If you face this issue, here are working suggestions that are sure to help you fix the problem.

One of the update services is not running properly

If you face this issue, we suggest the following:

1] Run Windows UpdateTroubleshooter

Use the Windows Update Troubleshooter from Microsoft. It resets Windows Updates settings to defaults. You may also run the Online Windows Troubleshooter from Microsoft.

2] Manually check the status of Windows Update required services

Open Windows Services Manager and check the Windows Update related Services like Windows Update, Windows Update Medic, Update Orchestrator Services, etc are not disabled.

The default configuration on a standalone Windows 10 PC is as follows:

Windows Update Service – Manual (Triggered)Windows Update Medic Services – ManualCryptographic Services – AutomaticBackground Intelligent Transfer Service – ManualDCOM Server Process Launcher – AutomaticRPC Endpoint Mapper –  AutomaticWindows Installer – Manual.

Make sure that the Startup type is as mentioned above. This will ensure that the required Services are available. Apart from the direct service, you should find the dependencies of the Windows Update service and ensure if they are running or not.

To get started, search for “services” in the Taskbar search box and click on the search result. After opening the Services window, find out Windows Update, DCOM Server Process Launcher, and RPC Endpoint Mapper. Check if they are running or not. If not, you need to start those services one after one. You may double-click on them to open their Properties box and then do it, or you may simply right-click on the Service name and select Start. The above should help. But if you need more help, then this post will help you if Windows Update fails to install or will not download.