FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (2023)

Is “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” in Windows 10, preventing you from updating the operating system? If yes, read this article to solve the problem quickly and easily.

When trying to update Windows if you get the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” error, you are not alone. Many users have reported the same issue when updating their operating systems.

However, the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” in Windows 10 error has some quick and easy solutions. All you need to do is read this article to know them.

Without wasting precious time beating around the bush, let’s understand ways to fix the Windows 10 “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” error.

Table of Contents hide

Solutions for the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” problem

(Video) Fix your device is missing important security and quality fixes windows 10 | Problem Solved

Fix 2: Install the recent updates again

Fix 3: Get the Windows update service restarted

Fix 4: Change the telemetry settings

Fix 5: Try repairing the corrupted/broken system files

(Video) Fix "Your device is missing important security and quality fixes" Error in Windows PC

Fix 6: Change the name of the Software Distribution folder

Fix 7: Make Registry modifications

Fix 8: Try using Windows Update Assistant

Bonus!! How to update drivers to avoid issues like “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes”

“Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” in Windows 10: Problem solved

Solutions for the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” problem

You can apply the following tried and tested troubleshooting mechanisms to fix the Windows update error “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes.”

(Video) 2023 FIX - Your Device is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes Error in Windows Update

Note: You can also use the below fixes to solve other similar issues, such as error codes 0x80080005, 0x80073712, and 0x80070424.

Fix 1: Perform Windows Updates troubleshooting

There is an in-built mechanism in Windows to help you troubleshoot the problems related to updating the operating system. You can use it to get rid of the error message, “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” in Windows 10. Following are the step-by-step directions to do it.

  • Using the shortcut command Windows+I, call up the settings panel on your screen.
  • Select the option named Update & Security.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (1)
  • Select Troubleshoot from the section on the left of the Update & Security window.
  • Navigate to the Additional Troubleshooters to view them.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (2)
  • Select Windows Update and run the troubleshooter.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (3)
  • Let Windows detect the problems responsible for the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” Windows update issue.
  • After completing the above steps, follow the on-screen directions to fix the detected problems.

Also Read: How to Fix Windows Update Problems

Fix 2: Install the recent updates again

Installing a broken update can also lead to a “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” Windows 10 error message. Therefore, reinstalling the most recently available security update for the operating system is another way to fix the issue. Below are the clear instructions to do it.

  • Launch Settings on your computer.
  • Pick the Update & Security option from the available settings.
  • View update history.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (4)
  • Mark the update you have installed most recently and Uninstall Updates.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (5)
  • Select the recently installed update and choose the Uninstall option.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (6)
  • After completing the uninstallation, reboot your PC.
  • Now, go back to the Windows Update section of the Updates & Securities setting to check for updates.

Fix 3: Get the Windows update service restarted

Restarting the windows update service may also fix the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” Windows 10 error. Thus, below is the step-by-step way to do it.

  • Search for cmd, right-click the first result, and choose the run as administrator option.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (7)
  • Copy the following commands and paste them into the on-screen window. Press Enter after pasting each command.
    net stop wuauserv
    net stop bits
    net stop appidsvc
    net stop cryptsvc
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (8)
  • Copy Ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old in Command Prompt and hit Enter.
  • Now, input the below commands and press Enter after each one of them.
    net start wuauserv
    net start bits
    net start appidsvc
    net start cryptsvc
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (9)
  • Try performing a Windows update to see if the problem is solved or you still face the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” error in Windows 10.

Also Read: Latest Windows Update Bug Triggers Driver Update Loop on Windows 10

Fix 4: Change the telemetry settings

Telemetry settings allow Microsoft to get necessary information about how your computer is running. If these settings are “Security only,” you may encounter the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” error. Hence, below is how to change these settings to solve the problem.

  • Call up the run box using the Windows+R keyboard command.
  • Input gpedit.msc in the box present on your screen and select OK.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (10)
  • Select Computer Configuration and then go to Administrative Templates.
  • Now, click on Data Collection and Preview Builds.
  • Go to Windows Components and click doubly on the Allow Telemetry option.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (11)
  • Choose Enabled and set the Telemetry level as long as it’s NOT 0 – Security.
  • Select Apply and OK to ensure that the changed settings get saved.

Fix 5: Try repairing the corrupted/broken system files

If your crucial system files are corrupted, you may get the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” error message in Windows 10. Thus, repairing these files can most certainly solve the problem. Following is the way to do it.

  • Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
  • Enter the following command in the on-screen window.
    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (12)
  • Input the sfc /scannow command and hit the Enter key.
    FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (13)
  • After completing the above process, try updating the operating system.

Fix 6: Change the name of the Software Distribution folder

Windows stores its update files in the Software Distribution folder. Maintained silent by the Windows Update Agent in the background, this folder may sometimes disallow the installation of the latest updates. However, you can rename the Software Distribution folder to fix the issue. Below is the step-by-step process to do it.

  • Firstly, disconnect your WiFi connection and enable Airplane mode.
  • Now, reboot your computer.
  • Launch the Run utility using the Win+R keyboard shortcut.
  • Input Cmd in the on-screen box and hit the Ctrl, Shift, and Enter keys in unison to launch Command Prompt as an administrator.FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (14)
  • Key in the following commands one after the other and press Enter after each command.
    net stop wuauservnet stop cryptsvcnet stop bits net stop msiserverren %systemroot%\softwaredistribution softwaredistribution.bak ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak net start wuauserv net start cryptSvcnet start bitsnet start msiserverFIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (15)
  • Lastly, reboot your PC to complete the above process.

Fix 7: Make Registry modifications

Sometimes, users find a “You can’t install Windows on a USB flash drive using setup” issue in the additional information of the error. If you have also encountered this statement, you can modify the Registry through these steps to solve the problem.

  • Firstly, launch the Run command using the Win+R keyboard command.
  • Input regedit in the box on your screen and press your keyboard’s Enter button.FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (16)
  • Click on Yes to proceed to the next step.
  • Now, navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control location in the Registry Editor.
  • Double-click PortableOperatingSystem and set 0 as the Value data.FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (17)
  • Click on the OK button.
  • Lastly, close the Registry Editor and reboot your device.

Fix 8: Try using Windows Update Assistant

Instead of Windows Settings, you can use Windows Update Assistant to install the needed updates. The following are the step-by-step instructions to do it.

(Video) Fix (Your device is missing important security and quality fixes) In Windows 10 ✔️

  • Firstly, get the Windows Update Assistant installed on your computer.
  • Now, launch the Windows Update Assistant and select Yes to move to the next step.
  • Click Update Now.
  • Lastly, click on Next and Restart Now to install the pending updates.

Above were the solutions for “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes.” If you ever wonder why such annoying issues occur in the first place, you will come to know that these problems mostly happen because of outdated drivers. Hence, you can prevent most of these issues by updating the drivers. As a bonus for our readers, below we share the best way to do it.

Bonus!! How to update drivers to avoid issues like “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes”

If you want to prevent annoying issues like the one you are currently facing, you should keep all drivers up-to-date. You can update drivers with no cumbersome effort using software such as Bit Driver Updater.

Bit Driver Updater performs one-click driver updates and provides many beneficial features, like driver backup and restore, speeding up of driver download process, and a lot more.

You can download this incredible software and install it from the link shared below.
FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (18)

After downloading and installing the software from the above link, you only need to wait for a couple of seconds to view all the outdated drivers. After getting the out-of-date drivers, Update All to the latest version.
FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes (19)

If you wish to update a single driver, Bit Driver Updater has an Update Now option to do it.

However, to ensure smooth computer performance at all times, it is better to update every outdated driver.

Also Read: Best Free Driver Updater for Windows

“Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” in Windows 10: Problem solved

Above, we learned how to fix the “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” Windows 10 error. You can use the fixes shared in this article to get rid of it and update drivers with Bit Driver Updater to ensure it does not rear its ugly head in the future.

If you have better fixes for this issue, kindly drop them in the comments section below to help all of our readers.

To troubleshoot more tech issues, continue reading TechPout Blog.

(Video) Your device is missing important security and quality fixes windows 10 (2023) Fix error encountered

FAQs

FIXED: Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes? ›

The error usually occurs because of the corrupted Windows Update files essential to install the updates in the Software Distribution folder. If these files are corrupted, you cannot update the Windows. You can either rename or delete the file folder to help you fix this error.

How do I fix missing important security and quality fixes? ›

8 Ways to Fix the "Your Device Is Missing Important Security and Quality Fixes" Error
  1. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. ...
  2. Rename Software Distribution Folder. ...
  3. Restart Windows Update Service. ...
  4. Check System Files for Inconsistencies. ...
  5. Reinstall Windows Updates. ...
  6. Modify the Telemetry Level. ...
  7. Modify the Registry.
Feb 11, 2023

How to fix some security settings are missing or have been changed Windows 11? ›

Here are three solutions for this particular error.
  1. Restart TrustedInstaller (Windows Modules Installer Service) Open Task Manager and click on the Services tab. ...
  2. Re-register TrustedInstaller (Windows Modules Installer Service) Open the Command Prompt as Administrator. ...
  3. Repair Corrupted Files.

How do I force Windows Update? ›

Type wuauclt.exe /updatenow and hit Enter. This command will force Windows Update to check for updates and start downloading.

Why does Windows 10 say I am missing important security and quality fixes? ›

The error “Your device is missing important security and quality fixes” can be seen when you want to update your Windows, but there are some issues with your PC configuration. The error appears when you have not updated your PC for a while or are running a substantially outdated operating system.

Why does Windows 10 say your device is missing important security and quality fixes but wont update? ›

The error usually occurs because of the corrupted Windows Update files essential to install the updates in the Software Distribution folder. If these files are corrupted, you cannot update the Windows. You can either rename or delete the file folder to help you fix this error.

How do I fix a corrupted Windows 11 update? ›

Restart your computer PC and boot from the disk or USB.
  1. After the Windows Install now screen appears, click "Repair your computer".
  2. On the Command Prompt window, type the command: sfc/scannow and press "enter".
  3. Reboot your Windows 11 PC. ...
  4. Select Advanced options, and then choose "System Restore".

How do I reinstall Windows 11 and enable secure boot? ›

Enable Secure Boot in BIOS for Windows 11
  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Click on Recovery.
  4. Under the “Advanced startup” section, click the Restart now button.
  5. Click on Troubleshoot.
  6. Click on Advanced options.
  7. Click the “UEFI Firmware settings” option.
  8. Click the Restart button.
Jan 2, 2023

Why can't I Update my Windows Update? ›

This error might mean that your PC doesn't have the required updates installed. Check to make sure that all important updates are installed on your PC before you try upgrading. This likely indicates that your PC doesn't have enough space available to install the upgrade.

Why is Windows forcing me to Update? ›

To help keep you protected and productive, Windows Update will automatically initiate a feature update for Windows 10 consumer devices and non-managed business devices that are at, or within several months of, reaching end of servicing.

What happens if Windows Update is stuck? ›

If you're certain the update has failed, the first troubleshooting step is to restart your computer. Restart it the usual way if at all possible: Click Start, followed by the Power icon and then Restart. If you've lost access to your Start menu, then press and hold the power button until the PC restarts.

How do I remove a Windows Update that keeps failing? ›

If you've recently installed a Windows update and you are having a problem, here's how to uninstall the update to try to resolve the issue:
  1. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates . ...
  2. On the list that appears, locate the update you want to remove, and then select Uninstall next to it.

How do I reinstall Windows Update service? ›

How to Restore a Missing Windows Update Service on Windows
  1. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. ...
  2. Run the SFC and DISM Scans. ...
  3. Scan for Malware. ...
  4. Restore the Windows Update Service Manually via the Registry Editor. ...
  5. Factory Reset Windows.
Dec 22, 2022

How do I reset Windows Update service? ›

Reset Windows Update from Troubleshooter
  1. Open Settings on Windows 10.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Click on Troubleshoot.
  4. Click the “Additional troubleshooters” option.
  5. Under the “Get up and running” section, select the Windows Update option.
  6. Click the “Run the troubleshooter” button.
Jan 19, 2023

How do I fix corrupted Windows security? ›

Has Windows Security Stopped Working on your Windows 11? Here's How You Can Fix It
  1. Turn on Windows Security. ...
  2. Update Windows 11. ...
  3. Disable Third-party Antivirus. ...
  4. Reset the Security App. ...
  5. Run an SFC and DISM Scan. ...
  6. Reset Your PC.
Sep 11, 2022

Why can't I update my Windows security? ›

Basic fixes

Manually check for Windows Defender Update; try downloading and installing available Windows Update. If the update fails, from the notification area, click the shield icon > select Virus & threat protection > Check for updates. Install all updates and reboot the system.

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