Windows update not working: What to do when the update is stuck?

Here we are going to talk about one of the most annoying things that Windows do to its users.  A system such as Windows requires many updates from time to time, but once you chose to install the update, it gets stuck at zero percent.  So, if this issue bothers you as well, keep reading. We are going to show you how to get rid of it and put things in motion again.

See also: How to change the brightness on Windows 10

1-By stopping the update service:

The solution that we are going to suggest has worked for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 and 10 and bear in mind that the update could be stuck at any stage of the installation.

Step one:

The first thing to do is to press at the same time “Windows+R”. Once you did so, a dialogue box would run telling you to type the name of the program, folder, document or internet resource etc. In this case, you have to type “services.msc”.

Step two:

Now click “OK” and this will redirect you to the list of all the installed services on your Windows. These services will be filtered in an alphabetical sort. The task is easy, scroll down until you find “Windows Update Service”.  Right-click and then select “Stop”.

Step three:

Once you have stopped the Windows Update service, go to the C:\ hard disk then open the “Windows” folder and look for the “SoftwareDistribution”. Now you are there, all the content of the folder must be completely deleted. This folder contains all the previously downloaded update files. The fact that the update gets stuck means that these files have an issue with the partially made update.

Step four:

Now that you have deleted the old update files, you need to return again to services. Just follow the instruction of the step one described above. Now, right-click on the “Windows Update Service” and select “Start”. Right now, the windows update is supposed to work fine.  Next time that Windows is going to update, it will probably need many files to install, so don’t worry this is normal!

2-By forcing the restart of your computer:

It may happen that your laptop or PC is stuck at 100% of the update. In this case, you have to restart your computer. Follow a few steps listed below:

Step one:

Press the power button of your computer and hold it until it is completely shut down.

Step two:

Make sure that the computer is not connected to any power supply. If you have a laptop, just take off the battery. Then try to keep the power button held down for about 12 to 16 seconds.

Step three:

Wait about 3 to 5 minutes then reconnect your PC to the power supply and put back the battery of your laptop. Now press the button to start your computer and to let the system reboot.

Step four:

If the computer did not run properly and you noticed that it was shut down in an improper way, just select that option which tells you to boot your computer normally. And this should work!

Otherwise, if the two methods above did not work, which is hard to believe, try to get manually the needed updates from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Join our newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss out on what's happening in the tech world. It's that simple.
subsc

🚀 Trusted source for tech since 2012