I believe that many people will encounter the same problem as Big Eye Boy, Windows Update may be stuck during the download or installation process. When this happens, the computer freezes and nothing works anymore. There are many reasons for this. But fear not, because with tips and tricks, you can easily fix this issue and install the update.
Let’s read on to learn how to fix Windows update stuck or update installed incorrectly.
Windows update upgrade
Solution 1: Wait
Sometimes the best remedy for fixing a stuck update is to wait. How long you wait may depend somewhat on your system. Some updates may take longer to process if they are large updates or if the system is slow. In this case, the display may stop updating the progress. However, it may still be updating the system in the background. If the installation does fail, you can check for updates again or run the Windows troubleshooter.
Solution 2: Windows Troubleshooting
Microsoft offers a Windows Troubleshooter for issues with updates. The steps to use it are as follows:
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Press Win+I to open Settings.
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Click on Update & Security.
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On the left panel, choose Troubleshooting.
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Under Fix problems directly, click Windows Update.
In many cases, Windows will be able to identify the error causing the problem and fix it automatically.
Solution 3: Install Windows Updates manually
You can also install Windows Updates manually. Here's how:
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Press Win+I to open Settings.
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Select Update and Security.
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In the Windows Update tab, select the Check for updates option.
Solution 4: Free up space
Make sure you have enough storage space on your device. If your storage space is almost full, updates may not download and install. To do this, take the following steps:
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Open Windows Explorer.
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Select This PC from the left.
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Check if you have enough space on your C: drive. There should be at least 32GB of space here.
If not, you should delete unnecessary data, for example, programs that you rarely use.
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Press Win+I to open Settings.
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Click System > Storage.
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Go to Cleanup Suggestions and click Cleanup.
Solution 5: Repair Windows Updates Using Windows Tools
Microsoft offers a range of free tools to help troubleshoot update issues. Reset Windows Update Agent is one such recommended application to help troubleshoot issues. You can make it work, here's how:
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Download the tool from Microsoft: Click to download
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Extract the archive and execute the ResetWUEng.cmd file (requires administrator privileges). To do this, right click on the file and select run as administrator.
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Answer "Yes" to the security prompt.
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Select Reset Windows Update Components from the Script menu.
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This process may take some time, depending on your computer. Once the process is complete, the update should work without any issues.
Notes
If Windows is stuck, a corrupt or missing installation package may be the problem.
Solution 6: Remove USB and other device connections from the computer
Printers, external hard drives, or USB sticks connected to your PC or laptop can cause problems during the update process. It is best to remove all unnecessary external storage devices and drives, docking stations, and other hardware components, and then try the installation again.
Solution 7: Uninstall the unknown device
Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Windows Start icon and selecting Device Manager from the menu. Look for devices marked with a yellow exclamation mark and right-click to uninstall them.
Solution 8: Restart the computer
In case of update issues, rebooting the system can do wonders. Previously installed updates are usually restored after a reboot. You can download and install additional updates again.
Windows update stuck – what now?
All in all, if your Windows update is stuck, you have different options to fix the problem. Many of them require little to no effort. In some cases, simply disconnecting the USB device may be sufficient. But Microsoft does offer support in the form of its Windows troubleshooter and resetting the Windows Update Agent.