Freezes when upgrading to windows 10. What to do if Windows installation freezes: five tips

06.10.2018 Frank 0 Comments

You are trying to install a Windows 10 update, for example to version 1803, on your computer or laptop, but a message appears saying that you cannot complete the installation or it is simply frozen.

Installation of Windows 10 updates freezes at different stages: 100 percent, 99 percent, 64 percent, 42 percent, or 0.

Preparation for updating Windows 10, as well as downloading or configuring updates, can freeze.

What to do then? Look below for several options on how to fix this and start using your computer or laptop further.

Such problems are not new. Many people struggled with this in Windows 7, where the update center freezes, and on Windows 10, Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant was added to this.

Often the system downloads correctly and displays information that they are ready. If you ignore this information, after a while a window will appear telling you that you must install them, prompting you to restart your computer to complete the operation.

This is where the problem begins. They are theoretically installed, but at some point the system declares that something went wrong.

The message “The installation could not be completed” or something similar appears, then we see the “Roll Back Changes” screen - Windows 10 restores the system to the state it was in before - and so on again and again every time.

Windows 10 update stuck - use the Windows Update troubleshooter

At the very beginning, you can try to use an automatic troubleshooting tool.

This is an official tool that can be downloaded from Microsoft - it will check if there are problems and then try to resolve them.

The effectiveness may be less or more depending on the problem, but it is always worth giving this program a chance when we start solving such problems

Download this tool, then launch it and follow the onscreen instructions. This program will automatically look for problems and then try to fix them.

If you see information that Windows Update has been repaired, you can try it.

Windows 10 update installation freezes - clear the SoftwareDistribution folder

The SoftwareDistribution folder contains the Windows Update installer. The problem may be that it is corrupted or causing compatibility errors.

To do this, you must temporarily stop the Update service, otherwise file deletion may be blocked.

To do this, press the key combination “Win+R” and enter the following command in the window that appears:

A new service window will open. Find the Update service in the list, then right-click it and select the Stop Service option. The process will be temporarily stopped.

Press the Win+R key combination again and this time enter the following path in the run window and confirm it with the Enter key:

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

The SoftwareDistribution folder will open. Delete all contents of the SoftwareDistribution directory - this folder should remain empty.

After deleting all the contents of this folder, launch the services window again (type "services.msc" in the launch window), find the Update service, right-click it and select "Run".

Now you can go to the “Update Center...” section and try to download and install updates again.

To do this, open the Start menu and click the gear icon. The settings window will open.

In settings, go to the “Update Center...” section. Click "Check for...", download and try installing. This time everything should work without errors. Good luck.

With a certain frequency Windows 10 freezes in the process of updating. The problem first appeared back in 2016, but in subsequent releases it was somehow fixed, now there is a new wave of complaints from users about downloading updates. Today, over 60 million users have already downloaded and installed Windows 10, and accordingly, the number of errors also reaches colossal numbers.

Why does my Windows 10 computer freeze when updating?

Windows 10 is frozen, what should I do? – Initially, you should find out about the real problem that caused the freeze. In this case, you will have to restart the PC by long pressing the power button or pressing reboot. After restarting, the update will be removed, but the computer will work.

Among the common ailments of Windows 10, the following characteristic manifestations can be identified:

During the update process there is a freeze, the milestone is at 25%.
When transferring user files, a failure occurs and progress stops at 84%.
update progress is unable to cross the 44% mark.
Freeze appears at 32% system load.
The “Receiving updates” window appears and no changes occur.

Important! Do not rush and say that the computer is frozen, since weak PCs can simply install any files for a long time that are not displayed on the scale until the component is completely installed.

If Windows 10 still freezes, you will have to fix the problem with improvised means. Freezing at the specified boundaries indicates a problem; other problems are extremely rare.

When stuck at 25% and 84%

When the Windows 10 update is stuck, you have to look for a solution to the problem in a short time. Here the problem may lie either in the hardware or in the software. Mostly this malfunction is characterized by the appearance of errors with code 0xC1900101 - 0x20004. You can also determine the problem by stopping the LED light from blinking.

Experts have found that the listed problems are directly related to conflicts between the system update and individual components on the PC. Sometimes incompatibility is caused by a peripheral device. When installing more than 1 HDD or SSD in the system, the risk of an error increases several times.

For the reasons described, it is worth offering fairly simple and effective solutions:

Disconnect all peripherals from the PC, you can leave only the necessary ones: mouse (if there is no touchpad), keyboard, monitor. To prevent incorrect interaction with various devices, you just need to disable them, and after the update is complete, connect everything back together. If there are problems, you will have to download the appropriate drivers.
In a stationary device, it is recommended to disable the drives or at least leave only 1; perform the same procedure with drives and hard drives. The essence of the method is to maintain the connection with only the most important elements, and everything else is disconnected. To disable the listed elements, simply remove one side of the SATA cable.
You can download the update to a removable drive from your current or another PC, which reduces the risk of errors. The main disadvantage of the technique is that the system may become unlicensed after installation.

Update stuck at 44%

This problem is typical for the Windows 10 build released in November. The update process stops at 44% and stops responding to anything else.

2 replies were sent from the developer's representative office:

Some of the problem occurs on computers with a connected card reader and a card inserted into it. That is, just take out the card or turn off the card reader.
It has been confirmed that the problem occurs precisely because of the SD drive, but not all users can disconnect the device from the system, since it contains most of the free memory required to install the system. A solution to the problem is to clear enough space on your hard drive or SSD (3 GB for downloading and 20 GB for installation) or connect a USB drive to the system.

Failure at 32%

This problem is directly related to Windows software. The occurrence of a malfunction is typical after an attempt to update using the Update Center. In this case, it is possible to maintain the situation throughout the day without any changes.

To fix the problem, you must first download all previously released system update packages. You also need to install optional updates; to do this, check the corresponding box. Typically, a full update will install Windows 10 without any problems.

An auxiliary method is to diagnose the Update Center using a special utility built into the system. To launch this function, you must press Win + R together and enter the command msdt /id WindowsUpdateDiagnostic in the window that opens. Then press Enter and select “Advanced” in the window that appears. In the lines that open, you can enter “Automatically fix” and launch with higher rights.

By the end of the procedure, various errors will be eliminated, and the system will be ready for further upgrades to modern version systems.

Stuck when “Getting updates”

A situation where a freeze occurs even before the download/installation starts is also not uncommon. The process of searching for updates does not budge, no matter how long you wait for it.

The easiest way to solve the problem is to eliminate processes from this service, since it is the one that is frozen. You will have to postpone the update for some time. To disable the service you need to:

Press Ctrl + Alt + Del and go to the “Services” tab;
Find the "Center" element Windows updates»;
RMB on the component and “Stop”;
If that doesn't work, you can select Go to Process and then close it from that tab.

The eternal confrontation between viruses and antiviruses can prevent the update, in which case you need to try scanning the system. If everything is in order, but the procedure still does not progress, you should disable the antivirus, or you can uninstall it, since it will not be transferred to the new system anyway.

If you still have questions on the topic “What to do if Windows 10 freezes during an update?”, you can ask them in the comments

Now Windows 10 is a new operating system for users. But despite its capabilities, it still needs improvement, like any other system, for convenient use. If errors occur and updates freeze, you should not solve the problems yourself. In order not to aggravate the situation, it is better to use proven methods. Let's look at how to deal with computer freezes during Windows 10 updates.

Why does Windows 10 freeze when downloading updates?

The occurrence of this problem can be due to various reasons:

working with various programs that reduce PC performance;
a large number of applications running in the background;
the update conflicts with the antivirus;
flaw free space on disk;
faulty RAM.

How to fix updates stuck at 32%

Some computers have a very poor Internet connection or poor performance.

Updating on older devices takes a very long time, so users with weak PCs can only wait patiently for the process to complete. Indicator hard drive will blink to indicate that updates are not yet complete.

Typically, the PC freezes at 32% when you try to update the system using Windows Update.

If Windows update has stopped at 32%, do not rush to interrupt the process - the computer can load the necessary files

The device may slow down for a long time, not responding to anything and showing no signs of finishing the updates. This error can be easily fixed. You need to download or install old service packs to new system Then it worked stably and without problems. It is necessary to diagnose Windows Update:

Click Win buttons+R.
Enter the command msdt /id WindowsUpdateDiagnostic in the Run window. Click OK.
Click "Advanced".
Check the “Automatically apply patches” checkbox and select “Run as administrator.”
Click "Next". Once the steps are completed, you can safely upgrade the OS to Windows 10.

When a black screen appears and the mouse pointer has a blue circle, you might think that updates have stopped and the computer has simply frozen. In fact, it downloads dynamic updates for Windows 10.

The reason for the black screen is loading dynamic updates.

The process really seems very slow with little productivity. To speed up loading, check if you have connected any USB devices. Turn them off. Then the PC will work faster.

Reasons why your computer won't update after 99% (also applies to 91%)

After booting to 99%, the computer completely freezes, and the installation can take a long time. This happens because you have downloaded an unwanted program on your PC. The problem will be solved if the user performs a clean boot, which starts the Windows system using minimal sets of drivers and various programs, and thus reduces the chances of conflicts with system software. A clean boot will help you get rid of unnecessary apps running in the background that only slow you down. operating system:

Press Win + R keys.
Enter the msconfig command. Click OK.
Open the Services tab.
Check the box "Do not display Microsoft services."
Click on "Disable All".

How to deal with update installation freezes at 71%

The computer stops at 71% of downloading updates due to a large cluster of programs running in the background. Be sure to look at which programs you no longer need and turn them off in the Startup menu:

Go to the Start menu. Enter the msconfig command. Wait for System Configuration to open.
Click the "Open Task Manager" button.
Go to the Startup tab in Task Manager. Right-click on any program and click “Disable”. Click “Apply” and “OK”.
Turn off Task Manager and restart your PC.

Video: how to disable autorun programs in Windows 10

Computer slows down by 75% when updating Windows

If there is more than one on the computer HDD, then disconnect everything (including external hard drive, USB key) except the target hard drive on which Windows 10 will be installed. Very often, when stuck at 75%, the problem that occurs changes the system locale to English language. And the update is successful only in the non-English version of the OS. You should change the system locale to Russian. To do this, do the following:

Go to the Start menu. Select "Control panel".
Click on the “Clock, Language, and Region” section.
Select "Add a language" under "Language".
Click on "Add a language".
Find the language you need in the list and click on it.
Click on "Options".
Wait for the language availability check to complete.
Click "Download and install language pack".
Wait until the download process completes.
Go to the language settings (the “Options” button).
In the window that opens, click on the “Make this the primary language” button.
Restart your computer after changing the system locale.

Video: how to change the locale in Windows 10

A universal way to fix errors when updates freeze

Need to use a remedy Windows problems Update, which will help deal with update errors:

Press Win + X and go to Control Panel.
Click on the "Troubleshooting" section.
Under System and Security, click Troubleshoot using Windows Update.
Click on fix problems using Update Center
Wait while the wizard completes the check and determines whether the error has been resolved.

If none of the above solutions help you fix your Windows 10 upgrade problem, try deleting the Software Distribution folder:

Go to the path “C” - “Windows” - “SoftwareDistribution” - “Download folder” and delete all files from the last folder.
Go to the Start menu and select Command Prompt (Admin).
Type the command exe /update now and press Enter.
Go to Windows Update and check if the error is resolved.

Preparing to install updates freezes

Most often, preparation for installing updates freezes due to a conflict software or a pre-existing problem that simply wasn't discovered until Windows updates started installing. Do the following:

Video: How to enter Safe Mode in Windows 10

Downloading updates freezes

Freezes occur due to a damaged OS distribution that does not have enough space on the hard drive, or due to incorrect settings in BIOS settings. To correct the settings, do the following:

"Getting Updates" searches endlessly

Sometimes it happens that loading new version The OS starts to slow down when updates arrive. This process can search endlessly without producing any results.

The reason for this freeze may be the incorrect operation of the Windows Update Service, because it is this that causes the loading to slow down. To disable it, do the following:

Almost any problem or error related to a computer can be solved nowadays. Developers are always trying to improve the performance of the new operating system for the user, but many problems have to be dealt with alone. The most important thing is to use trusted sources so that the system is updated without problems.

Since the tenth version of the operating Windows systems today is the most popular, many users want to install it. Unfortunately, quite often the problem arises that when upgrading Windows 10 freezes at 99 percent of the process. What is the reason and how to deal with it, see below.

Windows 10 update stuck: most common symptoms

In general, the freezing of the update process to “ten” at 99 percent is far from the only problem. In fact, there are many more situations with similar symptoms, when the process hangs like a dead weight.

Among all that occurs, the following points stand out:

receiving updates;
installation of updates (25%);
copying files (84%);
system installation (25, 32, 44 and 99%).

In all cases, when the update to Windows 10 is stuck at 99%, the LED indicating that the hard drive is being accessed stops blinking and is constantly on. You can return your computer to its original state forced reboot through a long press on the power button and then turning it on. But in this case, the update will be completely canceled.

Of course, provided that the user has the minimum configuration required to install Windows 10 on board and the connection is too slow, the above processes may only appear to be frozen. In fact, they may simply take too long (even around 20 hours). Nevertheless, we will focus on the case when the Windows 10 update froze at 99 percent. What can be done in such a situation?

The update is stuck at 99 percent: what's the problem?

There are many reasons for such failures to occur. It should be taken into account that the conflict can manifest itself at the level of software and hardware, even if it meets the minimum requirements.

Sometimes the problem may be the presence of several hard drives. According to Microsoft representatives themselves, Windows 10 freezes when a removable SD memory card is inserted into the card reader. The same symptoms are typical for cases when files are copied to a removable USB drive. True, the process may be completed over time, but Windows itself will become unlicensed, and it is completely unclear why.

Finally, a failure can also occur in the Update Center service itself if the upgrade is made using it.

Problems with disks and removable devices and how to fix the situation

But let's return to the situation where the Windows 10 update is stuck at 99%. In the case of additional hard drives and SD memory cards, the problem can be solved quite simply.

The card should be removed from the card reader and hard disks If possible, disable it by removing the corresponding SATA cables from the hard drive connectors. In addition, it is advisable to completely disconnect all other peripheral devices, leaving only the monitor, keyboard and mouse (for laptops - only the mouse). Perhaps, if the Windows 10 update is frozen, the problem can be solved in this way.

Crashes while receiving updates

Another solution to the problem when Windows 10 freezes at any stage of the upgrade is to deactivate the update service itself, because it is this service that provokes this type of failure in the original system.

To do this, you should, as they say, “kill” the process. It is impossible to shut down a service in the Task Manager, so you will have to use a special section called from the Run menu (Win + R) using the services.msc command.

In the right window of the editor that appears, you need to find the Windows Update service, and then right-click to call context menu, where the “Stop” line is selected. Do not forget that the upgrade can also be negatively affected by the anti-virus software installed on the old system, therefore it should be deactivated during the upgrade process by selecting the command to pause protection in the appropriate menu (either for the maximum possible time or until the next reboot) .

Diagnostics of "Windows Update"

Now let's look at another common situation. If the Windows 10 update is stuck at 99%, you can try to fix the problem using the diagnostic system utility to check the operation of the update center itself.

To do this, first call the “Run” console, where we write the line msdt /id WindowsUpdateDiagnostic.

In the window that appears, use the “Advanced” line, which is located at the bottom, in the new window, check the box next to the line for automatically applying fixes, click on the run as administrator link and click the “Next” button. After this, all that remains is to follow the instructions of the system, and after completing the diagnostic process, you can safely proceed to reinstallation"tens".

What's the result?

As you can see, there can be quite a lot of situations when Windows 10 freezes at some stage of the upgrade, and each of them has its own solution. True, sometimes problems can occur in an already installed system. For example, very often Windows 10 freezes when searching for updates. It's difficult to say what this is connected with. Perhaps the problem is bad connection, perhaps the update is affected by some already installed package. In general, such cases were not deliberately considered, since the type of battles described relates specifically to attempts to update an existing OS to the tenth version. But even here, you initially need to find out the cause and only then make a decision to eliminate the problem (although, as is believed, all the above-described remedies are good regardless of the root cause). At worst, if nothing helps at all, it’s better to download a “clean” one. installation distribution, completely remove the old system and only after that install Windows 10 (and also format all hard drives and logical partitions).

There are currently three different issues that Windows 10 users are facing when installing updates. Firstly, there is an error downloading the update or the download process is frozen. Secondly, there are problems during the installation of the update, and finally, the system crashes with BSOD after a reboot. Below are several possible solutions for troubleshooting.

Fixing Windows 10 update download problem

If the cumulative update does not download, try the following steps:

If a cumulative update freezes during download or the installation fails, something has gone wrong with the update files. After the folder containing the update files is cleared, Windows Update will try to download the update components again. Go to the following location:

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

Delete all files/folders, but do not delete the Download folder itself. Select all files and folders using CTRL + A and press Delete key to delete. Restart your computer and run the update process again.

If the cumulative update freezes during download, try the following solution:

Enter Services
Scroll to Service Delivery optimization.
Right-click on the service and select Properties.
Change the “Startup Type” to “Manual”.
Restart your computer.
If Windows 10 update still gets stuck, change the startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start).

Stop the Windows Update service

If stopping the Delivery Optimization service does not solve the problem, also try stopping the Windows Update service. If your Windows 10 update is stuck at the “Initializing...” step, try the following solution:

Click on the Start menu icon.
Enter Services and launch the classic application of the same name.
Scroll to Service Windows Update.
Right-click on the service and select Stop.
Restart your computer.
Check for new updates.
The update should proceed as normal.

Windows Update reset script

Completely reset the Windows Update client settings. It has been tested on Windows 7, 8, 10 and Server 2012 R2. The script will configure services and registry keys related to Windows Update, restoring the default settings. It will also clean up files related to Windows Update.

Fixing Windows 10 update installation problem

In some cases, you may encounter a problem while installing the update. If the update installation is stuck at some point, try the next solution.

If your computer is frozen at the stage, then follow the instructions below.

While holding the power button, turn off the machine.
Restart your computer and boot into Safe Mode.
Sign in account(if it is needed).
Make sure all virus scanners are disabled before continuing.
From the Start menu, type Recovery and select the appropriate desktop app.
Click Running System Restore.
Select an earlier restore point, and then click Next.
Follow the instructions to begin system recovery.
Wait while your computer completes the system restore process.
Regardless of whether the restore is successful or fails, you will most likely get rid of the error stuck at the moment “Preparing for Windows setup. Don't turn off your computer."
Sign in to your account if required.
Disable virus scanners before continuing.
Start the Windows update process.
The update should now install without problems.

Some users may encounter a stop error that causes a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) to be displayed during a system reboot.

If you encounter a BSOD crash when upgrading Windows 10, check out this article:

Disabling Windows 10 updates and drivers

Sometimes you may need to disable the installation of Windows 10 updates on your computer. Windows 10 Pro users can defer updates for a certain period of time, but Windows users 10 There is no such possibility at home.

Microsoft has provided a separate "Show or Hide Updates" tool to disable cumulative updates or even drivers.

DISM commands to check for problems with Windows 10

You can use the official DISM commands to restore a Windows image to fix any problem with your updates. Before you start, it's a good idea to take a full system backup or create a system restore point in case something goes wrong.

Using the CheckHealth option in DISM

Team /CheckHealth DISM allows you to detect potential corruption. This command is used only to find damage, but does not perform any repair operations.

Command line, right-click on the link that appears and select "Run as Administrator" because running DISM requires device administrator rights.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

UsageoptionsScanHealth inDISM

Team / ScanHealth DISM allows you to scan your Windows image for any damage. Unlike /CheckHealth, the /ScanHealth check can take up to 10 minutes.

To run this command follow these steps:

1. Search for Start menu Command line

2. In " Command line"type the following command and press Enter:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

UsageoptionsRestoreHealth inDISM

Team /RestoreHealth in DISM allows you to automatically carry out the procedure for restoring damaged Windows images. Unlike /ScanHealth, the /RestoreHealth scan can take up to 10 minutes.