How to: Fix Windows Defender Won’t Update Error 0x80240016

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How to: Fix Windows Defender Won’t Update Error 0x80240016

Here we can see, “How to: Fix Windows Defender Won’t Update Error 0x80240016”

  • The first line of protection in Windows 10 is Windows Defender, but some users cannot update it and receive the 0x80240016 error.
  • Restarting your operating system’s update service should resolve the issue immediately.
  • Manually resetting the Windows Update components is also an option, but be sure to follow the steps carefully.
  • Consider utilizing a third-party antivirus before doing any difficult processes.

Windows Defender is a useful feature of Windows 10 that assists you in removing spyware and malware apps.

However, when customers attempted to upgrade this feature, they encountered an update error 0x80240016, which caused the update process to stop.

This difficulty can be caused by several factors, one of which is installing another program.

It just won’t work if you’re trying to upgrade Windows Defender while installing another program.

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If you’re installing another program, wait until it’s finished before trying to update Windows Defender. When the Windows Update client cannot obtain the user token, this problem occurs.

You’ll need to restart your update services to fix this, and the Windows Defender update issue 0x80240016 should be resolved.

Follow this article to see how to restart the Windows Update service and its components if you want to be your own tech help.

How can I fix the 0x80240016 Windows Defender update error?

1. The Windows Update service should be restarted

  1. Start by pressing the Start button.
  2. Type cmd into the Search box.
  3. To launch Command Prompt with full privileges, click Run as administrator.
  4. Press Enter after typing the following commands:
    • net stop wuauserv
      net start wuauserv
  5. Close the Command Prompt windows and try again to install the updates.

2. Reset Windows Update components manually

  1. As said in the previous step, open Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. The BITS service, the Windows Update service, and the Cryptographic service should all be disabled.
    • To do so, type the following commands into the command prompt and press Enter:
      • net stop bits
        net stop wuauserv
        net stop appidsvc
        net stop cryptsvc
  3. Delete the files qmgr*.dat.
    • To do so, type the following command in a command prompt and click Enter:
      • Del “%ALLUSERSPROFILE%/Application Data/Microsoft/NetworkDownloaderqmgr*.dat”
    • After that, type cd /d %windir%system32 in the command prompt and push Enter.
  4. Register the BITS and Windows Update files again.
    • To do so, type the following commands at a command prompt, pressing Enter after each one:
      • regsvr32.exe atl.dll
        regsvr32.exe urlmon.dll
        regsvr32.exe mshtml.dll
        regsvr32.exe shdocvw.dll
        regsvr32.exe browseui.dll
        regsvr32.exe jscript.dll
        regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll
        regsvr32.exe scrrun.dll
        regsvr32.exe msxml.dll
        regsvr32.exe msxml3.dll
        regsvr32.exe msxml6.dll
        regsvr32.exe actxprxy.dll
        regsvr32.exe softpub.dll
        regsvr32.exe wintrust.dll
        regsvr32.exe dssenh.dll
        regsvr32.exe rsaenh.dll
        regsvr32.exe gpkcsp.dll
        regsvr32.exe sccbase.dll
        regsvr32.exe slbcsp.dll
        regsvr32.exe cryptdlg.dll
        regsvr32.exe oleaut32.dll
        regsvr32.exe ole32.dll
        regsvr32.exe shell32.dll
        regsvr32.exe initpki.dll
        regsvr32.exe wuapi.dll
        regsvr32.exe wuaueng.dll
        regsvr32.exe wuaueng1.dll
        regsvr32.exe wucltui.dll
        regsvr32.exe wups.dll
        regsvr32.exe wups2.dll
        regsvr32.exe wuweb.dll
        regsvr32.exe qmgr.dll
        regsvr32.exe qmgrprxy.dll
        regsvr32.exe wucltux.dll
        regsvr32.exe muweb.dll
        regsvr32.exe wuwebv.dll
  5. Reset Winstock by typing the following command:netsh winsock reset
  6. Now, you’ll have to reset your proxy settings, by adding this line:netsh winhttp reset proxy
  7. Reset the BITS service, the Windows Update service, and the Cryptographic service by adding these commands:
    • net start bits
      net start wuauserv
      net start appidsvc
      net start cryptsvc
  8. From Microsoft’s support page, download the most recent Windows Update Agent.
  9. Restart your computer.

When resetting simply, the Windows Update service doesn’t work, and you’ll need to reset all of the service’s components.

This method needs extensive registry modification, and any errors could result in major issues. So, before you go ahead and do these instructions, make a backup of your registry.

3. Install an antivirus program from a third-party vendor

Windows Defender is a good protection program that is also free, but as you can see, it can cause a lot of issues and frustrations.

If you still can’t get it to update, it’s critical that you don’t leave your PC vulnerable therefore, you should seriously consider investing in a third-party antivirus.

The tool listed below is used by over 110 million people all around the world therefore, it’s completely safe.

This software has a multi-layered security solution that protects your computer, webcam, and router.

That concludes our discussion. You should now be able to upgrade Windows Defender without getting the 0x80240016 problem if you follow our instructions.

Conclusion

I hope you found this information helpful. Please fill out the form below if you have any questions or comments.

User Questions

1. How do I resolve the 0x80240016 error?

Select Start > Settings > Update & Security from the Start menu. On the left, select Troubleshoot. Select Additional troubleshooters from the drop-down menu. Scroll down to Windows Update and then click Run the Troubleshooter.

2. What can I do if Windows Defender refuses to update?

  1. Fixes that are preliminary.
  2. Attempt to use a different antivirus program.
  3. Install update definitions by hand.
  4. Make sure you have all of the necessary Windows Update files.
  5. Set the Windows Defender service to run in the background.
  6. Perform an SFC scan.

3. How can I make Windows Defender update automatically?

Manually triggering an update is possible with Microsoft Defender Antivirus and other Microsoft antimalware programs. To check for the latest updates in Windows 10, go to the Windows Security Virus & Threat Protection page and click Check for updates.

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