Windows · Windows Server · medium · Core Windows faults

0x8024402C / 0x80244022 — the client cannot talk to WSUS

The update client reached the network but not a usable WSUS endpoint — wrong address, wrong port, a proxy in the way, or the WSUS app pool has stopped.

What you see

Scans fail immediately with 0x8024402C. WindowsUpdate.log shows a connection or proxy error rather than a download failure.

What is actually wrong

Most often the WSUS URL is missing its port, the machine's proxy settings do not exempt the WSUS host, or on the server side the WsusPool application pool has hit its private memory limit and stopped.

Codes and articles

0x8024402C0x802440220x8024401C0x80072EE2

Fixes (2)

Check the client's WSUS address and proxy

Elevated PowerShell on the client10 minuteslow riskreversible

Only some machines are affected.

Read the configured server. Note whether it includes the port.
PowerShell
```
Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' | Select-Object WUServer, WUStatusServer
```
WSUS listens on 8530 (or 8531 for HTTPS) by default. A policy that says http://wsus with no port sends the client to port 80, where nothing answers.

Test the endpoint directly.

PowerShell

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName wsus.example.local -Port 8530Invoke-WebRequest http://wsus.example.local:8530/ClientWebService/client.asmx -UseBasicParsing | Select-Object StatusCode

Check the WinHTTP proxy — this is separate from the browser's proxy and is what the update client actually uses.
Command Prompt
```
netsh winhttp show proxy
```
If a proxy is set, add the WSUS host to the bypass list, or clear it if there should not be one.
Command Prompt
```
netsh winhttp reset proxy
```

Force a fresh detection.

Command Prompt

wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnowUSOClient.exe StartScan

Confirm it workedThe client reports in and the scan completes.

PowerShell

Get-WindowsUpdateLog

If you need to undo itRestore the previous proxy setting with netsh winhttp set proxy if it was needed for other traffic.

Recover the WSUS application pool

Elevated PowerShell on the WSUS server20 minuteslow riskreversible

Every client fails at once. WsusPool stopping under memory pressure is the classic cause and it recurs until the limit is raised.

Check whether the pool is running.

PowerShell

Import-Module WebAdministrationGet-ChildItem IIS:\AppPools | Select-Object Name, State

Start it if it has stopped.
PowerShell
```
Start-WebAppPool -Name WsusPool
```
Raise the private memory limit — the 1.8 GB default is far too low for a WSUS of any size. 0 means unlimited.
PowerShell
```
Set-ItemProperty 'IIS:\AppPools\WsusPool' -Name recycling.periodicRestart.privateMemory -Value 0
```
When the pool exceeds the limit IIS stops it, and every client immediately starts failing with connection errors that look like a client-side problem.
Turn off the queue-length based rapid-fail protection that compounds the outage.
PowerShell
```
Set-ItemProperty 'IIS:\AppPools\WsusPool' -Name failure.rapidFailProtection -Value $false
```
Run the WSUS server cleanup wizard, and if the database has never been maintained, apply the standard WSUS index maintenance script.

Confirm it workedThe pool stays started and clients scan successfully.

PowerShell

Get-ChildItem IIS:\AppPools | Select-Object Name, State

If you need to undo itSet privateMemory back to 1843200 if the server has genuine memory pressure that needs bounding.

Reference

WSUS troubleshooting — Microsoft Learn ↗

Related faults

Where this stops. This write-up was written and checked by hand. It says what each step changes, how to confirm it worked and how to reverse it, and anything destructive is flagged before you reach it. If it does not match what your machine is doing, search the Support Centre for the exact code or message — and when something needs a person, get in touch.