PC FixWindows Update stuck, failing or showing an error
Most update failures come from too little disk space, a damaged download, or system files that need repair. Work down this list.
What you seeUpdates failed. There were problems installing some updates (0x8007...) / Downloading 0% / Working on updates, do not turn off your computer
If it is "Working on updates" at start-up
Do not switch off. Large updates can sit at one percentage for a long time, especially on a hard disk. Give it at least two hours if the disk light is flickering. Only if nothing has changed after that, hold the power button to switch off and start again; Windows normally undoes the unfinished update by itself ("Undoing changes"). If it then cannot start, see automatic repair loop.
If it fails or sticks while you are using Windows
1. Restart, and try again. Settings › Windows Update › Check for updates. A pending restart blocks new updates.
2. Check the basics.
- Free space: at least 20 GB on C:. See low disk space.
- Date and time: correct, with the right time zone. A wrong clock breaks the secure connection. See date and time wrong.
- Connection: not set as a metered connection (Settings › Network & internet › your connection › Metered connection: Off), and no VPN.
- Unplug USB drives and printers during a big update.
3. Run the troubleshooter. Windows 11: Settings › System › Troubleshoot › Other troubleshooters › Windows Update › Run. Windows 10: Settings › Update & Security › Troubleshoot › Additional troubleshooters.
4. Repair system files. In Terminal (Admin):
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannowRestart and check for updates again.
5. Clear the update download folder. A damaged download is fetched again. In Terminal (Admin), run these one at a time:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
net start wuauserv
net start bitsThen check for updates. Windows makes a fresh folder; the old one can be deleted later with Disk Cleanup or by hand once updates work.
6. Install the one failing update by hand. In Settings › Windows Update › Update history, note the number that begins with KB. Search for it in the Microsoft Update Catalog (catalog.update.microsoft.com), download the version for your system (x64 for nearly all PCs) and run it.
7. Turn off other security software for the moment, if you use an antivirus other than Windows Security, and try again.
8. Repair Windows without losing anything. Windows 11: Settings › System › Recovery › Fix problems using Windows Update › Reinstall now. It reinstalls the current version of Windows and keeps your apps, files and settings.
About error codes
The code beside "Install error", such as 0x80070002 or 0x800f081f, mostly narrows the cause to missing or damaged files. Steps 4 and 5 repair those. If one code keeps returning after all the steps, search Microsoft's support site for the exact code.
If an update broke something
Settings › Windows Update › Update history › Uninstall updates, and remove the newest one. To hold updates off for a while: Settings › Windows Update › Pause updates. Do not leave them paused for months; security fixes arrive through the same door.
Is it safe to switch off during "Do not turn off your computer"?
Avoid it. If the screen has shown no change for two hours and the disk light is still, a forced restart is the only option, and Windows usually recovers by undoing the update.
Why does the same update install again and again?
It is failing at the last step and being retried. Clear the download folder (step 5) or install it by hand (step 6).
For Windows 11 and Windows 10. Written in November 2026. Menus move between updates; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up important files before any step that resets, repairs a disk or opens the computer. This is an independent guide, not connected with Microsoft.