Windows Update Not Working on Windows 10

What happens when Windows Update Does not work in Windows 10? You may encounter problems such as not finding a new update, getting stuck in the download process, or not being able to install updates. In these cases, you need to act quickly.

Another related scenario is that you get system errors after installing an update, and in severe cases, you can't even start your computer. In either case, you should look for a solution as soon as possible.

Windows can update perfectly well over and over again and then suddenly stop working. It may not update at all, it may check for updates and never finish checking, it may try to install updates, fail and try again and never stop.

How to fix these issues? Here we will show you a complete tutorial.

Windows Update Not Working on Windows 10

Installing Windows 10 updates It lets you explore new features, handle new security threats, and improve system performance. And it takes care of all of this automatically, Windows Update.

You can usually check and download a new update as follows:

• Open the menu Windows Start.
• Then go into “Configuration".
• Then click on “Update and security".
• In the left menu, select “Windows Update".

Here, you will be able to see if there are any pending updates or not. But if you encounter problems like Windows Update stuck, you can try the following methods to fix or reset it.

1. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

Can you reset Windows Update with a specialized tool? Well, there is one called “Windows Update Troubleshooter”. It is designed to fix errors downloading or installing Windows updates.

If you get any error during the update process, you can try to resolve it using the Troubleshooter.

• Open the menu Windows Start.
• Then go into “Configuration".
• Then click on “Update and security".
• In the left menu, select “Solve problems".
• Now select "Additional troubleshooters".
• In the new window, select “Windows Update".
• A “Run the troubleshooter” button will appear. Click it.

If you can't find the option "Additional troubleshooters«, you can find it in «Control panel«.

• Click on Start Menu Windows
• Find the folder "Windows system".
• Then select "Control panel".
• In "Control panel", Choose "Problem solving".
• In the left menu, click on “View all".
• From the list that appears on the screen, select “Windows Update".

By running this troubleshooter, you can detect and resolve errors that prevent you from updating Windows. If you have the option, you can also "Trying to troubleshoot as an administrator«.

2. Delete the SoftwareDistribution folder

Folder software distribution is where Windows stores updates. Deleting or renaming it deletes everything. If it's missing or empty, Windows will check for updates and download them again automatically.

Obtaining fresh copies of the updates may resolve your update issue.

• Right click on the Start button and select “Symbol of the system (Administrator)".
• At the command prompt, enter these commands:

  • net stop wuauerv

  • net stop bits

  • rename c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak

  • net start wuauserv

  • net start bits

After this, restart Windows and check if the problem is resolved.

3. Repair corrupted system files with Command Prompt

Windows Update problems can be caused by corrupted system files. For this situation, you can use the Command Prompt to fix them. Commonly used commands are SFC and DISM.

• Seeks "Symbol of the system» in Windows 10 and run it as administrator.
• Type this SFC command and press “Enter” to check and repair system files:

  • SFC / scannow

• Let it run the scan and perform the repair automatically.
• If you are unable to run the SFC tool, or SFC cannot fix the problem, you can also try the DISM tool. The command is:

  • exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

After repairing the corrupted system files, restart your computer to check if Windows Update works normally now.

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4. Clear Windows Update Cache

Sometimes corrupted or overloaded cache files can also cause problems, so you can clear the cache of Windows Update in Windows 10 to reset the download.

Before you begin, you must stop the Windows Update service.

• Seeks "services» in the taskbar and run it as administrator.
• Then search for «Windows Update» in the list and click the “Stop” button.
• Then click on “Apply"And"Accept".
• Now go to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download.
• Once you get to this folder, delete all the files in it. This will clear the Windows Update cache.
• Select the service again Windows Update and start the service again.
• Then you can try to check for updates and download them again.

5. Clean your machine's disk

A problem with Windows Update may be that you partially downloaded an update and then it got stuck. While those downloaded files are on disk, Windows Update It won't work. Delete them with the “space cleanup on disk".

• Click on start menu of Windows.
• Find the folder "Windows Administrative Tools".
• Then select "Disk Cleanup".
• A small window will appear, where you must select the drive you want to free up space on. Select it from the drop-down list and click “Accept".
• It takes a few minutes to scan the disk and then a new window appears. Click the “Clean system files".
• It scans the disk again and then presents a longer list of things to clean. Check all the boxes and clean everything. Some of the items are related to Windows Update and cleaning them helps reset Windows Update.

6. Reset Windows Update components and policies

An effective way to fix such issues is to reset Windows Update components. You can usually implement this via the Command Prompt in Windows 10, but the steps are quite cumbersome.

So instead of entering all the commands manually, you might want a script Windows Update reset to complete all steps automatically.

Fortunately, you can find BAT files online to reset Windows Update components. Just download the file and follow the steps provided by the installation.

Most of the Windows Update issues will be resolved at once. Remember that you must be logged in as an administrator to reset the Windows 10 update.

7. Install the latest servicing stack update (SSU)

Servicing stack updates (SSU) provide fixes to the component that installs Windows updates. Therefore, you can try to install the latest SSU manually to fix Windows Update errors.

• Go to Microsoft Update Catalog.
• Seeks "service stack update«.
• Download the latest servicing stack updates. Please note that there are different versions for different architectures (x86/ARM64/x64).
• Double-click the downloaded file to install the SSU update.
• After completing the installation, restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.

To find your system architecture, do the following:

• Click on Start Menu Windows
• Find the folder "Windows system".
• Then select "Control panel".
• In "Control panel", Choose "System".
• Then click on “Type of system".

Here you will see your system architecture. You should download according to this information.

8. Install the latest update manually

Similar to the previous method, if you are unable to download the update in “Settings”, you can manually download the update file to install it.

First, you need to know the latest version of Windows 10. If you’re having trouble checking for a new update, you can view “Windows 10 Update History” and look for the KB number of the latest version.

Then look for the version number in the Microsoft Update Catalog, here you will see download links for different architectures (x86 / ARM64 / x64). Run the downloaded file to install this Windows update.

After finishing and rebooting, the update issues should be resolved.

9. Roll back Windows Update in Windows 10

If you successfully install an update but then encounter serious system issues, you can roll back to the previous version as a workaround. But the approaches to roll back major updates and minor Windows 10 updates are different.

For a major feature update, Windows will retain old files for 10 days, allowing you to roll back. After this period, these files will be deleted and you won't be able to go back to the previous version. So you need to act fast.

The steps to uninstall an important update are as follows:

• Enter to Start Menu of Windows.
• Click on “Configuration".
• Then click on “Update and security".
• In the left menu, select “Recovery".
• Now, select «Go back to the previous version of Windows 10«.
• And click on «Contac us» in this section.

If there is no " sectionBack to the previous version", then it's been more than 10 days since the update.

For a smaller Windows update that just fixes some minor bugs and improves system performance, you can roll it back fairly easily.

• Enter to Start Menu of Windows.
• Click on “Configuration".
• Then click on “Update and security".
• Then select “Windows Update".
• Seeks "View update history” and click it.
• In the new window, click on “Uninstall updates".
• In the pop-up window, you can select the update you want to remove and then «Uninstall it«.

It is possible that none of the above methods work, or you may find that there are other system issues that have not been resolved. For these situations, you might consider adopting a more secure disaster recovery strategy as follows.

10. Restore Windows 10 to a previous state

Apart from update issues, there can be many other system errors caused by various reasons. If you don't want to have trouble fixing them every time, the best thing you can do is develop a good backup mechanism.

In a nutshell, you can set up a regular one-time system backup task so that you can quickly restore your system to a previous working state if something goes wrong.

You can do this with the help of third-party software. They usually allow you to backup Windows OS to multiple devices including internal/external drive, flash drive, etc. USB, network share/NAS and cloud service.

You can schedule automatic backups on a regular basis, such as daily, weekly, monthly. And to save storage space, storage, you can perform incremental or differential backups that only save files that have changed since the last backup.

In addition to the operating system, these types of backup software also support backup of partitions or files/folders. In case the PC does not Boot Due to system errors, it is also a good idea to create a bootable device.

Alternatives to Windows Update

If none of the methods we showed you above have helped you solve the Windows Update problem, and you do not want to restore the system, because you know how risky that step is, you also have the option of downloading an alternative software, similar to Windows Update, that does the same job.

1. Windows Update MiniTool (WUMT)

WUMT are the acronyms of Windows Update Mini Tool. It offers three advantages over the standard Windows Update:

• It usually gets the job done faster than the built-in utility.
• Scans and offers new device drivers for the PC it runs on.
• You can access Microsoft Update, Windows Update, and the Windows Store to get updates.

The tool is very good at recognizing drivers that need updating and it is also free. Its ease of use, great efficiency and its Freeware nature put it on our list.

2. WSUS Offline Update

WSUS offline update allows users to request the download of an update for Windows or Office. You can run it at any time without maintaining continuous Internet access.

So this tool is a kind of "trabajo por lotses» to get updates. Using the tool is simple. Identify the version of Windows for which you want updates, select from a few options, designate a destination location, and activate it with the Start button.

However, it is limited to grabbing only critical items. Unlike WUMT, this tool is not a complete replacement for Windows UpdateYou still need to access that service for non-critical updates.

It also doesn't work with drivers. But it's easy to use, compact, and makes updates available locally in a variety of usable forms, even creating ISO images for mounting and reusing.

3. Systweak Software Updater

Systweak Software Updater is one of the best and most complete software update tools you can find for Windows 10.

While the basic functionality is to search for available software updates and list them, Systweak Software Updater does much more. First, updates can be installed with just a one-click command.

It also has a system restore module, which allows users to create a restore point to revert to previous updates when needed.

Additionally, the tool acts as an app store in itself, with suggestions for different apps and tools that can be of great use on a Windows PC.

These apps are categorized based on their functionalities, such as security, browsers, communications, and multimedia. By combining an app store with an effective software update feature, Systweak Software Updater tends to outperform most of the market.

4. Glarysoft Software Update Pro

Glarysoft Software Update Pro is an excellent updater for Windows. This update tool comes with a user-friendly interface.

The tool comes in a free and paid version. Get notified as a software update is released to keep you always up to date.

The software scans and lists installed programs for software updates and helps users to update them without any hassle. It also provides necessary information about the updates.

This Windows software updater is available for most of the Windows versions. The pro version of the tool comes with remote management which is helpful for tech professionals to manage software on multiple machines every month.

5. IObit Software Updater

Another software updater, IObit, which can help you keep your software up to date effortlessly. You can leave the worries behind by adding your important software to the Auto Update List.

It will automatically scan and update your software at the scheduled time. This app update software comes with a huge database. The new algorithm increases the download process by up to 10%.

With IObit Software Updater, you will not see annoying ads or malware, and you will also enjoy a very simple and practical interface. It is a popular and reliable application that makes recommendations for installing safe software within the same interface, making the work easier than ever.

6. Avira Software Updater

Updating Windows is quite simple with Avira Software Updater. The application sorts and lists all your outdated software on the screen with a single click. Avira Software Updater It is fast and requires the help of internet browsers to download updates.

Avira Software Updater gives you the freedom to click on the links you want to download and update your software. Since it is a free version, it has limited features included.

If you want to use the software to its fullest, you should purchase the full version. When installing Avira Software Updater, the wizard will ask you whether you want to install Avira antivirus or not. You can avoid this if you wish, especially if you already have an antivirus installed on your PC.

7. Heimdal

Heimdal is an amazing Windows software updater for PC that downloads and installs software patches without any hassle. Your security-critical software always stays up-to-date with the help of Heimdal free software updater.

The software works in a "autopilot» where all supported programs are automatically updated. You can even customize the updater settings, such as choosing which programs you want to update.

You can modify There default to monitor for updates, and you can change it to suit your preferences. Heimdal recommends several programs and offers a smooth user interface that lets you perform actions with a single click.

There are some additional features like website blocking and malware detection that are available in the pro version of Heimdal.

8. Patch My PC

My PC patch update your software without your intervention to click anything during the process. With My PC patch, you can differentiate between outdated software and updated software.

The green patch indicates an update, while the red patch indicates obsolescence. You can decide whether you want to update the software or not. You can also let Patch My PC do it automatically.

There are optional settings that can be changed, such as enabling forced program closures before updating, enabling beta updates, disabling silent updates, and many more. You can also use My PC patch to uninstall programs.

The software doesn't have a great user interface, but its other features overshadow its drawbacks. My PC patch It is fast and can be run from a USB flash drive.

Conclusion

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When you can't download or install an update, you can reset Windows Update in Windows 10 to get it back up and running. When a Windows update causes system crashes and even prevents you from booting your computer, you can uninstall the update to undo all the changes.

You can even use third-party backup software to perform a complete system restore if none of the methods worked.