Troubleshoot problems updating Windows 10

In Windows 10, you decide when and how to get the latest updates to keep your device running smoothly and securely. This article will help you answer questions and troubleshoot common problems with your Windows 10 update.

If you’re looking for info on how to activate Windows 10 or to verify that your installation of Windows 10 is activated, see Activate Windows 10.

Have issues installing Windows updates? Start here.

Your device may not be able to update to the latest version of Windows 10 for a few reasons. The following tips can help you pinpoint the issue affecting your device.

Before you begin, make sure your device is plugged into a power source and connected to the internet. Then, try the steps listed below to get your PC to update.

Some updates require administrator access. If your account doesn’t have administrator access, see Create a local user or administrator account in Windows 10. Or if someone else at home or in your office has an administrator account on your device, try asking them to install the updates.

Before trying any of the solutions below, make sure you back up your personal files. You can use File History to back up your files to another drive, or insert a USB drive and use File Explorer to drag and copy important files to the USB drive. If you’re signing into Windows with a Microsoft account, your system settings will be automatically restored after updating, once you’re connected to the internet.

You can also back up your files with OneDrive. For more info, go to Back up your Documents, Pictures, and Desktop folders with OneDrive.

Make sure that your device has enough space. Your device requires at least 16 GB of free space to upgrade a 32-bit OS, or 20 GB for a 64-bit OS. If your device has a small hard drive, you may need to insert a USB drive to update it.

If your PC is running low on storage, try the techniques at Free up drive space in Windows 10.

Many updates require you to restart your device. Save your work and close all open applications. Then, select Start > Power , and select either Update and restart or Update and shut down.

Even if you have downloaded some updates, there may be more available. After trying the preceding steps, run Windows Update again by selecting Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. Download and install any new updates.

Remove any external storage devices and drives, docks, and other hardware plugged into your device that aren’t needed for basic functionality. Then try to run updates again and see if this resolved your issue. If it didn’t, continue to the next tip.

If you’ve added hardware to your device, check for third-party driver updates and installation instructions on the hardware manufacturer’s website. Update any drivers, then try to run updates again and see if this resolved your issue. If it didn’t, continue to the next tip.

In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, then select Device Manager from the list of results.

In the window that appears, look for any device with a yellow exclamation mark next to it. (You may have to select each category to view the list of devices.) Select the device name.

Select Action, and then choose either Update driver or Uninstall to correct the errors.

Common troubleshooting questions

If you are receiving an error message with a specific error code, try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, see Fix Windows Update errors and follow the instructions to help resolve common update issues.

The time required to download and install updates depends on connection speed, network settings, and the size of the update. If the installation remains stuck at the same percentage, try checking for updates again or running the Windows Update Troubleshooter.

To check for updates, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

To get help, in the search box on the task bar, type get help, then select Get Help from the list of results. To leave feedback if you run into further problems, in the search box on the taskbar, type feedback hub, then select Feedback Hub from the list of results.

Windows 10 is the most secure Windows ever, and we recommend you stay updated to protect your PC from security risks and to keep it running smoothly. However, you can temporarily pause updates as well as schedule a restart to install updates at a time that’s convenient for you.
Learn how to temporarily pause updates
Find out how to schedule a restart to install updates at a convenient time

You will only receive a notification when it’s time to restart your computer to apply the installed updates.

If you need to know where you left off in your work after an update, use Timeline to jump back in.

To get started with Timeline, select Task View on the taskbar, or press the Windows logo key +Tab and select the activity you want to resume.

Monthly quality updates on Windows 10 are quite small and have a minimal impact on data usage. Feature updates typically happen twice per year, and you can control when to install them. They require more data but are less frequent.

If you’re on a metered connection, some updates for Windows won’t be installed automatically. Metered connections in Windows 10

Your computer might be slow for a number of reasons, but updating to the latest version of Windows 10 can improve its performance. For help with a slow computer, see Tips to improve PC performance in Windows 10.

If you’re having trouble finding your files after an upgrade, see Find lost files after the upgrade to Windows 10 for other things to try.

Warning: Microsoft only recommends trying the procedures in this section if you’re comfortable working in the command line. These procedures require administrator permissions on your device.

In the search box on the taskbar, type command prompt, then select Run as administrator from the list of options. Select Yes. Next, in the window that appears, type the following commands one at a time, including the spaces as shown. After you type each command, press Enter. Then let each command complete before you type the next command.

net stop wuauserv

ren %systemroot%\softwaredistribution softwaredistribution.bak

ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak

net start wuauserv

After all these commands are completed, close the Command Prompt window and restart your computer.

In some instances, third-party antivirus or security software can cause errors when you try to update to the latest version of Windows 10. You can temporarily uninstall this software, update your PC, and then reinstall the software after your device is up to date. We recommend using third-party antivirus or security software that’s compatible with the latest version of Windows 10. You can check compatibility by visiting the software manufacturer’s website.

Note: Before uninstalling software, make sure you know how to reinstall your programs and that you have any necessary product keys.

In the search box on the taskbar, type command prompt, and then select Run as administrator from the list of options. Select Yes. In the window that appears, type the following command, including the space as shown:
chkdsk/f C:
and then press Enter. Repairs will automatically start on your hard drive, and you’ll be asked to restart your device.

A clean restart starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This helps eliminate software conflicts that occur when you install a program or an update that may cause issues updating your PC.
Learn how to do a clean restart

In the search box on the taskbar, type command prompt, then select Run as administrator from the list of options.

In the window that appears, type this command including spaces as shown:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Press Enter. When the command operation has run successfully, you’ll see a confirmation message from Command Prompt that says, “The restore operation completed successfully” or “The operation completed successfully”.
Note: If you don’t see a confirmation message, retype the command and try again.

Next, type this command, including the space as shown:
sfc /scannow

Press Enter. Wait until the sfc scan verification reaches 100% completion, and then close Command Prompt.

Try running the Windows Update again.

Go to the software download page and select Download tool now to download the clean installation tool. Make sure to carefully read the notes on the software download page before using the tool.

Still stuck?

Contact Microsoft support if you continue to have problems with your Windows updates.

Why so many problems with Windows 10??

Here are my problems since updating to Windows 10. Maybe someone can help?

1) The start menu is incredibly laggy! Its not fluid. Its very slow. When I try to move a app to a new spot it takes forever to move it. Also some apps are grayed out (yet they work) but wont show live tiles. I have the latest Intel graphics card however. Also all the windows 10 preview build screen shots showed extra wide app sizes but the most I can get across a row are 3 medium app sizes.

2) The app store has apps that it is trying to download (Twitter and Weather Channel) but the apps wont load. The progress download bar has stopped and theres no way to clear it from the download section.

3) I cant get my action center to work. I get emails and weather alerts but nothing shows up in my action center. Why?

Replies (2) 

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

I understand you are facing issues after upgrading to windows 10.

Please follow below steps and check if it helps.

Step 1: App troubleshooter.

I suggest you to run App troubleshooter and check if it helps.

a. Type ‘ Troubleshootin g’ in the search next to start.
b. Click on ‘View All’ on left side and select Windows store Apps’.
c. Follow the onscreen instructions.

If the issue still persist please follow the below article” Troubleshoot problems with an app ” and follow the steps.

Please refer to the below link direct to the article:

Step 2: The Start Menu is non-responsive .

Please try the following.

1. Open the Task manager. Here’s a tip: Press CTRL+Shift+ESC.
2. Click File > Run New Task
3. Make sure you have a check mark beside “Create this task with administrative privileges”
4. Type Powershell
5. Type the following in the Powershell prompt:
   $manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + ‘\AppxManifest.xml’ ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest
6. Close the Powershell window
7. Reboot

Hope these information helps, please get back to us for future support, we’ll be glad to assist you further.

So Many Problems with Windows 10, I Don’t Know Where to Begin

I will list all of the problems I’m having with Windows 10. Please respond to what may be the most critical item or the one that will solve the most problems. Once that is fixed, I will follow up on the others by continuing this thread.

But first, a little history. I purchased a new PC last summer that came with Windows 10. Among the settings I wanted to utilize were signing in with a PIN instead of MS password and not having to sign in at all if I step away from my computer. The former worked for awhile and the latter never worked. Then problems started creeping in, so I decided to byte the bullet and install the latest build of Windows 10 and reinstall my software (made easy with EaseUS PC Transfer). I now have the following problems (in no particular order):

• When I restart I get a screen that says there is an imminent hard drive failure. I ran all of the tests on that hard drive and no problems were found. 2 days ago
• After bypassing that (F1 key), there is a message that says, «Bing desktop installed files are corrupted. Please reinstall the application and start again.» Clicking on that does something and the message goes away, but it’s back the next time I restart.
• On the «Accounts: Sign-in options» page, my only choices for PIN are to change it or remove it, nothing about using it to sign in. On restarts, the only alternative to MS password is using a photo & camera, which this desktop doesn’t have. about a month ago
• Every morning (and sometimes multiple times throughout the day) I have to uninstall and reinstall network adapters in order to access the internet. about 2 weeks ago
• While installing new hardware in this PC I broke the connection to the bluetooth card, so I started using a bluetooth dongle, which worked great for a while installed late September, but then stopped about 2 weeks ago. A review of Device Manager revealed there was a problem with the driver and I would have to reinstall it. Couldn’t do that because my CD/DVD drive now only reads full size discs, not the mini-disc that the driver is on about 2 weeks ago. Used another PC to copy the mini-disc to a thumb drive in order to install the driver that way last week. Still doesn’t work, but I noticed in Device Manager that the driver is now under «Bluetooth Radios» not «Bluetooth» 2 days ago
• On the «System: Power & sleep» page, I selected Screen Never and Sleep Never never worked right out of the box in June. In less than four minutes after installing most recent Windows 10 build about a month ago I return to my desk and have to sign in with MS password again.
• Before the reinstall I found a way to display my apps full screen in Tablet mode. Now I am unable to figure out how to switch from the little display at the bottom left of my screen (which requires scrolling, scrolling, scrolling) to find the app I’m looking for this should be an easy one.
• There may be other problems that are not coming to mind right now, but are minor compared to the above list.