Windows 10 Update Error 0x80244022: What to Do When the Update Server Is Unavailable
You select Check for updates and Windows reports a problem connecting, with 0x80244022 underneath. Windows 10 update error 0x80244022 often clears up by itself, but not always.
The code corresponds to a “service unavailable” response. Windows reached YYPAUS the update server, but the server replied that it could not handle the request at that moment.
That can be a genuine server-side problem, but on home PCs it is more often caused by network settings or leftover configuration that points Windows at the wrong server.
What Usually Triggers It
The error usually appears for one of these reasons:
- Microsoft’s update service is busy or briefly unavailable.
- A proxy, VPN, or DNS setting is interfering with the connection.
- The PC is configured to use a company update server that it cannot reach.
- The update services on the PC need resetting.
PCs bought second-hand from businesses sometimes still carry the old company’s update settings.
First Steps to Try
Try the simple fixes first.
- Wait an hour and try again, in case the problem is on Microsoft’s side.
- Restart the PC and the router.
- Disconnect any VPN and turn off “Use a proxy server” under Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy.
- Run ipconfig /flushdns in Command Prompt.
- Run the Windows Update troubleshooter.
If updates work on another network, such as a phone hotspot, your home network settings are the issue.
If the Problem Continues
Check for leftover management settings and reset the services.
- Open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school and disconnect any organisation you no longer belong to.
- Open Registry Editor and look at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate. A WUServer entry means the PC is set to use a company server.
- On a personal PC, export that key as a backup, then delete it and restart.
- Reset the update cache by stopping wuauserv and bits, renaming SoftwareDistribution, and starting the services again.
- Change the DNS server to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 in the adapter’s IPv4 settings.
If the PC belongs to an employer or school, leave those registry settings alone and contact IT, since they are intentional.
A Word of Caution
Always export registry keys before changing them, and delete only the entries described. Editing the wrong part of the registry can cause serious problems. Do not use unofficial “update fix” downloads from forums.
The Bottom Line
Error 0x80244022 means the update server could not serve your request. Waiting, cleaning up network settings, and removing leftover company update settings resolve most cases. Managed devices should be handled by their own IT team.
Keep in mind that a PC which cannot reach the update service also misses Defender definition updates delivered through the same route, so it is worth resolving the error rather than ignoring it.