How to Fix the Error Windows Update 0x80240023 (4 Ways)

Why the Error Windows Update 0x80240023 appeared?

Users face a lot of issues from time to time while updating Windows 11/10. When you click the "Check for Updates" button, Windows Update may appear on some systems with error 0x80240023, which is accompanied by the string WU_E_EULAS_DECLINED.

The topic of this update bug has been getting more and more discussions on Windows 10 related forums recently. The error means that Windows Update continues to fail to search for updates or to install them.

There can be many reasons for this error, this article summarizes the most common ones below.

• Some licenses on the computer have expired.
• Windows registry errors.
• Internet access denied.
• Corrupted Windows system files.

How to Fix the Error Windows Update 0x80240023

After understanding the reasons, you can learn 4 useful ways to help you fix this Windows 11 0x80240023 error in this article. You can try these methods in turn, and I believe there is always a method that can help you fix this error. Each method contains a detailed step-by-step tutorial, and you can continue reading for more details.

Fix 1.  Check Windows Is Activated

If your Windows 10/11 is not activated, this will cause the Windows update 0x80240023 error. You can follow the steps below to check if your Windows is activated.

Step 1. Click Start menu and then select Settings.

Step 2. Click on Update & Security > Activation.

Step 3. If Windows is activated, we will see the text “Windows is activated”. If not, we will need to click on “Change product key”, enter the product key and then click OK.

Step 4. Run windows updates again to check if the error is fixed.

Fix 2. Go for the Troubleshoot Option

If your Windows is activated, but the 0x80240023 error is still occurring, run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. Here are the specific graphic steps.

Step 1. Click Start and click Settings.

Step 2. Here, click on Update & Security.

Step 3. In the left-hand side menu, click on Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Windows Update > Run the troubleshooter.

Step 4. The troubleshooter tool will now check the system, when prompted click Apply this fix.

Step 5. Then Restart the machine

Step 6. Install the updates on the system again.

Fix 3. Clean Windows Update download path

The DataStore folder contains all temporary and LOG files related to Windows updates. If any of these files are corrupted, Windows update process may get stuck and then it will cause error 0x80240023. Therefore, you can try to clear the Windows update download path. You can follow the steps below.

Note: Before starting the following steps, make sure to create a full registry backup. That will help you to restore the registry if something goes wrong.

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run window, type regedit in it and hit Enter.

Step 2. Navigate to the Windows update registry by expanding the sections on the left pane.

HKey_Local_Machine/Software/Policies/Microsoft/Windows/WindowsUpdate

Step 3. Once you are there, search for WUServer and WIStatusServer on the right pane.

Step 4. Right-click on both separately and choose the Delete button. 

Fix 4. Run SFC utility

If this error is caused by some corrupted or missing system files on your computer, you can run the System File Checker (SFC) tool to fix this error. This convenient built-in tool checks all the files/folders on your computer and fixes the corrupted files. In addition, this tool can also fix file loss issues on Windows. You can follow the steps below.

Step 1. Open Command Prompt as an Administrator.

Step 2. On the elevated console, type sfc/scannow and press Enter key.

Note: Usually, this process takes 15-20 minutes to complete the scanning/repairing process, so wait patiently.

Step 3. As soon as it finishes, restart your Windows.

From the next logon, you may try updating your operating system again.

Best Way to Protect System from Windows Update Error or Other Problems

In order to protect your system from Windows update errors, such as 0x80240023, blue screen after installing KB5021233, etc. it is recommended that you back up your system regularly. This way, even if your system encounters any problems someday, you can quickly restore it with the previously created system image. It ensures the normal use of your computer without causing any data loss.

The free backup software AOMEI Backupper Standard is the best choice for you. It allows you to backup various types of Windows PC systems to different destination paths, and you can also choose your own backup frequency to perform scheduled backups.

You need to firstly download AOMEI Backupper Standard, install and launch it. If you are a Windows Server user, you can select AOMEI Backupper Server.

Step 1. Open the software and click Backup > System Backup.

Step 2. It will select system partition and boot-related partitions automatically. And you just need to select a destination.

Step 3. Click Start Backup to backup the Windows system.

Notes:

• Options: You can write comments, choose the compression level for your system backup or set email notifications.
• Schedule Backup: This feature allows you to set the frequency of your backup, such as Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Event trigger and USB plug in. The professional version supports the last two features.
• Backup Scheme: You can select different backup methods. And you can upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional to enjoy the differential backup method which can easily restore your scheduled backup. After the upgrade, you can also enable automatic backup cleanup feature to save disk space. 

Summary

This article describes several common causes of this Windows Update 0x80240023 error and provides 4 useful ways to help you fix it. To protect your system from all kinds of problems, it is recommended that you backup your system regularly with the free backup software AOMEI Backupper Standard. This way, even if your system encounters any problem, you can restore it with the system backup you created before without losing any data.

Besides, if you want to restore the created system backup to a computer with different hardware, its Universal Restore feature can also help you achieve the goal easily. It also offers cloning, creating bootable disks, wiping disks and many other useful features that you can download this freeware to explore by yourself.