Windows users and admins are reporting intermittent failures when downloading updates or apps from the Microsoft Store. These issues started on February 7, 2026, around 08:00 UTC.

Most services are back up, but some environments still see lag or sync errors. Since the problem started with power failures at the data center rather than your local settings, standard troubleshooting might not work immediately.

Note: This is a tracking post. We will update this as more data comes in.

Error Description

You will likely see these errors when trying to use update services:

failures or timeouts when installing or updating Microsoft Store apps, or when downloading Windows updates

This affects all Windows versions using the Microsoft Store or Windows Update for patches.

Why This Is Happening

A power outage at a primary Azure datacenter caused the disruption. This killed the APIs for Windows Update and the Microsoft Store. While backup systems are running, the sudden hardware loss created a massive backlog, leading to timeouts.

For IT teams, this usually shows up as a failure in the Windows Server sync API. Even with power back, syncing between local servers and the cloud is still slow. You can find more Windows fixes for general update errors in our technical library.

Current Status and Mitigation Steps

Official reports show restoration finished by 19:30 UTC on February 7, though Windows Server updates lagged until February 8. If you still see timeouts, follow these steps to reset your update state and reconnect.

Step 1: Retry

Since the backend is back, the best move is to wait for the retry logic to kick in. Windows will eventually reconnect on its own. You can manually trigger this at Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

Step 2: Reset Windows Update Components

If your system is stuck on "Pending" or "Failed," clear the local cache. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run these commands to stop the services and wipe the temporary files:

# Stop Update and BITS services

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits

# Rename the folder to clear the cache

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

# Restart the services

net start wuauserv
net start bits

For automation, see our guide on PowerShell scripts to manage updates.

Step 3: Address Windows Server Latency

If you manage Windows Server, the Sync API might still time out. Microsoft is working on server-side fixes. If WSUS or MECM fails to sync, do not reset the database. Instead, increase the timeout limit or wait for the backend to finish re-indexing.

Timeline

  • Initial Interruption: February 7, 2026, 08:00 UTC.
  • Service Restoration: February 7, 2026, 19:30 UTC.
  • Full Resolution: February 8, 2026, 04:23 UTC.

If you see "0x80244017" or other timeout codes, check that your firewall is not blocking Azure recovery IPs. Usually, resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder fixes any remaining hang-ups.

Need help? Contact our team.

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