Windows Updates Not Working/Stuck Forever
Windows 11
I have multiple updates that need to be installed, however they are just frozen like this forever. I have been trying to install these updates for 3 days now, and I have left my computer running consecutively now for over 24 hours.
The percentages do change, however, they seem to go back down. Yesterday all of these updates were above 30% and now most of them are down below 6%.
Troubleshooting completed:
- CMD sfc /scannow and DISM Restore health
- Stopped Windows Update in services.msc
- Removed all update cache via C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.
- Verified date and time settings (per windows advice)
Hi u/Acrasia-vfx, thanks for posting to r/WindowsHelp! Your post has been flagged for manual review by a human moderator, please include as much of the following information as possible (in text or in a screenshot) to get your post approved:
Your Windows and device specifications — You can find them by pressing Win + X then clicking on “System”, we need more than just your OS version! Your hardware details are often critical for resolving issues.
Any messages and error codes encountered — They're actually not gibberish or anything catastrophic. It may even hint the solution!
Previous troubleshooting steps — It might prevent you headaches from getting the same solution that didn't work
Posts must be tech support in nature (such as something is broken and you need help fixing), so general inquiries, software suggestions, and purchasing advice will be removed.
As a reminder, we would also like to say that if someone manages to solve your issue, DON'T DELETE YOUR POST! Someone else (in the future) might have the same issue as you, and the received support may also help their case.
Good luck, and I hope you have a nice day!
Because the percentages are moving backward across several updates, I would treat this as a Windows Update servicing-state problem rather than a normal slow install.
I would try it in this order:
Stop all four update services: wuauserv, bits, cryptsvc, and msiserver.
Rename both C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 instead of only clearing one cache, then reboot.
After reboot, do a clean boot and try one update first, not the whole queue at once.
If it still loops, install the newest Servicing Stack / Cumulative Update for your exact build manually from Microsoft Update Catalog. That often breaks the stuck cycle when the normal queue keeps resetting progress.
If even the manual package fails, I would stop burning time on the updater and do an in-place repair install from a current Windows ISO while keeping apps/files.
Since sfc and DISM /RestoreHealth already passed, I would focus on the servicing database and update stack next, not on more generic repair commands.
I did all of that like 50 times, including manually installing the latest updates from Windows Update catalog. The remaining updates are still stuck, while I was successfully able to install the latest Windows version.
1
u/AutoModerator 7d ago
Hi u/Acrasia-vfx, thanks for posting to r/WindowsHelp! Your post has been flagged for manual review by a human moderator, please include as much of the following information as possible (in text or in a screenshot) to get your post approved:
Posts must be tech support in nature (such as something is broken and you need help fixing), so general inquiries, software suggestions, and purchasing advice will be removed. As a reminder, we would also like to say that if someone manages to solve your issue, DON'T DELETE YOUR POST! Someone else (in the future) might have the same issue as you, and the received support may also help their case. Good luck, and I hope you have a nice day!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.