How to fix a Windows update that is stuck

Oc­ca­sion­al­ly, a Windows update may get stuck during the download or in­stal­la­tion process. When this happens, the computer freezes and nothing works anymore. There are various causes for this. But don’t fear because with our tips and tricks, you can fix the problem and install the update. Read on to find out how to fix a stuck Windows update.

Sometimes the best remedy to fix an update that’s stuck is to wait. How long you wait may hinge somewhat on your system. In case of a large update or a slow system, some updates may require a longer pro­cess­ing time. In this case, the display may stop updating the progress. However, it could still be updating the system in the back­ground. If an in­stal­la­tion has actually failed, you can check for updates again or run the Windows trou­bleshoot­er.

Microsoft provides the Windows trou­bleshoot­er for problems with updates. To use it, proceed as follows:

• Open Settings.
• Click on Update and Security.
• In the left panel, select Trou­bleshoot­ing.
• Under Fix the problem directly, click Windows Update.

In many cases, Windows will be able to identify the error that’s causing the issue and will fix it au­to­mat­i­cal­ly.

You can also install the Windows update manually. Here’s how:

• Launch Settings.
• Select Update & Security.
• In the Windows Update tab, select the Check for updates option.

Ensure that you have enough storage space on your device. If your storage is nearly full, the update may not download and install. To do this, do the following:

• Launch Windows Explorer.
• Select This PC from the left-hand side.
• Check if there is enough space on your C: drive. At least 32 GB should be available here.

If this is not the case, you should delete un­nec­es­sary data, for example, programs you rarely use.

• Launch Settings.
• Click System > Storage.
• Go to Cleanup rec­om­men­da­tions and then click Clean up.

Microsoft provides a range of free tools to help with update problems. The Reset Windows Update Agent is one such rec­om­mend­ed ap­pli­ca­tion to help trou­bleshoot a problem. You can get it to work as follows:

• Download the tool from Microsoft.
• Unpack the archive file and execute the Re­setWUEng.cmd file (requires ad­min­is­tra­tor rights). To do this, right-click on the file and select Run as ad­min­is­tra­tor.
• Answer the security prompt with Yes.
• Select Reset Windows Update Com­po­nents from the script menu. This process may take a while, depending on your PC. Once the process has finished, the update should work without any problems.

Printers, external hard drives or USB sticks connected to the PC or laptop can cause issues during an update. It is best to remove all un­nec­es­sary external storage devices and drives, docking stations and other hardware com­po­nents and attempt the in­stal­la­tion again.

Open the Device Manager by right-clicking the Windows Start icon and select Device Manager from the menu. Look for devices marked with yellow ex­cla­ma­tion marks and right-click to uninstall them.

A reboot of the system can work wonders in case of update issues. Pre­vi­ous­ly installed updates are usually resumed after a restart. You can download and install ad­di­tion­al updates again.

To sum up, if your Windows update is stuck, you’ve got different options to fix the issue. Many of these require little to no effort. It some cases, simply dis­con­nect­ing the USB devices can be enough. But Microsoft does offer support in the form of its Windows trou­bleshoot­er and the Reset Windows Update Agent.