Fix: Windows Update Stuck Downloading Updates In Windows 10

Updates for Windows 10 operating system are not something that you need to be terribly worried about as Windows Update automatically downloads and installs available updates in the background. And the best part is that Windows 10 doesn’t force you to restart your PC in the middle of something right ­after installing updates.

At times, while downloading and installing updates, you might notice that Windows Update has stuck at 0%, 30%, or 99% without displaying any specific error. When the Windows Update is stuck at a particular figure without any progress, it usually doesn’t display any error. Because Windows Update doesn’t show an error, users find it hard to diagnose the issue.

If Windows Update on your Windows 10 PC is stuck at a particular figure for hours, you can use the given below instructions to download and install available updates without any issues.

Restart your PC and check for updates again

If Windows Update is stuck at a particular figure for more than an hour, we advise you to restart your PC once and then navigate to Settings app > Update & security > Windows Update and click Check for updates button. This method doesn’t work all the time, but it’s always a good idea to restart the PC when there is an issue with Windows.

Run official Windows Update troubleshooter

Did you know that there is a Windows Update troubleshooter bundled with Windows 10 to fix common Windows Update issues? Please refer to our Windows Update troubleshooter for Windows 10 article to know how to run and use the Windows Update troubleshooter in Windows 10 to address Windows Update issues.

Clear Windows Update cache to fix stuck Windows Update downloads

If the issue persists even after trying the above methods, clearing the Windows Update cache should fix the problem. Here is how to make it happen:

Step 1: Open the Command Prompt as administrator. There are many ways to open the Command Prompt as an administrator. The easiest way is to type CMD in the Start/taskbar search field, right-clicking on the Command Prompt entry, and then clicking the Run as administrator option. Click the Yes button if you see the User Account Control prompt.

Step 2: At the Command Prompt window, execute the following commands:

net stop wuauserv

Press Enter key to execute the command.

net stop bits

Please press Enter to execute the command.

Once both commands are executed, simply minimize the Command Prompt to the taskbar as we need to execute two more commands later.

Step 3: Next, navigate to the following location:

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

In the above path, “C” is the drive letter of the drive where Windows 10 is installed. If you have installed on drive “D,” then the path would be D:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.

Step 4: Select all files and folders under the SoftwareDistribution folder using Ctrl + A hotkey and then press the Delete button to delete all these files and folders. Click the Continue button if you see any confirmation dialog.

If you’re unable to delete one or more files or folders, restart your PC and then follow the directions again.

Step 5: Maximize the Command Prompt and execute the following commands:

net start wuauserv

Press Enter key to execute the command.

net start bits

Press Enter key.

Step 6: Open Settings app and navigate to Update & security > Windows Update and click Check for updates button to begin downloading and installing updates again.

I hope this helps you fix the issue!