed to check the health of the system image and restore any corrupted files. It took some time to complete, and I watched as it worked through various stages of checking and repairing the system image. Once the process finished, I restarted my computer and attempted to update Windows again. Despite the hopeful effort, the error code 0x80070246 still appeared, refusing to be resolved.

Feeling a bit more desperate, I decided to manually reset the Windows Update components. This involved stopping the Windows Update services, deleting certain files, and restarting the services. Here’s the process I followed:

1. I opened Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Stopped the Windows Update services by entering the following commands:

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   net stop wuauserv
   net stop cryptSvc
   net stop bits
   net stop msiserver
   

3. I then deleted the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders, which are used by Windows Update to store temporary files. I used the following commands to delete these folders:

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   del %windir%\SoftwareDistribution /Q /S
   del %windir%\System32\catroot2 /Q /S
   

4. After deleting these folders, I restarted the services using these commands:

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   net start wuauserv
   net start cryptSvc
   net start bits
   net start msiserver
   

After performing these steps, I restarted my computer and tried to check for updates again. This time, I was cautiously optimistic. To my relief, the update process began without any errors. It seemed that manually resetting the Windows Update components had finally resolved the issue.

In conclusion, dealing with the 0x80070246 Windows Update error was quite a challenge. It required a combination of basic troubleshooting, advanced command-line tools, and manual intervention to fix the problem. While it was frustrating and time-consuming, following the outlined steps ultimately helped me get my system back on track with the latest updates. If you encounter a similar issue, these steps might help you resolve the error and get your updates running smoothly once more.