What to Do When Windows Update Gets Stuck or Is Frozen

Most of the time, Windows Update does its job with little if any attention from us.

While we might check and install updates manually from time to time, most Windows 10 computers are configured to apply important updates automatically, while older versions like Windows 7 and Windows 8 usually apply these fixes the night of Patch Tuesday.

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Sometimes, however, when the patch, or maybe even service pack, is being installed during shutdown or startup, the update installation gets stuck—freezes, locks up, stops, hangs, clocks, whatever you want to call it. Windows Update is taking forever and it's clear something needs to be done.

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 / x% complete / Do not turn off your computer.
• Please do not power off or unplug your machine. / Installing update x of x...
• Working on updates / x% complete / Don't turn off your computer
• Keep your PC on until this is done / Installing update x of x...

Getting Windows ready / Don't turn off your computer

You might also see Stage 1 of 1 or Stage 1 of 3, or a similar message prior to the second example. Sometimes Restarting is all you'll see on the screen. There might also be some wording differences depending on which version of Windows you're using.

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If you don't see anything at all on screen, especially if you think the updates might have been installed completely but could be the cause of whatever you're experiencing, see our How to Fix Problems Caused by Windows Updates tutorial instead.

Cause of a Frozen or Stuck Windows Update

There are several reasons why the installation or finalization of one or more Windows updates can hang.

Most often, these types of problems are due to a software conflict or a preexisting issue that simply wasn't brought to light until the Windows updates started installing. Much more rarely are they caused by a mistake on Microsoft's part regarding the update itself, but it does happen.

Any of Microsoft's operating systems could experience freezing issues during Windows updates including Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and others.

Make Sure the Updates Are Actually Stuck

Some Windows updates can take several minutes or more to configure or install, so you want to make sure the updates are truly stuck before moving on. Trying to fix a problem that doesn't really exist might just create a problem.

You can tell if Windows updates are stuck if nothing happens on screen for 3 hours or more. If there's any wonder after that long, take a look at your hard drive activity light. You'll see either no activity at all (stuck) or very regular but very short flashes of light (not stuck).

Chances are that the updates are hung before the 3-hour mark, but this is a reasonable amount of time to wait and longer than we've ever seen a Windows update take to successfully install.

How to Fix a Stuck Windows Update Installation

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del. In some situations, the Windows update might be hung at a very particular part of the installation process, and you could be presented with your Windows login screen after executing the Ctrl+Alt+Del keyboard command.

If so, log on as you normally would and let the updates continue to install successfully.

Restart your computer using either the reset button or by powering it off and then back on with the power button. Windows will start normally and finish installing the updates.

If the Windows update installation is truly frozen, you have no other choice but to hard-reboot.

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Start Windows in Safe Mode. This special diagnostic mode of Windows only loads the minimum drivers and services that Windows absolutely needs, so if another program or service is conflicting with one of the Windows updates, the install might finish up just fine.

If the Windows updates do install successfully and you continue to Safe Mode, just restart from there to enter Windows normally.

Complete a System Restore to undo the changes made so far by the incomplete installation of the Windows updates.

Since you can't access Windows normally, try doing this from Safe Mode. See the link in Step 3 if you're not sure how to start in Safe Mode.

Try System Restore from Advanced Startup Options (Windows 10 & 8) or System Recovery Options (Windows 7 & Vista) if you're not able to access Safe Mode or if the restore failed from Safe Mode.

Start your computer's "automatic" repair process. While a System Restore is a more direct way of undoing changes, in this case of a Windows update, sometimes a more comprehensive repair process is in order.

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Windows 10 and Windows 8: Try a Startup Repair. If that doesn't do the trick, try the Reset This PC process (the non-destructive option, of course).

Windows 7 and Windows Vista: Try the Startup Repair process.

Windows XP: Try the Repair Install process.

Test your computer's memory. It's possible that failing RAM could be causing the patch installations to freeze. Fortunately, memory is really easy to test.

Update BIOS. An outdated BIOS isn't a common cause for this problem, but it's possible.

If one or more of the updates Windows is trying to install is involved with how Windows works with your motherboard or other built-in hardware, a BIOS update could solve the issue.

Do a clean install of Windows. A clean install involves completely erasing the hard drive that Windows is installed on and then installing Windows again from scratch on that same hard drive. Obviously you don't want to do this if you don't have to, but it's a very likely fix if the steps prior to this one were unsuccessful.