The wuauclt.exe process crashes for five main reasons: corrupted update components, antivirus conflicts, malware impersonation, low memory, or bad drivers. In 80% of cases, (Fix 2) or running the Windows Update Troubleshooter (Fix 1) will solve the issue. If you see multiple instances or unusual file locations, prioritize a malware scan immediately.
Because it is a trusted system process, malware often disguises itself using the same name. If you see this file crashing and it is NOT located in C:\Windows\System32 , it is likely a virus or Trojan. Malware often crashes because it is poorly coded or is being actively blocked by your security software. Why Does Wuauclt.exe Crash
The most common cause of the crash is corruption within the Windows Update temporary folders or the database. If the files downloaded for an update are partial or corrupted, the client may crash when trying to process them. The wuauclt
Here is a breakdown of why wuauclt.exe crashes and how you can resolve the issue. Because it is a trusted system process, malware
It’s the Windows Update client process. When it crashes, you may see “wuauclt.exe has stopped working” or “Application Error.”
The antivirus may lock the SoftwareDistribution folder while wuauclt.exe is trying to write to it, creating a deadlock.