When you open the Services window to locate the Windows Update service, you find that the service is not listed there. Missing Windows Update service can cause errors like the 0x80070424 error and the 0x80070006 error. Since you’re reading this, you’re probably looking for the methods to get Windows Update service back. Read on, then you’ll learn how to get Windows Update service back.
Try these two methods
Method 1: Restore Windows Update service in registry
Method 2: Perform an in-place upgrade
Method 1: Restore Windows Update service in registry
Services including the Windows Update service (wuauserv) are located in the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services. If services are missing or deleted mistakenly, you can get them back to default by restoring the corresponding registry keys.
To restore Windows Update service, you just need to restore the Windows Update registry key. To do that, you can use one of the two ways below:
Important: This method requires you to modify the registry. Before you modify the registry, you need to know that modifying registry incorrectly might cause serious system problems. So make sure that you follow these steps carefully. It’s recommended you back up the registry before you modify it (learn how to back up registry). Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs.
Way 1: Transfer the Windows Update registry key from another computer (if you have)
You can transfer the Windows Update registry key from another computer without having the problem. Note: Another computer should run the same Windows 10 version. For example, if the problem computer runs Windows 10 Pro, the uninfected computer also needs to run Windows 10 Pro.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Check if Windows Update service registry key is missing on the problem computer:
1) On the problem computer, open Registry Editor.
2) Navigate to the following registry key:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
3) Check if wuauserv (the Windows Update registry key) is located under the Services key.
If wuauserv is not located there, head to Step 2.
If wuauserv is located there, delete it first then head to Step 2. To delete the key, right-click on the key and then select Delete.
Step 2: Export the Windows Update service registry key on an uninfected computer:
1) On an uninfected computer, open Registry Editor.
2) Navigate to the following registry key:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv
3) Right-click on wuauserv and click Export. Then, save the exported file (a .reg file) to a location.
Step 3: Import the Windows Update service registry key to the problem computer:
1) Transfer the exported .reg file from the uninfected computer to the problem computer. You can transfer it using a USB drive, via email or through a cloud drive.
2) Double-click on the .reg file (You may be prompted by UAC if the changes are allowed. Click Yes to allow the changes.)
3) You’ll get a warning from Windows about adding registry information. Just click Yes to continue, then click OK.
4) Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Way 2: Create the Windows Update service registry key manually
You can create the Windows Update service registry key manually, then import it to the problem computer. Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Check if Windows Update service registry key is missing on the problem computer:
1) On the problem computer, open Registry Editor.
2) Navigate to the following registry key:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
3) Check if wuauserv (the Windows Update service registry key) is located under the Services key.
If wuauserv is not located there, head to Step 2.
If wuauserv is located there, delete it first then head to Step 2. To delete the key, right-click on the key and then select Delete.
Step 2: Create the .reg file
1) Open Notepad.
2) Copy and paste all the following text including the blank lines into the Notepad.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv]
“DependOnService”=hex(7):72,00,70,00,63,00,73,00,73,00,00,00,00,00
“Description”=”@%systemroot%\system32\wuaueng.dll,-106”
“DisplayName”=”@%systemroot%\system32\wuaueng.dll,-105”
“ErrorControl”=dword:00000001
“FailureActions”=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
“ImagePath”=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
00,76,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,73,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2d,00,\
6b,00,20,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,73,00,76,00,63,00,73,00,20,00,2d,00,70,00,00,\
00
“ObjectName”=”LocalSystem”
“RequiredPrivileges”=hex(7):53,00,65,00,41,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,50,00,72,\
00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,\
65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,47,00,6c,00,6f,00,62,00,61,00,6c,00,50,00,72,00,69,\
00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,\
61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,50,00,72,\
00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,\
62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,\
00,41,00,73,00,73,00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,\
79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\
00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,72,00,73,00,6f,00,\
6e,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,\
00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,51,00,\
75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,\
00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,68,00,75,00,74,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,6e,00,50,00,\
72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,44,00,65,\
00,62,00,75,00,67,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,\
00,00,53,00,65,00,42,00,61,00,63,00,6b,00,75,00,70,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\
00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,52,00,65,00,73,00,74,00,\
6f,00,72,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,\
00,53,00,65,00,53,00,65,00,63,00,75,00,72,00,69,00,74,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,\
69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,54,00,61,00,6b,\
00,65,00,4f,00,77,00,6e,00,65,00,72,00,73,00,68,00,69,00,70,00,50,00,72,00,\
69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4c,00,6f,00,61,\
00,64,00,44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,\
6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4d,00,61,00,6e,00,61,00,67,00,65,\
00,56,00,6f,00,6c,00,75,00,6d,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,\
65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00
“ServiceSidType”=dword:00000001
“Start”=dword:00000003
“SvcHostSplitDisable”=dword:00000001
“SvcMemHardLimitInMB”=dword:000000f6
“SvcMemMidLimitInMB”=dword:000000a7
“SvcMemSoftLimitInMB”=dword:00000058
“Type”=dword:00000020
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv\Parameters]
“ServiceDll”=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,\
00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,\
77,00,75,00,61,00,75,00,65,00,6e,00,67,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
“ServiceDllUnloadOnStop”=dword:00000001
“ServiceMain”=”WUServiceMain”
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv\Security]
“Security”=hex:01,00,14,80,78,00,00,00,84,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,02,\
00,1c,00,01,00,00,00,02,80,14,00,ff,00,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,\
00,00,02,00,48,00,03,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,9d,00,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,\
05,0b,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,\
20,02,00,00,00,00,14,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,\
01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv\TriggerInfo]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv\TriggerInfo\0]
“Type”=dword:00000005
“Action”=dword:00000001
“Guid”=hex:e6,ca,9f,65,db,5b,a9,4d,b1,ff,ca,2a,17,8d,46,e0
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv\TriggerInfo\1]
“Type”=dword:00000005
“Action”=dword:00000001
“Guid”=hex:c8,46,fb,54,89,f0,4c,46,b1,fd,59,d1,b6,2c,3b,50
3) Save the file as a .reg file. You can name it as something like “WindowsUpdateFix.reg”.
4) Double-click on the .reg file (You may be prompted by UAC if the changes are allowed. Click Yes to allow the changes.).
5) You’ll get a warning from Windows about adding registry information. Just click Yes to continue, then click OK.
6) Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
If Method 1 doesn’t work for you, continue to try Method 2.
Method 2: Perform an in-place upgrade
To fix the problem, you can try to perform an in-place upgrade. After an in-place upgrade, you’ll get the latest version of Windows 10 and the current updates. Most Windows Update problems will be resolved.
You can visit post Perform an In-place Upgrade with Windows 10 to learn how to perform an in-place upgrade step by step.
Hopefully you can get Windows Update service back with the steps above. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below. I’ll get back to you ASAP.