[German]Sometimes Windows 10 (or an older Windows version) stalls during a (feature) update with error 0x80242006. Here are a few details what's behind this error.
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The error description
If you search for this update error, there are a lot of hits. I have limited the search to Windows 10 and found entries here, here, here and here. The last link refers to the Windows Defender and the Adobe Flash Player, whose updates fail with error 0x80242006. A typical update error description is:
Error 0x80242006
System daily attempts to update Windows 10 ver 1703 to ver 1709. The result is error message "Error 0x80242006".
Windows 10 tries to install an update cyclically and then fails with error 0x80242006. Some MS Answers forum posts mention that checking Windows for defective files (see Check and repair Windows system files and component store) did not help.
What does the update error 0x80242006 stand for?
It would be very helpful to know the plain text description of the error code 0x80242006. I wrote something about error codes of the type 0x8024xxxx in the blog post Windows 10: Update errors 0x8024xxxx detailed. The error code 0x80242006 stands for:
WU_E_UH_INVALIDMETADATA; A handler operation could not be completed because the update contains invalid metadata.
The description is clear: The operation to install the update could not be completed because the update has invalid metadata. Possibly something broke when downloading the update package – for example, a third-party software (antivirus program) can cause trouble. It is also possible that the update package was provided with incorrect metadata on the Microsoft server. Or the update store is damaged.
Fix #1: Resetting the Windows Update cache
If there is a broken package in the Windows Update cache, the first step is to reset the contents of the Windows Update cache. Some people are using the Windows Update Troubleshooter, but that wizard doesn't helps. A possible approach is to delete the Windows Update store folder:
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1. Open command prompt window via Run as administrator.
2. Enter the commands below into the command prompt window.
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
rd /s /q %windir%\SoftwareDistribution
net start wuauserv
net start bits
See also this Microsoft Answers forum thread. You should then restart Windows Update to check for new updates.
Fix #2: Try a Clean Install
If resetting the Windows Update cache doesn't help and isn't it known that Microsoft has withdrawn the update due to faulty metafiles? You can try downloading the update package from the Microsoft Update Catalog and installing it manually. However, if that ends with the above installation error, try a clean install of Windows.
The approach is to download a Windows installation image from the Microsoft servers using the Windows Media Creation Tool (MCT) and have an installation DVD or USB installation stick created. Then try a repair installation by Inplace-Upgrade, by starting the file Setup.exe from a running Windows and lett Windows 'install over'. This in-place upgrade forces a new installation of Windows, whereby the data and programs are preserved.
If this does not help, reboot the system from the installation media and reinstall Windows. But programs and data get lost in the process. Maybe these approaches will help to fix the error 0x80242006.
Similar articles:
Check and repair Windows system files and component store
Windows 10: Update errors 0x8024xxxx detailed
Fix: Windows 10 hangs in update installation loop
Stop Windows from installing updates over and over again
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