Windows Update stuck on "Working on updates" or restarting? How long to wait and how to fix it
The screen says "Working on updates, don't turn off your PC" and the percentage hasn't moved for an hour. Or Windows keeps failing the same update and undoing it. Most stuck updates are just slow; the rest can usually be fixed without losing anything.
How long should you wait?
| Update | Typical time on the update screen |
|---|---|
| Monthly security ("quality") update | 2-20 minutes, sometimes two restarts |
| Yearly feature update (for example 24H2 to 25H2) | 20 minutes on a fast SSD; 1-2 hours on an older laptop with a hard drive |
| Updates after months switched off | Several rounds, each with its own restarts |
The percentage is a guess and isn't linear: Windows often sits on one number while it does the slowest part. The honest signal is the disk activity light (if your PC has one) or fan noise. Turning off mid-update is less dangerous than the message suggests, because Windows keeps the old version until the new one is confirmed, but only do it once you're sure it has stopped working: 2-3 hours with no change.
"Undoing changes made to your computer" or "We couldn't complete the updates"
This means the update failed and Windows is putting things back. Let it finish, even if it takes a while. It's a safe rollback, not data loss. If it then retries and fails in a loop:
- Start Windows normally, go to Settings > Windows Update > Pause updates for a week to stop the loop while you fix it.
- If Windows won't start, it should reach the blue recovery screen after two or three failed starts (or hold Shift while clicking Restart). Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates > latest quality update (or feature update). System Restore and Safe Mode (Startup Settings, then 4) are on the same menu.
The usual causes of an update that keeps failing
- Not enough space. Feature updates need about 20 GB free. Clear space with Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files and Cleanup recommendations.
- Extra drives and devices. Unplug USB sticks, SD cards, external drives and docks; the installer can trip over them.
- A broken download. The update cache in
SoftwareDistributiongot a corrupt file, so the same update fails every time. Reset it (below). - Damaged system files. DISM and SFC repair them.
- Old drivers, third-party antivirus, VPNs and disk encryption tools: update them, or uninstall the antivirus while updating (Defender takes over automatically).
Reset Windows Update (the fix that works most often)
Open Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt as administrator and run these one at a time:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start cryptsvc
net start bits
net start wuauservThen repair Windows' own files and restart:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannowDISM downloads clean copies of damaged system files; SFC then puts them in place. Both can sit on one percentage for a while. Renaming SoftwareDistribution only clears the download cache and update history list; your installed updates and files are untouched, and you can delete the .old folders later.
Reading the error code
Windows Update errors starting 0x8007 wrap an ordinary Windows error number in the last four hex digits. Convert those to decimal (the number base converter does it) and you get a familiar error:
| Code | Last 4 digits | Means | Try |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0x80070002 | 0002 = 2 | File not found (download incomplete) | Reset Windows Update |
| 0x80070005 | 0005 = 5 | Access denied | Antivirus off, run as administrator |
| 0x8007000D | 000D = 13 | Data is invalid (corrupt file) | Reset, then DISM and SFC |
| 0x80070070 | 0070 = 112 | Disk full | Free at least 20 GB |
| 0x800705B4 | 05B4 = 1460 | Timed out | Retry on a steady connection, unplug devices |
Other common ones: 0x800f0922 (couldn't reach the update servers, often a VPN or proxy, or the small system partition is full), 0x800f081f and 0x80073712 (damaged component store: run DISM).
Still failing?
- Windows 11: Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update > Reinstall now. It reinstalls the current version of Windows and keeps your files, apps and settings.
- Install the update by hand: note its KB number from Update history and download it from the Microsoft Update Catalog, or use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant for feature updates.
- If the PC is slow to start every time, the drive may be the real problem: see 100% disk usage and check your drive's health.
Related
Laptop won't turn on · 100% disk usage · Move Windows to an SSD · New SSD not showing up
Questions
How long should a Windows update take?
Monthly updates usually take 2-20 minutes. Yearly feature updates can take 20 minutes on a fast SSD and 1-2 hours on an older laptop with a hard drive, often sitting on one percentage for a long time.
Is it safe to turn off my PC during "Working on updates"?
Only once it has truly stopped: no change and no drive activity for 2-3 hours. Windows keeps the old version until the update is confirmed, so after a forced restart it usually finishes the update or rolls it back without losing files.
How do I stop the "Undoing changes made to your computer" loop?
Let the rollback finish, then pause updates in Settings > Windows Update. Free at least 20 GB, unplug extra drives, reset Windows Update (rename SoftwareDistribution and catroot2) and run DISM /RestoreHealth and sfc /scannow before trying again. If Windows won't start, use Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates.
Is it safe to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder?
Yes, once the Windows Update and BITS services are stopped. It only holds downloaded update files and the history list; Windows creates a fresh one and downloads what it needs again.
What does Windows Update error 0x80070070 mean?
Errors starting 0x8007 carry a normal Windows error in the last four hex digits. 0070 is 112, "disk full": free at least 20 GB of space and try again.
Published .