wuauclt.exe process, formally known as the Windows Update AutoUpdate Client
This is the "best first step" because it automatically repairs corrupted system files, including the wuauclt.exe file itself.
Sometimes, wuauclt.exe crashes once and never again. This can happen after a large update (like a Windows version upgrade) when the client restarts itself. Check the under Windows Logs > Application . If the crash event is isolated and not repeated, no action is needed.
, the underlying OS image may have unrecoverable corruption – back up data and perform a clean OS installation.