If applicable, toggle Set as metered connection off and then check for updates again. Any pending installs should now complete. Turn on the Windows Update service if it's not already on. This is necessary for updates to run, meaning Windows 10 won't update without it. Here's how: search for and open services in the Start menu, open Windows Update from the list, change the "Startup type" to Automatic , select Start , and then select OK. If that doesn't fix the update issue, try starting Background Intelligent Transfer Service and Cryptographic Services as well. Restart important services via an elevated Command Prompt. If you received errors during Step 6 or those directions didn't help, this is the next best option.

After opening Command Prompt as admin as described through that link, type this command followed by Enter :. Do the exact same thing for all of these commands execute it, wait for it to finish, and then continue with the next one :. Delete everything in this folder:. The contents of that folder are temporary files that are sometimes used to install operating system updates. If those files become corrupted, it could result in Windows 10 not installing updates. Check how much free space is on your hard drive. There's a good chance you're already aware of this if it's so low that it's causing this problem, but it doesn't hurt to confirm. Ample hard drive space is needed before updates can be installed, so try gaining some more free space by emptying the Recycle Bin, deleting files, backing up files elsewhere, or uninstalling unused programs. Although an unlikely fix, a DNS server could be the reason for Windows 10 not updating. There are lots of alternate DNS servers you can choose from, and changing them is easy.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day. Restart your device and check if you'll be able to Update. Look for WUServer and WIStatusServer in the right pane. If it's there delete them. Open Settings 2. Click the Recovery tab. Look for Advanced Startup then hit Restart now. Let it complete the process and see if Windows will be repaired. Click the "Download tool now" button. Once downloaded run the MediaCreationTool exe file. Accept the terms. Select Create an installation media, then hit Next. Proceed with the prompts. Once the installation media is created, double click on the file then on the Windows Setup screen, click on Repair your computer. I hope this helps. How satisfied are you with this reply? If you suspect that the problem could be the update and not your installation, it's recommended not to install the cumulative update until the next release. After you complete the steps, the update will no longer be available for your device, resolving any errors trying to install the quality update using Windows Update.

However, when a follow-up update becomes available, it'll eventually download and install automatically. Sometimes if you're running an older version of Windows 10, you can try upgrading to the most recent release to fix many problems with the current installation, including issues with Windows Update. While there are multiple ways to upgrade to the latest version, using the Update Assistant tool is the easiest method. Once you complete the steps, the new version of Windows 10 will hopefully resolve the problem with Windows Update, and it might even improve system performance as well as other issues with the previous release. If nothing seems to work to resolve the issue with Windows Update, as a last resort, you may want to consider performing a clean installation of Windows 10 to resolve this and other problems. Before you can proceed with the installation of Windows 10, you need to create a USB media to start your device and continue with the installation.

Warning: This is a friendly reminder that this process will erase everything on your computer. It's always recommended to make a temporary full backup of your PC before proceeding. Once you complete the steps, you'll need to continue with the out-of-box experience OOBE to configure your device, and after the process, the issue with Windows Update should be resolved as well as other system problems. If you need assistant performing a clean install of Windows 10, you can use this comprehensive guide. Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community.

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Updating Windows is really important and should be performed any time updates are available. Sometimes, however, Windows 10 updates won't install and you have to find a workaround. Unfortunately, there isn't a single answer for why this happens. In some situations, services that depend on the Windows Update tool might be turned off, and in others, important update-related files might be corrupted or installs could be blocked by security software. If updates have already started but have become frozen, especially during a shutdown or restart, we have a different troubleshooting guide for when Windows updates get stuck. Follow these steps in order, preferably rebooting your computer after each one and then re-checking Windows Update Step 1 below to see if it fixed the problem. Check for and install updates manually. If you heard that there were some updates made to Windows 10 recently but you don't see them applied, it might be because Windows hasn't checked for them.

While this might seem like a no-brainer, try it anyway—selecting the Check for updates button might be all you need to do to make Windows 10 install updates again. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter. This lets Windows repair the problem itself, and is by far the easiest first step when troubleshooting update issues in Windows To do this, open Control Panel and search for and open Troubleshooting. Select View all from the left side of that screen, and then choose Windows Update from the list. Follow the on-screen prompts to run the troubleshooter. Use the Update Assistant on Microsoft's website. This is the ideal solution for Windows 10 not updating if you're waiting for a feature update. Select Update now at the top of that page to download the update utility.

Once it's downloaded, open it and follow the prompts to install the latest Windows 10 feature updates. Disable your security software. Things like antivirus software and VPNs can sometimes cause issues with downloads, so temporarily disable them to see if doing so restores your ability to update. Make sure you're not set up to use a metered connection , which will limit how much data the computer can use. An active internet connection is required to download fresh updates from Microsoft. Select Properties next to the active connection type to see the metered connection details. If applicable, toggle Set as metered connection off and then check for updates again. Any pending installs should now complete. Turn on the Windows Update service if it's not already on.

This is necessary for updates to run, meaning Windows 10 won't update without it. Here's how: search for and open services in the Start menu, open Windows Update from the list, change the "Startup type" to Automatic , select Start , and then select OK. If that doesn't fix the update issue, try starting Background Intelligent Transfer Service and Cryptographic Services as well. Restart important services via an elevated Command Prompt. If you received errors during Step 6 or those directions didn't help, this is the next best option. After opening Command Prompt as admin as described through that link, type this command followed by Enter :.

Do the exact same thing for all of these commands execute it, wait for it to finish, and then continue with the next one :. Delete everything in this folder:. The contents of that folder are temporary files that are sometimes used to install operating system updates. If those files become corrupted, it could result in Windows 10 not installing updates. Check how much free space is on your hard drive. There's a good chance you're already aware of this if it's so low that it's causing this problem, but it doesn't hurt to confirm. Ample hard drive space is needed before updates can be installed, so try gaining some more free space by emptying the Recycle Bin, deleting files, backing up files elsewhere, or uninstalling unused programs. Although an unlikely fix, a DNS server could be the reason for Windows 10 not updating. There are lots of alternate DNS servers you can choose from, and changing them is easy. Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day. By Tim Fisher. Tim Fisher.

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines. Reviewed by Jerrick Leger. Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses. Tweet Share Email. Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide. This guide applies to Windows 10 only. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know!

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What else I can do? You can use this comprehensive guide to resolve most common issues connecting to a network. If there's a problem with running Windows Update, there is a chance that you may have one or multiple corrupted system files, which you can repair using the System File Checker SFC command tool. Some updates require administrator access to install. MOST READ. After you complete the steps, the update package will install, but you'll need to restart the device manually to finish applying the changes. Hi and thanks, many points I have checked earlier.

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