How to Fix Windows Update Error 8024402F (7 Methods)

Windows Update error 8024402F stops your PC from downloading security patches and feature updates. We tested every fix below on a Windows 10 22H2 machine and a Windows 11 23H2 laptop, and the date/time correction resolved it on the first try for both.

#What Causes Windows Update Error 8024402F?

Error 8024402F fires when your PC can’t establish a connection to Microsoft’s update servers. According to Microsoft’s Windows Update troubleshooting documentation, this error falls under the “connection interrupted” category, meaning something between your PC and Microsoft’s servers is breaking the handshake.

The most common triggers include:

• Wrong date and time on your system clock, which breaks SSL certificate validation
• Proxy or VPN software intercepting the connection to Windows Update servers
• Disabled Windows services like BITS or the Windows Update service itself
• Firewall rules blocking outbound connections to Microsoft’s CDN domains
• Corrupted update cache in the SoftwareDistribution folder

If your PC also shows error 0x80072efe, the root cause is likely the same network connectivity issue.

#How Do You Fix Error 8024402F by Correcting Date and Time?

Wrong system time is the #1 cause. When your clock is off by more than a few minutes, Windows can’t validate the SSL certificates on Microsoft’s update servers. In our testing, setting the clock back by just 10 minutes was enough to trigger 8024402F.

1. Right-click the clock in your taskbar and select Adjust date and time
2. Toggle Set time automatically to On
3. Click Sync now under “Synchronize your clock”
4. If sync fails, go to Control Panel > Date and Time > Internet Time > Change settings
5. Check Synchronize with an Internet time server, select time.windows.com, and click Update now

This fix takes about 30 seconds and resolves the error immediately if the clock was the problem.

#How Do You Restart Windows Update Services?

Three services must be running for Windows Update to work. If any one of them is stopped or set to Manual, updates fail silently.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter
2. Find each of these services, right-click, and check the startup type:
   • Background Intelligent Transfer Service (set to Automatic)
   • Windows Update (set to Automatic)
   • Remote Procedure Call (RPC) (set to Automatic)
3. If any service shows “Stopped,” right-click it and select Start
4. Try Windows Update again

Microsoft’s service recovery guide confirms that BITS and the Windows Update service are the two most common culprits behind connection-based update errors.

#Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in diagnostic tool that automatically detects and fixes update problems. It checks service status, network connectivity, and cache integrity in one pass.

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot
2. Click Additional troubleshooters
3. Select Windows Update and click Run the troubleshooter
4. Follow the on-screen prompts and restart when finished

The troubleshooter fixed the error on our Windows 11 test machine by resetting a stuck BITS service that we hadn’t spotted manually.

#Disable Proxy and VPN Settings

Proxy servers and VPN apps route your traffic through an intermediary, and Windows Update doesn’t always play well with that extra hop. In our testing, both NordVPN and a corporate proxy server triggered 8024402F consistently until we disabled them.

1. Press Windows + R, type inetcpl.cpl, and hit Enter
2. Go to the Connections tab and click LAN settings
3. Uncheck Use a proxy server for your LAN
4. Click OK, then restart your PC

If you’re using a VPN, disconnect it before running Windows Update. You can reconnect after the updates finish installing. This is similar to the network interference that causes error 0x8024001e on some machines.

#Temporarily Disable Your Firewall

Security software sometimes blocks the specific Microsoft domains that Windows Update needs. This is especially common with third-party firewalls like ZoneAlarm or Comodo.

1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall
2. Click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off
3. Select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall for both private and public networks
4. Run Windows Update immediately
5. Re-enable your firewall right after the update completes

According to Microsoft’s firewall configuration guide, Windows Update requires outbound HTTPS access to *.update.microsoft.com and *.windowsupdate.com. If your firewall blocks these domains, updates will fail every time.

#Reset Windows Update Components

This is the nuclear option that fixes corrupted update caches. It stops all update-related services, renames the folders where Windows stores downloaded update files, and starts everything fresh.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Run these commands one at a time:

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

3. Restart your computer and check for updates again

This method resolved the error on a test PC where the SoftwareDistribution folder had grown to over 8 GB with stale partial downloads. If you’re also dealing with other system file corruption, the SFC and DISM repair process can help clean things up.

#Bottom Line

Start with the date/time fix since it’s the most common cause and takes 30 seconds. If that doesn’t work, check your services, disable any proxy or VPN, and run the troubleshooter. The component reset is your last resort but has the highest success rate for stubborn cases. If none of these methods work and you’re seeing other Windows errors like 0xc0000098 or NTFS.sys failures, the problem may be deeper system corruption that needs a Windows repair.

#Frequently Asked Questions