How to Fix Windows 11 Update KB5017321 Error 0x800f0806

Recently, Windows 11 Update KB5017321 launched, and many users are experiencing the Error Code 0x800f0806 while installing it. In this guide, we will help Windows 11 users with how to fix Error Code 0x800f0806.

Last updated on October 28th, 2022 at 09:36 pm

What is Error Code 0x800f0806

Error Code 0x800f0806 shows up during the installation of the update, stopping the OS from updating immediately. It may seem a technical and complex issue, but update errors are very common among operating systems. When a system cannot carry out a certain update, the error codes show up as the ones you are facing now.

The main reason a system becomes incapable of updating itself is a problem related to the system files. It could be that your system files are corrupted, which can be due to third-party interference. Other than that, it could be that your Windows Update Service is disabled, and you don’t know about it. Besides that, it may be that your software distribution folder is corrupted, which disturbs the files responsible for updating windows. The following are the fixes for Error Code 0x800f0806.

Fix 1 – Repair System Files

As mentioned earlier, one of the main reasons for Windows update not working is damaged system files. This problem is quite common, as many people have reported it. Thankfully, there are repair tools and utilities that Windows has to offer to fix Error Code 0x800f0806. These are the DISM and SFC utilities. To fix the error, follow the steps below:

Launch the Command Prompt as administrator by right-clicking the icon.
Type in the following command and press enter after each of them
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
sfc / scannow
After that, wait for the verification to complete.

Once the procedure is complete, restart your PC and try updating Windows 11 and see if the problem prevails or not.

Fix 2 – Reboot Update Service

One quick fix for Windows 11 Error Code 0x800f0806 is to restart your update service. This will start the service with a clean slate, getting rid of any random errors or glitches due to which the system might have faulted. Follow the steps below to perform this:

Open Run Program by pressing Win + R keys.
Type in ‘services.msc’ and hit Enter.
Locate the Windows Update service from the list.
Right-click on the service and select Properties.
Change them from Manual to Automatic.
Once done, click on Apply.
If the service is stopped, start by clicking the Start and Ok button.

After the procedure, restart your PC and see if the problem has prevailed.

Fix 3: Clear the Distribution Folder

As mentioned earlier, corruption in the software distribution folder can create problems with the update. Hence, clearing out this folder is necessary to let Windows Update work. Follow the steps below to clear out the distribution folder:

Open CMD as administrator.
Write in the following commands and press enter after each of them
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
These commands will stop the Windows Update service.
Then, open the Run Program by pressing Win + R keys.
Type in the ‘C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution’ directory and hit Enter.
Select all of the files.
Right-click, and press the delete option.
Once the procedure is complete, restart the Windows Update service by typing the ‘net start wuauserv
net start bits’ commands in CMD. After that, restart your PC and see if Error Code 0x800f0806 is fixed.

That is all for our fixes for Windows 11 Error Code 0x800f0806. If you are facing errors and issues with other PC games or your PC, then also see our hub for commonly occurring PC errors and their fixes.