Troubleshoot Windows Update Error 0x80240034: Windows Failed to Install

0x80240034 can show up on your Windows 10 computer when an update fails to install. It’s an error specific to Windows update. After the update fails, if you click on the View Installed Update History, the error code 0x80240034 will show for the failed updates. The situation is annoying and is also not limited to a specific version of Windows. You can experience this issue on every build of Windows 10.

The reasons for this error appearing on your computer’s screen and preventing the Windows OS from updating are but few. A corrupt registry, damaged software or hardware, system driver conflict or virus infection are some of the causes that can trigger this error code 0x80240034 on your Windows 10 computer.

So, if you too are receiving this error code on your Windows 10 PC and want to resolve it, then you can do that by following the methods that we will discuss in this article. The fixes we are about to elaborate on are tried and tested. Several users who encountered this issue, fixed it by following the solutions that we are going to discuss. So, we suggest you do the same and get rid of this annoying Update error in no time.

Solutions to Fix Windows Update Error 0x80240034

Mentioned below are the fixes to resolve the Windows Update error 0x80240034. We suggest you follow them exactly as instructed and in the order given. Do not skip any step. Just go through the solutions and apply them one by one till you get the error fixed.

Solution 1: Reset Windows Update Store

Resetting the Windows Update Store can sometimes fix this issue. So, follow the steps below and reset the Update Store to fix error code 0x80240034.

1. Click on the Start button and type ‘cmd’ (without the quotes) in the Search pane. From the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
2. Now, type the commands as given below one by one and hit Enter after each:
3. 1st command: net stop wuauserv
4. 2nd command: net stop cryptsvc
5. 3rd command: net stop bits
6. Next, you need to rename the Software Distribution and Catroot2 folder using the commands given below.
7. ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
8. ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old

Now, you need to reboot Windows and try to update it to check if this method resolves the error.

Solution 2: Clear Windows Update Cache Folder

Clearing the Windows Update cache folder is a feasible means of fixing this issue. So, it’s worth a shot. Once the contents get corrupted, Windows can’t delete and re-download them by itself.

So, you can try deleting the contents of the Update folder which will make Windows re-download the updates from scratch. This fix has worked for many and may work for you as well. The steps to apply are given below.

First, the Windows Update process needs to be stopped, and for that, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows + R key together from your keyboard. This will open the Run dialogue box.
2. Next, in that box, type ‘services.msc’ and hit Enter or click OK. The Services window will now open.
3. In the services window, look for Windows Update, right-click on it, and select Stop.
4. Now, you need to clear the Windows Update cache folder. Follow these steps to do that:
5. Open the Run box again by pressing the Windows + R key together from your keyboard.
6. Type %windir%\SoftwareDistribution/DataStore in that box and hit Enter.
7. Now, clear all the content of that folder.
8. Now, you need to restart the Windows Update service. For that,
9. Go to Windows services again by following the method mentioned above.
10. Locate Windows Update, right-click on it, and select Start.

Now, check if this method resolves the error 0x80240034 on your Windows 10 PC.

Solution 3: Delete Registry Values

If the above solutions do not work in resolving the issue, then you can try the steps below to fix registry errors, if any, which in turn, may resolve the Update error 0x80240034. However, before following this method, we recommend you take a complete backup of the registry values of your system.

So that if anything goes wrong, you can revert to the state your computer is in. Any tweak with the registry is always risky. Therefore, this necessary precaution needs to be taken.

1. Press the Windows + R keys together from your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
2. Now, in that box, type ‘regedit.exe’ and hit Enter. This will open the Registry Editor.
3. Now, go to File> Export. Give your registry file a proper name that you can recognize later, and save that file.

This is all about creating a registry backup. Now, follow these steps:

1. In the Registry Editor, locate the following key in the left pane:
2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
3. In the right pane, you will find the entries WUServer and WIStatusServer. Select and delete them.

Now, restart the computer, and check if the error is fixed or not.

Solution 4: Update Windows Using an ISO File

If none of the above fixes works in resolving the error 0x80240034 on your Windows PC, then you can try updating Windows via an ISO file. Effectively, this means that you’ll install the latest version of Windows 10 using the ISO bootable media that you create.

Now, you need to keep in mind that when using the Windows 10 ISO file to install the latest version, it will ask you what you want to do with your previous settings and apps. A lot of users solved the issue by not keeping the earlier settings.

However, you can first try to update keeping the old settings. If that doesn’t work in resolving the error, then you can choose to not keep the old settings while updating Windows using the ISO file.

Follow these steps to update Windows using an ISO file:

1. Visit the official Microsoft website and navigate to the page of Windows 10 download.
2. Click on Download Tool Now.
3. Next, click on Use the tool to create installation media (USB flash drives, DVDs, or ISO file).
4. Now, select the option for creating an ISO file.
5. Once the download completes, you’ll have an ISO file that you’ll use to install the latest version of Windows 10.
6. Now, navigate to the location where you have downloaded the ISO file.
7. Right-click on that file, choose Open with and then File Explorer.
8. Next, double-click on the setup file which will be named as setup.exe and follow the instructions appearing on the screen.

When asked, you can either choose to clean install and for that, choose Nothing. Or else, you can select the Keep personal files only. However, choosing the option Keep personal files, apps, and Windows settings is not recommended. Because choosing to keep the earlier settings hardly works and you may again come across this particular error code 0x80240034. The best option to choose is a clean install which has worked for a lot of users.

These are the solutions to fix the Windows Update error 0x80240034. Hopefully, after going through the fixes mentioned above and applying them correctly, you can resolve this Update error in no time.