Fix Error 0x80240016 On Windows 10

There are many people who encounter the 0x80240016 error whenever they need to install a critical, cumulative, or feature update on a computer with Windows 10. This issue is reported to occur with a variety of different KB updates.

It turns out there are several different causes that could be causing this update to WindowsHere is a list of possible culprits that may be preventing you from installing a pending Windows update:

• Common WU problem: If you are dealing with a fairly common problem that Microsoft you know, you should start by implementing the Troubleshooter Windows Update and apply the recommended solution.
• WU data badly cached: Another fairly common cause that can trigger this error is a situation where a badly cached data pool prevents the installation of new update signatures. In this case, you can fix the problem by resetting all Windows update components from a symbol of the system high.
• System file corruption: Under certain circumstances, you might be dealing with some kind of system corruption that ends up affecting the Windows update component. If this scenario is applicable, you can use SFC and DISM scans to identify and fix the corruption issues that are blocking the update.
• Overprotective firewall: It turns out that the Windows Firewall sometimes interferes with the installation of a WU security update. In this case, you should disable the firewall's real-time protection while the update is being installed, if you don't want to wait for the security check to finish in the first place.

Methods to fix error 0x80240016

Now that you are familiar with all the situations that could trigger error code 0x80240016, here is a list of methods that other affected users have successfully used to get to the bottom of this problem:

1.- Running the Windows Update troubleshooter

Before we get into more advanced repair strategies capable of resolving the Windows Update issue you're facing, start this troubleshooting guide by checking if Windows 10 is able to resolve the problem automatically.

By default, Windows 10 includes many built-in repair strategies capable of resolving most failures to install a pending Windows 10 update. This is not guaranteed to work, but it is a good starting point.

Some users facing this issue have managed to resolve the problem and install the pending update by running the Windows Update troubleshooter and applying the recommended solution listed at the end of the scan.

Nota: This troubleshooter contains dozens of repair strategies that will be applied automatically if any kind of inconsistency is found. If the scan finds a viable repair strategy, the utility will automatically recommend a viable solution that you can apply with a simple click.

Follow the instructions below to implement the Windows Update troubleshooter and resolve error code 0x80240016 on Windows 10:

• You will start by opening the dialog box Run pressing the Windows key + R. After this, when you are inside the text box, you will write the command ms-settings-troubleshoot and press Log in to open the tab A satisfactory solution de problems of the application Configuration.
• Inside the tab Problem solving, you have to go to the right section of the screen and stand on the option that says Configuration, then go down to the Get In Touch section march and click on Windows Update.
• From the following menu of the windows update troubleshooter, you are going to click on Run the solver de problems which is located within the context menu that recently appeared.
• After doing this, the tool will automatically start scanning your system for inconsistencies. You have to wait patiently until the initial scan is completed.

Nota: The troubleshooter will then go to work and determine if any of the repair strategies included with it are compatible with the WU issue that is currently affecting your PC.

• Once a viable repair strategy is found, a new window will open where you need to click on Apply this solution to use the recommended solution.

Nota: Please note that depending on the type of solution the troubleshooter recommends, you may need to follow additional manual instructions.

• After you apply the solution, you should restart your computer and see if the problem is resolved once the next startup is complete.

If the error code 0x80240016  keeps appearing when you try to install the pending update or the Windows Update troubleshooter, it means that no viable repair strategy was found, for this reason, you should continue with the next solution that we describe below.

2.- Reset all Windows Update components

In case the built-in troubleshooter you implemented earlier doesn't work for you, you are likely to see the  Windows Update error 0x80240016 due to an update component inconsistency (especially if you are seeing this error with every update you try to install).

In the vast majority of cases, you will see the  error 0x80240016 due to the fact that the update component is somehow stuck in a limbo state (neither open nor closed). If this scenario is applicable, you should be able to quickly fix it by resetting Windows Update.

Follow these simple steps so you can reset all Windows Update components from a command prompt. CMD high.

You are going to start by pressing the Windows key + R to open a dialog box Run. Inside this text box, you have to copy this command cmd and press the keys Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated command prompt window.

Nota: When you are inside the UAC (User Account Control), you must make sure to click on the option that says Yes so that the respective administrator access can be granted.

To continue, inside the elevated CMD window you have to write the following commands in any order and press the key Log in after you copy each of them:

• net stop wuauerv
• net stop cryptSvc
• net stop bits
• net stop msiserver

Nota: This set of commands has the ability to stop all relevant Windows Update services from running: BITS service, Cryptographic service, MSI Installer service, Windows Update service (main).

Once you manage to stop each of the relevant services, you need to run the following commands to delete and rename two vital WU folders (SoftwareDistribution y Catroot2):

• ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistributionSoftwareDistribution.old
• ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old

Nota: These two folders (SoftwareDistribution and Catroot) are the two main folders responsible for storing and maintaining Windows Update files. You can't really delete them in a conventional way, so the best way to make sure they don't have any corrupt files that can contribute to this error is to rename them to force your operating system to create new, healthy equivalents.

Following this, when you manage to rename the two folders, you have to run the following commands to re-enable the services you disabled earlier (in step 2):

• net start wuauserv
• net start cryptSvc
• net start bits
• net start msiserver

When all relevant services have been restarted, you need to repeat the WU action that previously triggered the  error 0x80240016 and check if the problem is now resolved.

If you still get the same error code when trying to install a pending Windows update, move on to the next potential solution described below.

3.- Implementation of SFC and DISM analysis

If updating all the Windows Update components from the CMD window did not fix the issue, then you should also consider that some kind of system file corruption is causing this particular Windows Update error.

In this case, you should continue by running a couple of scans with two built-in utilities: System File Checker (SFC) y Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM).

Nota: Although SFC and DISM share some similarities, we recommend that you run both scans in quick succession to improve your chances of repairing corrupted system files. The ideal place to start is with a simple SFC scan.

Important: After starting this procedure, it is very necessary NOT to close the CMD window even if the utility seems to have frozen. Wait patiently until the process is completed because interrupting the operation may cause logical errors on your HDD/ SSD.

This tool is completely local and does not require you to be actively connected to the Internet. Once the SFC scan runs successfully, you should restart your computer and see if the issue is fixed once the next computer startup is complete by attempting to install the Feature Update once again.

If the same error continues to occur, performs a DISM scan and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the operation.

Nota: DISM uses a subcomponent of Windows Update to download healthy equivalents intended to replace damaged system files. Because of this, you should make sure you have reliable Internet before starting this operation.

When the DISM scan has completed successfully, restart your computer again and check if the  error 0x80240016 is now fixed.

4.- Temporarily disable Windows Firewall

It turns out that certain Windows security updates will refuse to install if Windows Firewall is performing a security check in the background. You should eventually have no problems installing the pending update if you are patient enough to allow the background check to complete.

But if you're impatient, you should be able to install the pending Windows Update immediately by force stopping Windows Firewall and disabling real-time protection until the update installation is complete.

Follow these instructions to temporarily disable Windows Defender in order to allow the WU security update to be installed:

• You are going to press the Windows key + R to display the dialog box Run. Next, you need to type the following command windows defender inside the text box and press where it says Log in to open the menu Windows security.
• When you enter the menu Windows Security, you have to click on the tab that says Protection against viruses and threats, then go ahead and click on the hyperlink Manage settings(inside of Virus and threat protection settings).

• On the next screen, you need to make sure to disable the toggle associated with the  firewall and network protection.

• Go back to the first window of Windows security, then click Firewall & Network Protection.
• When you get to the next screen, you're going to click on the network that's currently enabled, then you're going to disable the toggle associated with it. Windows Defender Firewall.

• After you do this, you will restart your computer and repeat the installation of the pending update to see if the problem is now solved.

I hope that each of these tips will help you solve the error. If you liked our guide, do not hesitate to share it with the rest of your friends. Remember that within our portal there are various publications of interest for you. See you in our next publication. Thank you for reading us.