Fix Bitdefender Update Errors -1002, -1004, -1011 and more on Windows

Here you’ll find a list of the most common update errors encountered by Bitdefender on Windows and quick-fix solutions for each error code.

 

First steps for solving Update Errors in Bitdefender products for Windows

As a rule of thumb, always check the frequency of update errors. Open the main Bitdefender window and click on ‘Notifications’ in the left-side menu.

Important! As long as there are only random update errors followed by successful updates, it means Bitdefender is up-to-date. No further actions are required.

On the other hand, if there aren’t any successful updates, update Bitdefender offline until you sort out the connectivity issues. If Bitdefender still fails to update after a 24h wait, navigate to your error code using the menu on the left of this page and follow the recommended troubleshooting steps.

Update error code What it means and how to fix it

3

The update error code 3 indicates a Hard-Drive error.
  1. Click the Windows Start button    and type Command Prompt in the search bar, then right-click on the result and select Run as Administrator.
  2. Type  chkdsk c: /r  and press Enter on your keyboard. Make sure to include the spaces indicated.
  3. Enter Y when asked whether you wish to run Chkdsk next time the system restarts.
  4. Restart the PC.

19

21

Both errors indicate a system-level issue. Error 19 means that the media is write-protected. Error 21 means that the device is not ready.

 

Run a Windows check disk

  1. Click the Windows Start button   and type Command Prompt in the search bar, then right-click on the result and select Run as Administrator.
  2. Type  chkdsk c: /r  and press Enter on your keyboard. Make sure to include the spaces indicated.
  3. Enter Y when asked whether you wish to run Chkdsk next time the system restarts.
  4. Restart the PC.

 

Run the System File Checker tool

  1. Click the Windows Start button  and type Command Prompt in the search bar, then right-click on the result and select Run as Administrator.
  2. Type  sfc /scannow  then press ENTER on your keyboard.
  3. Wait until the SFC verification reaches 100% and fixes the errors automatically.

 

Run the DISM command (only for Windows 8, 10, 11)

  1. If the SFC command fails or can’t replace a corrupted file click the Windows Start button . Type Command Prompt in the search bar, then right-click on the result and select Run as Administrator.
  2. Type  Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth  and then press Enter on your keyboard.
  3. Wait until the operation reaches 100% and fixes any system issues, then restart the computer.

-100

This is usually an isolated error code.

Check how many update errors -100 were encountered by the Bitdefender product and see if any of them were followed by successful updates. If they were followed by successful updates, it means Bitdefender is up-to-date and no further actions are required.

-1002

-1011

The update error codes -1002 and -1011 are caused by a temporary issue with your internet connection.

Make sure the connection is stable, then try again to update Bitdefender.

-1004

The error code -1004 indicates that you are connected to a proxy but didn’t activate proxy usage in Bitdefender, so it can use this type of connection.

 

If you connect to the internet via proxy

  • Open Bitdefender, go to “Settings” > “Advanced” > enable “Proxy server”. Bitdefender will import your proxy settings from the default browser. 
  • If custom proxy settings are required, while still in the “Advanced” tab from Bitdefender “Settings”: click “Proxy Change” > select “Custom proxy settings” then fill in the required information.

 

If you don’t have a proxy connection

  • Open Bitdefender, go to “Settings” > “Advanced”, and make sure “Proxy server” is turned OFF.
  • If the error persists, follow these steps to remove any proxy settings.

-1022

The error code -1022 indicates that the server response is not valid and is related to improper internet connection settings.

Restart the router, then reboot your computer and check if Bitdefender can perform successful updates.

If the errors persist, try changing the DNS settings on Windows.

1455

The error code 1455 indicates that the Virtual Memory (Pagefile) is too small for the operation to complete.

Allow Windows to automatically manage the pagefile settings. 

  1. Open the Control Panel and go to System and Security > System.
  2. From the left pane of the System window click on “Advanced system settings”.
  3. Open the “Advanced” tab of the new window then click the “Settings” button in the Performance section.
  4. In Performance Options click the “Advanced” tab.
  5. Click the “Change” button in the Virtual memory section.
  6. Check the box next to “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” then restart the computer.

-2002

-2009

Both errors indicate that our update servers are in the middle of the synchronization process.

If your Windows PC encounters one of these update error codes, wait a few hours before trying to update Bitdefender again.

-2021

The update error -2021 is caused by a missing cumulative update for Windows 7.

Install missing knowledge base KB4490628 and KB4474419 packages: 

for 32-bit Windows  | for 64-bit Windows

Not sure if your computer is running a 32-bit or a 64-bit Windows version? This guide will help you.

Other update error codes

Here are some steps you can try that usually stop any other update errors on Windows:
  1. Try to update again at a later time.
  2. Restart the PC then check if the update succeeds.
  3. Connect the PC to another network:

A. If the updates are successful on other networks, the issue is with the default network configuration. Try changing the DNS and disabling 3rd party firewall programs.

B. If the update errors persist on other networks as well, uninstall and reinstall Bitdefender.

If Bitdefender still fails to perform updates, contact Bitdefender support.