The installation of one or more Windows updates is probably stuck or frozen if you see one of the following messages persist for a long time: Preparing to configure Windows. Do not turn off your computer. Configuring Windows updates 20% complete Do not turn off your computer. Please do not power off or unplug your machine. Installing update 3 of 4… Working on updates 0% complete Don’t turn off your computer Keep your PC on until this is done Installing update 2 of 4… Getting Windows ready Don’t turn off your computer Windows update is an essential feature that makes sure Windows receives critical security updates to protect your Computer from security breach such as recent WannaCrypt, Ransomware etc. And if you don’t keep your PC up to date, you risk being vulnerable to such attacks. So without wasting any time let’s see how to actually Fix Windows Update Stuck or Frozen issue while downloading updates with the help of below-listed troubleshooting guide.
Fix Windows Update Stuck or Frozen
Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.
Fix Windows Update Stuck or Frozen Method 1: Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter Method 2: Make sure Windows update services are running Method 3: Run System Restore Method 4: Rename SoftwareDistribution Folder Method 5: Run System File Checker (SFC) and Check Disk (CHKDSK) Method 6: Run Microsoft Fixit Method 7: Perform Clean Boot Method 8: Update BIOS
Method 1: Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Open Control Panel and search for the Troubleshoot in the search bar on the left side and click on it to open the Troubleshoot.
Next, from the left window, pane select View all.
Then from the Troubleshoot computer problems list select Windows Update.
Follow on-screen instruction and let the Windows Update Troubleshoot run.
Restart your PC and see if you can Fix Windows Update Stuck or Frozen issue.
Method 2: Make sure Windows update services are running
Press Windows Key + R then type “services.msc” (without quotes) and hit Enter.
Locate the following services: Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) Cryptographic Service Windows Update MSI Installer
Double click on each of them and make sure their Startup type is set to Automatic.
Now if any of the above services are stopped, make sure to click on Start under Service Status.
Next, right-click on Windows Update service and select Restart.
Click Apply, followed by OK and then reboot your PC to save changes. This step is essential as it helps to Fix Windows Update Stuck or Frozen issue but if you are still unable to download or install updates, then continue to the next method.
Method 3: Run System Restore
Press Windows Key + R and type sysdm.cpl then hit enter.
Select the System Protection tab and choose System Restore.
Click Next and choose the desired System Restore point.
Follow the on-screen instruction to complete system restore.
After reboot, you may be able to Fix Windows Update Stuck or Frozen issue.
Method 4: Rename SoftwareDistribution Folder
Open Command Prompt. The user can perform this step by searching for ‘cmd’ and then press Enter.
Now type the following commands to stop Windows Update Services and then hit Enter after each one: net stop wuauserv net stop cryptSvc net stop bits net stop msiserver
Next, type the following command to rename SoftwareDistribution Folder and then hit Enter: ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
Finally, type the following command to start Windows Update Services and hit Enter after each one: net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver
Reboot your PC to save changes.
Method 5: Run System File Checker (SFC) and Check Disk (CHKDSK)
Press Windows Key + X then click on Command Prompt (Admin).
Now type the following in the cmd and hit enter:
Wait for the above process to finish and once done, restart your PC.
Next, run CHKDSK to Fix File System Errors.
Let the above process complete and again reboot your PC to save changes.
Method 6: Run Microsoft Fixit
If none of the above steps helped troubleshoot Windows Update stuck problem then as a last resort, you could try to run Microsoft Fixit which seems to help fix the issue.
Go here and then scroll down till you find “Fix Windows Update errors.”
Click on it to download the Microsoft Fixit or else you can directly download from here.
Once download, double-click the file to run the Troubleshooter.
Make sure to click Advanced and then click “Run as administrator” option.
Once the Troubleshooter will have administrator privileges; it will again open, then click on advanced and select “Apply repairs automatically.”
Follow the on-screen instruction to complete the process, and it will automatically Fix Windows Update Stuck or Frozen issue.
Method 7: Perform Clean Boot
Sometimes 3rd party software can conflict with Windows Update and cause Windows Update to be Stuck or Frozen. To fix this issue, you need to perform a clean boot in your PC and diagnose the issue step by step.
Method 8: Update BIOS
Sometimes updating your system BIOS can fix this error. To update your BIOS, go to your motherboard manufacturer website and download the latest BIOS version and install it.
If you have tried everything but still stuck at USB device not recognized problem, see this guide: How to Fix USB Device not recognized by Windows. Finally, I hope you have Fix Windows Update Stuck or Frozen issue, but if you have any questions, please ask them in the comment section. Recommended:
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That’s if you have successfully Fix Windows Update Stuck or Frozen while downloading updates but if you still have any queries regarding this post feel free to ask them in the comment’s section.
