Windows Update gets stuck more often than Microsoft would like to admit. The progress bar freezes, the percentage stops moving, or the machine sits on “Working on updates” for hours. In most cases nothing is actually broken — the update service is just wedged. Work through these steps in order, and stop as soon as the update finishes.
1. Wait first — then restart properly
Some updates genuinely take a long time, especially big feature updates on a slow drive. Give it at least an hour if the disk light is still blinking. If nothing has moved for over an hour, hold the power button to shut down, wait 10 seconds, and start again. Windows is designed to roll back a failed update on the next boot.
2. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter
Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and run Windows Update. It checks the service state, resets the update components it can, and reports what it fixed. This solves the problem more often than people expect.
3. Clear the update cache
If the troubleshooter does not help, the downloaded update files themselves are usually the problem. Open an administrator Command Prompt and run these commands, one at a time:
net stop wuauservandnet stop bits— this stops the update service and the background transfer service.- Open File Explorer and delete everything inside
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. These are only cached installers; deleting them is safe. - Back in the Command Prompt, run
net start wuauservandnet start bits. - Go to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. Windows re-downloads what it needs and usually proceeds normally.
4. Repair the system files underneath
A stuck update can also be a symptom of damaged system files. In an administrator Command Prompt, run sfc /scannow, then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Let both finish, restart, and try the update again.
5. When to stop and get help
If the update still fails after the cache clear and the file repair, check which update is failing — the error code in Settings > Windows Update > Update history tells a technician exactly where to look. Do not delete the whole SoftwareDistribution folder itself, and do not use registry “fixes” from random forums; both create bigger problems than a stuck update. If the machine is stuck in a boot loop, that is the point to bring it to a repair shop rather than keep forcing restarts.