Explaining how to solve when Windows Update is not progressing! Can I stop midway?

This time, we will explain how to solve the problem when Windows Update is not progressing.

There are several reasons why Windows Update is not progressing:

• There is a problem with the device driver
• I haven't done Windows Update for a while.
• There is not enough free space on the hard disk
• There is a problem with the hard disk or SSD, etc.

This article provides detailed explanations when Windows Update stops progressing due to the reasons listed above.

Also, is it okay to stop Windows Update midway if it does not proceed? It also explains things like this, so please refer to it.

What are the causes and solutions for Windows Update not progressing? This is the answer

If Windows Update does not proceed, the following are possible causes.

• There is a problem with the device driver
• I haven't done Windows Update for a while.
• There is not enough free space on the hard disk
• hard disk failure
• System files are corrupted
• Security software is affected
• The internet environment may be an influence, etc.

The following sections provide detailed explanations of each cause and how to resolve it.

Cause of Windows Update not progressing: There is a problem with the device driver

If Windows Update does not proceed, there may be a problem with the device driver.

A device driver is a program that runs devices such as peripherals.

If this device driver causes a problem, Windows Update may not proceed.

In this case, you may be able to resolve the issue by unplugging the peripheral and updating it, or by updating the device driver.

How to update the driver is described in the article below.

How to update devices and CPU drivers on Windows 10 and 11

Reason for Windows Update not progressing: Windows Update has not been performed for a while

If Windows Update is not progressing, it is possible that you have not updated it for a while.

If you haven't updated for a long time, it will take longer to update.

Therefore, if you have any concerns, we recommend that you wait patiently for the update to complete, even if it feels slow.

Reason for Windows Update not progressing: Insufficient free space on the hard disk

If Windows Update does not proceed, it is possible that there is not enough free space on the hard disk.

If you do not have enough free space on your hard disk, you will not be able to download updates and the download will stop midway.

In this case, please check the free space on your C drive and try to organize unnecessary data.

Cause of Windows Update not progressing: Hard disk failure

If Windows Update does not proceed, a hard disk failure may be the cause.

There are several ways to check your hard disk for errors:

• Check for errors from Explorer
• Using CrystalDiskInfo

Each method has different error checking contents.

The Explorer check method is a simple check, so if you want to perform a more detailed error check, try the check method using CrystalDiskInfo.

How to check errors from Explorer

The method to check the drive for errors from Explorer is as follows.

[Check errors from Explorer]

1. Open "Explorer (folder icon)".
2. Select "PC".
3. Right click on C drive.
4. Select Properties.
5. Select "Tools".
6. Select "Check" in Error Check.
7. Select "Scan Drive".
8. Once the checks are complete, select Close.

Using CrystalDiskInfo

To perform a detailed error check on your hard disk, we recommend using a software called ``CrystalDiskInfo,'' which allows you to check ``SMART information,'' which is a hard disk self-diagnosis function.

The method for error checking using CrystalDiskInfo software is as follows.

[How to check errors using CrystalDiskInfo]

1. CrystalDiskInfo – Crystal Dew World [en]Get CrystalDiskInfo on the site
2. Start CrystalDiskInfo.
3. Select the drive you want to check.
4. Check the "Health Status" section.
   The status is displayed as ``Normal'', ``Caution'', or ``Abnormal''.

If the message "Caution" or "Abnormal" is displayed, we recommend that you immediately take a backup and replace it.

CrystalDiskInfo also allows you to check other detailed information about your hard disk.

Further details can be found in the article below.

Diagnosing the lifespan of a hard disk, how to use Cristal Disk Info

Reason for Windows Update not proceeding: Corrupted system files

If Windows Update does not proceed, system files may be corrupted.

In this case, try repairing the system files using the following methods.

[How to repair system files]

1. Right-click on "Start (Windows mark)".
2. Run "PowerShell" as an administrator.
3. Type sfc /scannow.
4. Press Enter.
5. Once completed, type "DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth".
6. Wait until the repair is complete.
7. Restart your PC.

Reason for Windows Update not progressing: Security software is affecting it

If Windows Update is not progressing, security software may be causing the problem.

If you are using commercial security software other than the one that comes standard with Windows, that software may be blocking the progress of Windows Update.

In this case, temporarily disabling your security software may resolve the issue.

If you suspend your security software, please restart it as soon as the update is complete.

Reason why Windows Update is not progressing: Internet environment is affecting it

If Windows Update is not progressing, your internet environment may be affected.

In this case, you may want to try resetting the network environment.

Also, Windows Update may not proceed due to the communication speed, so please try updating in a place with a good communication environment.

How to resolve when Windows Update 21H1, 21H2 does not advance from 0 during installation

If Windows Update installation does not proceed from 0, the problem may be resolved by performing the following methods.

• Use troubleshooting tools
• Reset components

The following sections explain each solution in detail.

Use troubleshooting

If Windows Update installation does not proceed from 0, using the troubleshooter may resolve the issue.

How to use troubleshooting is as follows.

[How to use troubleshooting (Windows 10)]

1. Select "Start (Windows mark)".
2. Select "Settings (gear mark)".
3. Select Update & Security.
4. Select "Troubleshoot".
5. Select "Additional troubleshooting".
6. Select Windows Update.
7. Select Run Troubleshooter.

If you see "Troubleshooting with administrator permissions may help detect problems," select "Troubleshoot as an administrator."

[How to use troubleshooting (Windows 11)]

1. Select "Start (Windows mark)".
2. Select "Settings (gear mark)".
3. Select “Troubleshooting” under “System”.
4. Select "Other troubleshooting".
5. Select Windows Update.

After troubleshooting above, if any issues are found, please follow the instructions to perform the repair.

Reset components

If the Windows Update installation is stuck at zero, resetting the components may resolve the issue.

The method to reset the component is as follows.

[How to reset components]

1. Right-click on "Start (Windows mark)".
2. Run "Windows PowerShell" as an administrator.
3. If a User Account Control message appears, select "Yes".
4. Type "net stop wuauserv" and press Enter.
5. Type "net stop cryptSvc" and press Enter.
6. Type "net stop bits" and press Enter.
7. Type "net stop msiserver" and press Enter.
8. Type ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old and press Enter.
9. Type ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old and press Enter.
10. Type "net start wuauserv" and press Enter.
11. Type "net start cryptSvc" and press Enter.
12. Type "net start bits" and press Enter.
13. Type "net start msiserver" and press Enter.

Once the reset is complete, close PowerShell and try to see if the issue is resolved.

How to resolve when Windows Update 21H1 is downloading and does not finish even after reaching 100

If Windows Update 21H1 etc. does not finish downloading even after reaching 100, please wait for a while until the next step, installation, starts.

Depending on the condition of your PC and the size of the updated data, it may take several hours in some cases.

If the problem is still not resolved, please try the troubleshooting and checking peripherals/device drivers described in the above section.

How to fix Windows Update stuck at 20% while installing

If Windows Update does not proceed from a halfway state such as 20% during installation, please try the solutions listed above.

If the issue still persists, deleting temporary files as described below may resolve the issue.

[How to delete temporary files]

1. Press the Windows key and R key at the same time.
2. Select Run.
3. Type services.msc.
4. Select OK.
5. Stop "Windows Update".
6. Stop "Background Intelligent Transfer Service".
7. Press the Windows key and E key at the same time.
8. Once Explorer starts, navigate to "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution".
9. Delete the data in the folder.
10. Restart the "Background Intelligent Transfer Service" that you stopped earlier.
11. Restart Windows Update.

Once the steps are complete, try checking if the issue is resolved.

If the above steps do not resolve the issue, check if the driver is affected and remove it if necessary.

For example, there seems to be a case where the Conexant audio driver was affected.

In this way, deleting temporary files may allow the stuck Windows Update installation to proceed.

I want to stop the update program midway! Is it okay to interrupt?

Some people may want to stop Windows Update midway because it is not progressing, but are unsure whether it is safe to do so.

In conclusion, we do not recommend stopping update programs midway through shutdown by long-pressing the power button.

The reason is that if you suddenly force a shutdown using the power button during an update, problems such as data loss may occur.

If you really want to force quit, please press and hold the power button at your own risk when the HDD access light is not on.

When the HDD access lamp is on or blinking or when you hear the disk sound, data is being processed, so if you suddenly turn off the power, data may be damaged.

In this way, if you want to stop the update program midway through because Windows Update is not progressing, force quitting is not recommended as it may erase data.

Explaining how to solve when Windows Update is not progressing! Can I stop midway? summary of

This time, we explained how to solve the problem when Windows Update is not progressing.

There are various reasons why Windows Update is not progressing, but please try to avoid forcefully closing it just because it is slow.

If the update does not proceed due to a problem, there is a way to forcefully terminate the update at your own risk by checking the access lamp etc. when data is not being processed.

It may take some time if you haven't updated for a long time, so we recommend waiting as patiently as possible.

If the problem persists, you may want to consult a PC repair expert.