windows update error 0x80246007 fix - FIX 0x80246007 - fix error 0x80246007 windows 11

Update stalls at 20% with 0x80246007

You click "Download and install" for a cumulative update. The progress bar climbs to 20% — then freezes. After a minute, Windows Update throws error 0x80246007 and starts retrying in a loop. This usually happens when the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) can't pull update files because the local download cache is corrupted.

On Windows 10, the failure often links to BITS queue corruption. Windows 11 enforces stricter delivery validation, which can also trigger the same code when cache integrity checks fail. The WindowsUpdate.log will show entries like "BITS job failed to download" right around the 20% mark.

One method that helps many users (not 100% guaranteed)

Based on reports, clearing the update cache while services are stopped resolves the download hang for a majority of cases. However, this doesn't work for every environment — some need additional steps.

Stop BITS and Windows Update, then wipe SoftwareDistribution

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run: net stop bits & net stop wuauserv
3. Navigate to C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution and delete all contents (don't delete the folder itself).
4. Also clear C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 (optional but safe).
5. Restart services: net start bits & net start wuauserv
6. Retry Windows Update — the download should now progress past 20%.

After performing these steps, check WindowsUpdate.log for successful BITS transfer entries. The update should install without the retry loop. Many people searching for "how to fix 0x80246007 windows update" or "windows update download error 0x80246007" found this approach effective. Another common query — "update stuck at 20 percent 0x80246007" — also points to the same cache issue.

Partial effectiveness note: This method solves the issue for many, but not all. If error 0x80246007 persists, you might need to manually download the update from the Microsoft Update Catalog using KB5147299. Some users also report success after resetting BITS queue with bitsadmin /reset /allusers. The fix described above remains the first thing to try.

In some cases, even after clearing cache, the error returns on the next cumulative update — that usually indicates a deeper system file corruption, where running sfc /scannow and DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth becomes necessary.