How to Fix Windows 10 Update Code 0x80240fff

 Ah, Windows updates. They always work! (We're just kidding, Windows updates always fail with random and silly error codes. Don't stress, we're here to help! Windows update error code "x80240fff" is one of the most common errors - let's fix it!

If you have other trouble codes we have a generic trouble code check to take a quick look! You can find him here.

The x80240fff error code is common in Windows versions like 1511 and mostly only in Windows 10 Pro editions. The source is unknown, but I doubt we'll ever know!

solutions

1. Windows 10 'Defer Upgrades' (May not work on newer versions of Windows).

Windows 10 Pro users may be able to "defer" the upgrade. This option gives you the ability to defer upgrades that are causing you problems without preventing you from downloading others. How to get to this section of updates;

1. Open the Windows Settings app either by searching in the Windows 10 search bar or by clicking the gear icon in the Start menu.
2. Open the "Update and security" section and select the "Advanced options" submenu.
3. You will then see 'Choose how updates are installed' and below that 'Defer feature updates'
4. You may need to restart your PC for this to take effect.

2. Use the Windows 10 Update Assistant

One of the ways we learned to use is by using the Windows 10 Update Assistant. We should mention that this only works if you're upgrading from a major version (1607, 1709, 1803, 1809, etc.) to the latest version. To use this wizard, go to the Windows 10 download page. This will then tell you at the top if you can update with the latest version and give you an option for "Update Now". If you go here and then follow the steps you will be on the newer version which can fix many issues including the update issues.

Windows 10 Update-Assistent

3. Reset Windows Update services

A common fix for Windows Updates issues is restarting the services. Unfortunately, this part can get a little technical, but don't worry - we're here to help!

1. Type "Command Prompt" or "CMD" in your search bar and run it with administrator privileges. (right click -> run as administrator)
2. Copy and paste the following commands into your command prompt.
   1. net stop msiserver
   2. net stop wuauserv
   3. Net stop bits
   4. net stop cryptSvc
3. Rename the Catroot2 and Software Distribution folders. You can do this more easily by copying the following commands into Command Prompt.
   1. ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   2. ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old
4. Restart the services we stopped earlier by typing the following commands.
   1. net start wuauserv
   2. net start cryptSvc
   3. net start bits
   4. Net start msiserver
5. After making these changes, you may need to restart your PC and try checking for updates again.

4. Run the Windows 10 Update Troubleshooter

Windows has integrated the latest troubleshooter, Windows 10 Update Troubleshooter, into its software.

To get there, just type "troubleshooting" in the Windows search bar and look for "Windows Updates" in Settings

Then click "Run the troubleshooter" and let it do its thing.

You may need administrator rights for this if you don't have them!

Windows settings for troubleshooting

Windows Troubleshooter Windows Updates

Let us know in the comments if any of these measures helped you.