Windows update stuck? Try these tips!

Unfortunately, it often happens that Windows update crashes. You will not immediately see an error message, but Windows update will remain stuck at 0% or 100% when downloading or installing updates.

This error occurs regularly on both Windows 10 and a Windows 11 PC. There are a number of issues that could be causing this error. In this article I offer you some standard solutions that you can try first before moving on to a more technical solution within Windows.

The first thing you should check is a stable internet connection. Updates for Windows are downloaded before they are installed by Windows. If an update cannot be downloaded in its entirety, the Windows update server will continue to try until it succeeds. You will then see that the download of updates is stuck at a certain percentage, usually 0%.

If this is what you see in the Windows update settings then you need to restart the computer, router or modem. You can do this by turning off the computer or disconnecting the router/modem from the power for 10 seconds. This way you restore the internet connection and the updates may be able to be downloaded.

Also check that the PC is connected to the Internet via a stable Wi-Fi connection, and that you are not connected to a restricted network such as a work environment (company network) or a public Wi-Fi network. These networks may limit the connection to Microsoft servers through firewall settings. As a result, your computer cannot download updates.

Another common update problem is that there is not enough disk space available on the disk where the Windows update is downloaded. This is usually the primary C drive. Make sure you have at least 10 Gigabytes of free space available for downloading, extracting and installing Windows updates.

• Free up disk space in Windows 11.
• Free up disk space in Windows 10.

In case you have checked all this and Windows update is still stuck for your idea? Then wait. In general, if Windows Update still hasn't installed the updates after 2 hours, you can try the following solutions. You should also have tried restarting the PC.

Windows update crashes

The first thing you should try is the problem solver to use to resolve the update problem. This is the most user-friendly way for update problems in both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Windows will use the troubleshooter to check whether all services and files are available to download and install the update.

Windows update troubleshooter

Right-click on the Start button. In the menu, click Run. In the Run window type:

control.exe /name Microsoft.Troubleshooting

Then click on “Other troubleshooters” and then under “Windows update” on “Run”.

Follow the steps in the troubleshooter to resolve the Windows update issue. If problems are identified with the update service, all repair actions are carried out by Windows itself.

Reset Windows update

In Windows, update files are downloaded to your computer. Windows does this via two “services” and the files are then placed in a temporary folder “SoftwareDistribution” folder. In general, emptying the “SoftwareDistribution” folder is a solution for update problems.

However, to empty this folder you must first stop two services and only then empty the folder. If the folder is empty, Windows Update will download and install the update files again. So this is one Windows update reset action.

Right-click on the Start button. Then click Run in the menu. In the run window type: services.msc.

You now open the Windows services. In the list of services look for the first service called “Background intelligent transfer service”.

Right-click on it and click “Stop” from the menu. If the “Background intelligent transfer service” service has already stopped, continue.

Now you look for the second service to stop. This is the “Windows update” service. Also right-click on this service and click “Stop” in the menu. Both services have now stopped.

Now open Windows Explorer and go to the folder:

c:\windows\softwaredistribution\

Select all files and folders in the Software Distribution folder and delete everything. So empty the software distribution folder completely.

Now go back to the Windows update settings and check for new updates again. If updates are available, they will be downloaded and reinstalled.

If you are looking for a single update, you can also download and install this update separately via the Windows update catalog.

If nothing works, parts in Windows 10 or Windows 11 are often damaged. You can restore these items by running SFC and DISM in the next article.

I hope this helped you. Thank you for reading!