A window pops up in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar saying "Install pending Windows updates with ease." You click it, and the progress bar does not move at all. When you shut down, it says "Update and shut down," but after restarting, you are back to the same prompt. This situation is very common among Windows 10 and Windows 11 users, especially when you have paused updates, have not turned on your computer for a long time, or the automatic update process has been interrupted. In these cases, pending updates just keep sitting there.

Pending updates are not just about "one extra pop-up window." They mean the system may be missing critical security patches, such as the cumulative updates released on the second Tuesday of each month. These patches fix real security vulnerabilities. At the same time, you may also be missing Wi-Fi stability improvements, Bluetooth connection fixes, and graphics driver compatibility updates. This article will start with the simplest steps and teach you how to complete the installation, then provide reliable troubleshooting solutions when updates get stuck or fail.

Install pending Windows updates from Settings

In most cases, no extra tools are needed. Windows' built-in update panel is enough.

Specific steps:

  1. Press Win + I on your keyboard to open "Settings."
  2. Click "Windows Update" in the left menu (in Windows 10, it is "Update & Security" → "Windows Update").
  3. Click the "Check for updates" button. If the system detects pending updates, the button will change to "Download and install."
  4. Click "Download and install" and wait for the download to complete. Some updates will require restarting your computer. Click "Restart now."

One thing you can be reassured about: Windows updates are cumulative. Even if you skipped several months of updates, as long as you install the latest cumulative update, the previously missed patches will be installed together. You do not need to install them one by one.

If you find that clicking "Check for updates" does nothing, or it keeps showing "Checking for updates," do not rush to try random fixes. Open "Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options" and confirm that "Pause updates" is not turned on. This is the real reason many people get stuck during updates. At the same time, check whether "Delivery Optimization" has been turned off. It is responsible for obtaining update files in the background from Microsoft servers or other devices on the local network. Turning it off may cause download speeds to become extremely slow or even get stuck.

Windows Update stuck? Troubleshoot in this order

The update progress bar not moving forward for a long time is the most common situation during the process of "installing pending Windows updates." Try the following methods in order, from simple to complex.

Step 1: Restart your computer. Do not choose "Shut down" and then manually turn it back on. Instead, directly click "Start → Power → Restart." Restarting reloads all system services. Many background process stalls can automatically recover after a restart.

Step 2: Check disk space. Windows Update needs a large amount of temporary space during the download and extraction stages. For 64-bit systems, it is recommended to keep at least 20 GB of free space on the C drive. Open "This PC" and check the remaining capacity of the C drive. If it is insufficient, first clean up the "Downloads" folder, the Recycle Bin, and unnecessary programs.

Step 3: Use the update troubleshooter. Go to "Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters," find "Windows Update," and click "Run." It will automatically detect and repair common update component problems, including cleaning up corrupted cache files.

Step 4: Reset update components using the command line. If the troubleshooter does not work, a manual reset is a more thorough approach. Right-click the "Start" button and select "Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)," then run the following commands in order (applicable to Windows 10 and Windows 11):

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start cryptsvc

The purpose of these commands is to stop update-related services, rename the old cache directories as backups, and then restart the services. The system will automatically create brand-new cache directories the next time it checks for updates.

Risk warning: SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 are system update cache directories. Renaming them will not affect personal files, but it will cause the record of currently downloaded updates to be lost, and they will need to be downloaded again. Before doing this, it is recommended to save all documents you are editing.

What to do if update installation fails and an error code appears

If installation fails after the update has downloaded, it will usually come with an error code starting with 0x. Below are the two most common errors and how to handle them.

Error 0x80070306. This error indicates that necessary files are missing from the component store, causing the update to fail to complete installation. First try using the built-in system repair tools to check and restore files. Open Terminal as administrator and run the following in order:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

The DISM command obtains healthy system files from Microsoft servers to replace corrupted parts, while sfc /scannow scans and repairs protected system files. Both commands need to finish running. Do not close the window during this process. If the problem still exists, go to "Settings → System → Recovery" and click "Reinstall now" next to "Fix problems using Windows Update." This operation will reinstall and repair the current system version while keeping personal files and installed apps. It will not delete your data.

Error 0x800f0922. This error is usually related to insufficient space in the system reserved partition. When installing updates, Windows needs to write boot-related files to the reserved partition. If the remaining space in the partition is too small, the update will be interrupted. First run the Windows Update troubleshooter, then use the DISM and SFC commands mentioned above to repair system files. If it repeatedly fails, you may need to use a disk management tool to adjust the size of the system reserved partition. This operation is high-risk. It is recommended to back up important data in advance or seek professional assistance.

Operations involving DISM, SFC, and resetting update components are all system-level modifications. Microsoft's official update troubleshooting page also reminds users that these steps may lead to unexpected results, especially when the problem itself is caused by file corruption or disk errors. Before doing this, copying important files from the desktop and Documents to an external hard drive or cloud drive is a habit that takes only a few minutes but can save a lot of trouble.

Do two things before updating to save most of the trouble

Rather than dealing with problems after updates get stuck, it is better to prepare before starting the installation.

First thing: Confirm power and network status. Laptop users must plug in the power adapter. When the battery level is low, Windows may automatically pause update downloads. For the network, prioritize a wired connection or stable Wi-Fi signal, and avoid switching networks during the download process.

Second thing: Temporarily disable third-party security software. Some antivirus programs, firewalls, and VPN tools may intercept network requests from Windows Update services, causing download or installation failures. If updates repeatedly report errors, you can temporarily exit these programs and try again, then re-enable them after the update is complete.

In daily use, it is recommended to enable "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" in "Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options," so the system downloads and installs available patches as early as possible. This avoids the risk of stuttering caused by installing a large number of pending updates all at once. If a certain update does cause system abnormalities, you can roll back to the previous version in "Windows Update → Update history → Uninstall updates." This is a lighter remedy than reinstalling the system.