Vista windows update error service not running

Windows Update is the service that keeps Windows 10 and other Microsoft products up-to-date on your computer. Unfortunately, it has a history of issues, with update errors being a common occurrence. But rarely, various reasons—such as incorrectly configured or conflicting settings—can also prevent it from running on your computer altogether.

If you keep receiving an error claiming that the Windows Update service or a related service is not running on your computer, the list of fixes that follow should help you get it functioning normally again. Windows 10 includes a built-in troubleshooter that can automatically diagnose and resolve issues with Windows Update. You must run it first before digging into the rest of the fixes.

Restarting your PC helps flush the system memory and works as a quick fix for random service-related issues that crop up in Windows You must also double-check the settings for other related services. Set the Startup type to Automatic and select Apply. Follow that by setting Service status to Running. Harmful software is another reason that prevents the Windows Update service from running in Windows Using the built-in Windows Security applet should help you to detect and remove malware.

So the best way to deal with that is to use a dedicated third-party malware remover such as Malwarebytes. Try running a quick scan, and follow that with a system-wide check for computer viruses. Sunday, July 15, PM. Please start a NEW thread of your own - you do not have a common problem. Include the FULL results as requested of the commands, and state the following 1 have you recently had any virus or malware infections?

Thanks after trying all the technical stuff this little trick worked for me. Monday, July 16, PM. Bless you, m'dear. Worked like a charm. Thanks mucho, Steve. Wednesday, July 18, PM. I don't know who you are, where you are, or anything else about you, but all I can say is, "Bless You.

I can't thank you enough!!!!!!! You're the best!!!!!!!! Thursday, July 19, AM. Perfect -- worked immediately. Thursday, July 19, PM. Friday, July 20, PM. Saturday, July 21, AM. Worked 4 me 2. Monday, July 23, PM. I can't believe it was as easy as that but it was. After multiple reboots and trying to stop and restart services, the only thing that worked in the end was to change the windows update setting to "never check..

I was then able to check for updates! That's an odd bug. Wednesday, July 25, AM. Thanks guys. I ran Defender, restarted, now Windows Update works. Saturday, July 28, AM. This is the solution that worked for me Give it a try! Saturday, July 28, PM. Update: Two for two. Edited by grahamgoddard Friday, August 3, AM. Monday, July 30, PM. Hi, Had the same problem. Went into updates and clicked on restore hidden updates and all good.

Tuesday, July 31, PM. Brook that worked for me like a charm. The odd part is i'm using an image on some new dell pc's and I used this image on a batch of 10 no problem. WHen i bought 2 more a few weeks later I ran into this issue and that suggestion of change to never check worked.

So odd the pc's are the same model just a few weeks newer. Thanks again!! Services listed were both running, but updates would not run. Wednesday, August 1, AM. Wednesday, August 1, PM. Timmons 0. This is the solution that worked for me. Thursday, August 2, PM. Updating windows defender database fixed the wsu "cannot check" problem. This was an easy and successful approach; it worked correctly the first time.

Sunday, August 5, PM. This solution worked for me. Thank you for the suggestion. Monday, August 6, AM. Thanks Brook Steed! This worked for me!! Monday, August 6, PM. It just worked for me. Thank you ;. Tuesday, August 7, AM.

This helped me. Tuesday, August 7, PM. Thursday, August 9, PM. This worked!! Friday, August 10, AM. Saturday, August 11, AM. Swabman- You nailed it! Sunday, August 12, PM. What I did do was the following and worked like a charm: 1 As mentioned, make sure both BITS and wuauserv are both running as automatic 2 Go into the registry and change the ElevateNonAdmins from "1" to "0". Tuesday, August 14, PM. Brook Steed, thanks! Dani G. Wednesday, August 15, AM. That worked for me cheers!!!!

Saturday, August 18, AM. Brook Steed's response Worked perfectly and easier than anything else I read in here!!!! Edited by egktech Tuesday, August 21, PM. Tuesday, August 21, PM.

Wednesday, August 22, PM. A bit late as an answer, but I found that the problem for me was that windows update itself needed an update. Solution: turn off automatic updates, manually check for updates, install the windows update update, set auto again. Friday, August 24, AM. Clinic 0. Saturday, August 25, AM. Brook, Thank you so much. Sunday, August 26, PM. Thanks -- this did it for me.

Saturday, September 1, AM. Thanks for the answer. Worked for me! Saturday, September 1, PM. Sunday, September 2, PM. Noel- I am having this WU problem, as well. I fthis is a non-microsoft service, contact the service vendor, and refer to service specific error code " When trying to start Windows Update "Windows could not start the Windows update service on Local computer.

Monday, September 3, AM. Tuesday, September 4, AM. Tuesday, September 4, PM. Click on the Start button. Thursday, September 6, AM. Had this problem with a Windows R2 Server virtual machine. This was the fix for me. Friday, September 7, PM. Access is denied. Saturday, September 8, PM. This happened to me on my laptop - thought it was odd that I hadn't received any updates. I even reset PC on system restore to 3 months ago. That didn't solve it, so I looked on here and what you put is what I was considering but for some reason didn't do.

Anyway just a big thank you as I've done it now and it's got 59 downloads!! Not sure why it didn't work for the guy who also had this problem.

Cheers Dave. Wednesday, September 12, PM. If you haven't done the following posted below - "I had the same issue - "Windows update cannot currently check for updates because the service is not running. Thursday, September 13, AM. Hi I'm having the same error when i tried to do a windows update. Sunday, September 16, AM. Roulette 0.

This solution fixed my problem :. Monday, September 17, PM. You Rock! Tuesday, September 18, AM. Turn updates off completely and then turn back on. Tuesday, September 18, PM. Thursday, September 20, PM. Thanx a lot Brook Steed, Your solution seemed to easy but it works!!! Monday, September 24, PM. Tuesday, September 25, AM. Noel, thanks for the information.

The first half checked out but the Windows Update part didn't show up in my Services section. Am I missing something? Tuesday, September 25, PM. This solution worked for me too. Friday, September 28, PM. Thanks 1Timer - This worked for me! Monday, October 1, PM. How do you update windows defender? Wednesday, October 3, AM. Thank you for posting this.

Wednesday, October 3, PM. Sunday, October 7, PM. Try this. Then go back to Services and restart the Windows Update service which will recreate all of those folders again. Then manually run the Update Service and everything should work.

I have spent the last hour scoping the internet and microsoft tech support for an answer Something so easy, who'd of thunk it? Monday, October 8, PM. Tuesday, October 9, AM. This solved my issue. Thank you, thank you! Wednesday, October 10, PM. Win 7 32 bit machine. Same error. This solution worked Perfectly!! Thursday, October 11, PM. Out of the blue this happened to me: Win 7 Pro x I tried all the above and none worked but yours.

Sunday, October 14, PM. Monday, October 15, AM. Tuesday, October 16, AM. Brook Steeds fix worked for me, thanks very much. I love a simple fix. Friday, October 19, PM. I tried several of the other fixes mentioned above and this is the one that worked for me.

I did not have to go into Safe Mode, just deleted and it worked. Tuesday, October 23, AM. I had the same problem and your proposed solution worked! This is exactly what just fixed mine, thank you! Thursday, October 25, PM. Repeated with mention of Windows Server R2 in case someone searches for the same problem.

Steps, as Brook Steed mentions, were to: 1. Click ok, then go back and change to ' Install updates automatically ' 3.

Reboot - very important. Search for updates - worked fine. Saturday, October 27, PM. I tried all the previous suggestions to this option and had no success, deleted the SoftwareDistribution files, rebooted and BAM!

Cheers ankit!! Wednesday, November 7, AM. Again, thanks for your help! Friday, November 9, PM. Sunday, November 11, PM. Thanks Brook - your fix worked perfectly for me.

Yeah, this really works! Monday, November 12, AM. It was already clear to me that new disc drives played some role in these. A new Rapid Storage driver was often the solution. Not in my case. But perhaps the drive itself is the cause. I decided to recreate and reformat the partitions and put it back in the laptop. After installing W7 for the third time I checked Windows Update and guess what Saturday, November 17, AM. Saturday, November 17, PM. Sean Solved it for me!

Sunday, November 18, PM. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I couldn't figure out how to fix my update problem, and I did what you posted and it fixed it right away!!

Thursday, November 22, PM. Definitely helped me Thank you!! Sunday, November 25, AM. Dear 1timer, Thank you for your post. It worked for me! Activation and Windows Update problems both solved!!! Best, bluevalkyrie.

Wednesday, November 28, AM. Excellent Thank you!!!! Saturday, December 1, PM. Monday, December 3, AM. Wednesday, December 5, AM. Changes the windows update settings to "Never check for updates not recommended " worked for me. Wednesday, December 5, PM. Friday, December 7, PM. Wednesday, December 12, PM. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thursday, December 13, PM. Friday, December 14, AM. Hi Noel, I'm having the same issue with my pc and didn't notice this until a couple weeks ago.

I've tried Brook's solution with no luck. I'm running windows 7 ultimate 64 bit. My other pc is running windows 7 pro 64 bit and both services are there. Saturday, December 15, PM. Sunday, December 16, PM. Talk about a ghost in the machine! Saturday, December 22, AM. Sunday, December 23, AM. Vandy 0. Thank you, it helpful. Monday, December 24, AM. YES this is the soulution.

Easy and helpful. Just update your defender, scan and restart. Thursday, December 27, AM. This fixed it for me with a Gateway notebook quad core computer whose hard drive I recently replaced! I just downloaded the latest drivers from Intel and updated the driver from device manager for the IDE controller. Friday, January 4, AM. I did the defender update today and managed to get rid of the same error message reported here for Windows Update - thanks for posting - helped me. Saturday, January 5, PM.

Thanks very much for bringing this suggestion to this forum. It worked!!!! Monday, January 14, PM. Friday, January 18, PM. This Intel driver really is a nasty one! Wednesday, January 30, PM. Friday, February 8, AM. Thanx swabman Friday, February 15, PM.

Friday, March 8, AM. Much more useful information than Microsoft and their useless units with their closed minded attitudes. Thursday, March 14, AM.

This solution worked a treat for me. Thursday, April 18, PM. Worked for me too! Saturday, May 18, PM. This solved my problem. Thanks for posting this. Thursday, June 20, PM. Monday, July 8, PM. Sunday, July 14, PM. Then check to see if this resolves your problem.

You may get the error due to corruption issues with these files. To see if these files are the cause, you should remove all the content of this folder.

Then click Windows Update and click Start the service. Then run Windows Update see if this helps you get rid of the Windows Update service not running error. Updating drivers can consume a lot of time. But if you want to do it easily and quickly, you can use Driver Easy. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You can download and install your drivers by using either Free or Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes only 2 clicks and you get full support and a day money back guarantee : 1 Download and install Driver Easy.

Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.