If Windows 10 displays the error message "Your device is missing important security and quality fixes", an update may have gone wrong. We'll tell you what to do in such a case.

The updates that Windows 10 carries out can sometimes lead to errors. One of the most common error messages is: "Your device is missing important security and quality fixes". In the following you will find out what this is about and how you can solve the underlying problem.

The cause is usually an update error

Microsoft regularly releases security updates for Windows 10, usually the system automatically downloads and installs them. The message "Important security and quality fixes are missing on your device" indicates that something went wrong during one of the update processes. There are several ways to solve the problem.

Solution 1: perform a manual update

If an update was not performed correctly, you can try to complete it manually or install a newer update.

1. Open the "Settings"
2. Choose "Update and Security"
3. Click Windows Update on the left and wait for Windows to display the available updates
4. Then click on "Download" or "Install"

© Microsoft / Screenshot: 2020

You can install updates manually via the settings.

Solution 2: use the troubleshooter

One way to fix the error is to automatically troubleshoot Windows 10 updates.

1. Open the "Settings"
2. Select the sub-item "Update and security"
3. Search for "Troubleshoot" in the left navigation bar and click on it
4. Start troubleshooting and follow the on-screen instructions

© Microsoft / Screenshot: 2020

Many problems can already be solved using the update troubleshooting.

Solution 3: repair corrupted Windows files

1. Open the Windows search function with the key combination Windows + R
2. Enter cmd in the search field and press Enter to find the prompt
3. Start the command prompt with a right click and select "Run as administrator"
4. Copy the following command into the command line and confirm with Enter: DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup-image / Restorehealth
5. Wait for the process to complete, then type sfc / scannow and confirm with Enter
6. When the process is complete, close the window and check whether the Windows updates now work

© Microsoft / Screenshot: 2020

You can use the command prompt to repair damaged system files.

Solution 4: reinstall Windows updates

If an update is permanently damaged and continues to display the error message, you can try to reinstall it.

1. Open the "Settings"
2. Select the "Update and Security" submenu
3. In the right window, click "View update history"
4. Now select "Uninstall updates"
5. Find the latest update in the list and uninstall it

© Microsoft / Screenshot: 2020

In this overview you can uninstall updates again.

After uninstalling, check for updates again as explained in step 1. You should now have the option to reinstall the update. In addition to the update you just uninstalled, you should see at least one second entry that allows you to download the update again – select this.

Summary

1. The error message "Important security and quality fixes are missing on your device" is often due to a missing or failed update
2. Try to do the update manually to solve the problem
3. If that doesn't work, try solving the problem with automatic troubleshooting
4. If that doesn't help either, you can search for and repair damaged Windows files
5. As a final consequence, you can uninstall the latest update again and arrange for a complete reinstallation