An update is stuck at the same percentage
Windows update has been stuck at 0 percent or 99 percent for hours.
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
The update service downloaded something incomplete and is now waiting for a file that will never arrive. The quickest thing to try first: give it three hours if the screen says do not turn off — Large updates genuinely stall for long stretches. Only act when the drive light has been completely still for a long time. Most people are done in about 25 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 5 steps for Windows, rated medium.
Sounds like this
- •Percentage frozen
- •Please do not turn off your computer
- •Fan quiet and drive light still
Why it happens
The update service downloaded something incomplete and is now waiting for a file that will never arrive.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Give it three hours if the screen says do not turn off
Large updates genuinely stall for long stretches. Only act when the drive light has been completely still for a long time.
- 2
Restart and let Windows undo the changes
Hold the power button, start again, and allow it to reverse the update. This is normal and safe at this stage.
- 3
Run the built-in troubleshooter
Open Settings, System, Troubleshoot, Other troubleshooters, and run the one for Windows Update.
- 4
Clear the update folder
Open Terminal as administrator and run: net stop wuauserv, then net stop bits. Delete everything inside C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. Then run net start wuauserv and net start bits, and check for updates again.
- 5
Make room first
Updates need about twenty gigabytes free. Open Settings, System, Storage, and use Cleanup recommendations before trying again.
If none of that worked
Download the Windows Update Assistant from Microsoft and let it install the version directly. It works when the normal route keeps failing.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
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We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
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CommonFixes review desk
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Before a guide goes live, a second person walks through it on a real machine and checks each instruction against the maker's own support pages. Anything we cannot confirm is removed rather than guessed at.
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This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
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