Windows 11 Update Stuck: How to Fix

Sadique Hassan•Updated Dec 1, 2021

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the issue of Windows 11 Update being stuck at a certain percentage. Microsoft releases quality updates at regular intervals whereas the Feature updates and twice or thrice a year. Talking about the former one, it is mostly aimed at ironing out underlying bugs, bringing in performance stability, and enhancing the security of the system.

Likewise, you might also get blessed with a few goodies in some of these updates. Owing to all these reasons, it is always recommended to download and install these updates at the earliest. However, sometimes it might prove to be easier said than done. Various users have voiced their concern that their update gets stuck a particular percentage and it stays the same even after an hour or so.

Furthermore, they have also verified that it isn’t the case of a network-related issue as the internet is running well and good on their PC. If you are also getting bugged with this issue, then this guide is here to help you out. In this tutorial, we will make you aware of various methods that shall help you fix the Windows 11 update stuck issue. So without any further ado, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

How to Fix Windows 11 Update Stuck

Do note that there’s no universal fix as such. You will have to try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then check which one works out in your favor. So keeping that in mind, let’s get started.

FIX 1: Use Windows Update Troubleshooter

Windows has built-in quite a few troubleshooters, and one of them focuses specifically on updates-related issues. It will automatically scan for underlying problems relating to these updates and subsequently patches them as well. So let’s put it to test right away:

Bring up the Settings menu via Windows+I shortcut keys.
Then select System from the left menu bar and go to the Troubleshooter section.
After that, go to Other Troubleshooters and click Run next to Windows Update.
The troubleshooter will now search for issues that are bugging the update and would then bring it the associated fixes as well.
You need to just click on it in order to implement that fix.
Once done, restart your PC and then check if the Windows 11 update stuck error is fixed or not

FIX 2: Boot into Safe Mode

In some instances, a third-party app or service might conflict with the Windows update process. To verify if that is the case or not, and hence rectify it, you should consider booting your PC to Safe Mode. In this mode, only the essential system apps and services will be running.

So head over to the Start Menu, search msconfig, and select System Configuration.
Then go to the Boot tab and checkmark Safe Mode.
After that, go to the Services tab, checkmark Hide All Microsoft Services.
Then click on the Hide All Services button. This will hide all the non-Microsoft Services.
Now restart your PC and it will boot to Safe Mode. Check if the Windows 11 update stuck error is fixed or not.

FIX 3: Restart Windows Update Service

This service is responsible for handling all the Windows update-related processes- right from searching for a pending update up until it is successfully installed on your PC. So any issues with this service and its repercussions are bound to be faced by the Windows update. So the best course of action in such a scenario is to restart the update service, which could be done as follows:

Bring up the Run dialog box via windows+R shortcut keys.
Then type in the below command and hit Enter to open the Service menu.
```
services.msc
```
Now scroll to the Windows Update service, right-click on it, and select Restart.
Once the service has been restarted, retry installing the update.
Check if the Windows 11 update stuck error has been fixed or not.

FIX 4: Delete the Windows Update Files

In some instances, whatever percentage of the update file has been downloaded, it might have got corrupted. This in turn could prevent the rest of the installation to proceed in the right direction. The only way out is to delete those update files and let Windows restart the update process from scratch. Here’s how:

Type in the below command in the Run dialog box to open the Services menu
```
services.msc
```
Then scroll to the Windows Update service, right-click on it, and select Stop.
Now open File Explorer via Windows+E shortcut keys and go to the below location:
```
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
```
Do a Ctrl+A to select all the files in that directory and then hit Delete to remove them.
Once done, restart your PC and then reset downloading the update. See if it fixes the Windows 11 update stuck error.

FIX 5: Manually Install Update

If Windows isn’t able to automatically download the updates, then you could also opt for the manual approach. Here’s how:

First off, go to Settings > Windows Update and get hold of the update’s KB number.
Next up, search Services from the Start Menu and open it.
Then go to Windows Update, right-click on it and select Stop.
After that, head over to the official Microsoft Catalogue site.
Then enter the Update File’s KB number and then hit Download.
The update file will then be downloaded as an MSU installer, double click to open it.
Then proceed with the on-screen instructions to install it onto your PC. This should fix the Windows 11 update stuck issue.

FIX 6: Reset Windows 11 [Preserve Data]

If none of the aforementioned methods worked out for you, then it might be the case of the Windows system and configuration files getting corrupted. So you should now consider resetting your PC but without the need to go for a data wipe.

So bring up the Settings menu via the Windows+I shortcut.
Then scroll to Recovery and click on the Reset PC button.
After that select Keep My Files.
Then click on Local Reinstall.
Finally, click on Reset and wait for the process to complete.
Once done, your PC will automatically boot to the OS and the underlying issue would be fixed as well.

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the Windows 11 update stuck issue. We have listed six different methods for the same. Do let us know in the comments section which one worked out for you. Likewise, all your queries are welcomed in the comments section below.

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