How to Fix Windows 11 Updates Are Underway Stuck | 8 Ways

Making a Windows 11 update helps to keep your system safe by ensuring it has the latest security features. When updating your operating system, it's possible to get stuck along the way. This is common and shouldn't worry you much. This tutorial from EaseUS outlines how to fix the "Windows 11 updates are underway stuck" issue.

We will start by looking at the common issues leading to the problem. From there, you'll learn about eight fixes you can apply to address the Windows update stuck issue. It doesn't matter if your Windows 11 update stuck at 100%, 87%, 66%, or 0% since we've got you covered. Read on.

Why Updates Are Underway Stuck Windows 11

The "Updates are underway" issue may appear due to several reasons. Some of the common causes of this problem include the following:

Ensure you address these issues to prevent the "Windows 11 updates are underway stuck". The next section will discuss ways you can fix this issue.

If you find the Windows update stuck on restarting, you can refer to the following article for help.

How to Fix 'Windows 11 Stuck on Updates Are Underway'

The fixes to the Windows 11 update stuck issue range from simple to more complex. It's important to try out all the fixes to establish the one that fixes your problem. The fixes discussed in this section are well-described and easy to follow. Now, let's talk about each fix in detail.

1. Fix 1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del
2. Fix 2. Hard Reset PC
3. Fix 3. Run SFC Scan
4. Fix 4. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
5. Fix 5. Rename SoftwareDistribution Folder
6. Fix 6. Run Automatic Startup Repair
7. Fix 7. Perform a System Restore
8. Fix 8. Reset This PC

Fix 1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del

The Windows update process usually occurs in phases. Sometimes, the system may get stuck since the next phase requires you to log in to Windows again to complete the installation process. To confirm if that was the issue, press "Ctrl+Alt+Del" on your keyboard, then log in to your computer as normal. This will likely fix the problem; otherwise, you can proceed to the next fix.

Fix 2. Hard Reset PC

If the update process has stuck for a long time, the second fix is to hard reboot your device. This will always help to fix the frozen process. Follow the steps below to hard reset your Windows 11 PC if it got stuck on updates:

Step 1. Press and hold the power button until your Windows PC powers off (you'll confirm this if the lights on this button go off).

Step 2. Give it about 30 seconds, then power it on again. From there, the update process will likely continue to completion.

Fix 3. Run SFC Scan

Running the SFC scan command helps to detect possible file errors and fix them. The command scans your entire OS to identify those files preventing your system from updating successfully. You'll need to access Command Prompt to run an SFC scan.

Step 1. Go to the search bar and type cmd to open Command Prompt and run it as an administrator.

Step 2. When the Command Prompt window opens, type sfc /scannow and hit "Enter".

Step 3. The above command will initiate a system scan on your computer. Stay patient until the process finishes. If successful, you'll have the Windows 11 update issue fixed.

Fix 4. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

Running an update troubleshooter helps the system to identify possible errors preventing your Windows OS from updating. The troubleshooter will check the status of your update, repair update components, and check for pending install updates. You can run a Windows update troubleshooter using the following steps:

Step 1. Open "Settings" on your Windows 11 PC and click on "System".

Step 2. Next, click on "Troubleshoot" and then "Other Troubleshooters".

Step 3. Navigate to the "Windows Update" section and click the "Run" button. This allows the update troubleshooter to run on your computer and identify any possible issues affecting the update process. Once the troubleshooter finds the errors, it will guide you on how to fix them.

If the post did help you with the issue, don't forget to share it with your friends and family!

Fix 5. Rename SoftwareDistribution Folder

The SoftwareDistribution folder temporarily stores your Windows update files. If this folder is broken or has encountered some issues, it may affect the update process. The best fix is to rename it. Follow the steps below to do that:

Step 1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator, then type the following string of commands. Ensure you press the "Enter" key after typing each command:

• net stop wuauserv
• net stop cryptSvc
• net stop bits
• net stop msiserver

Step 2. Next, type the following command and hit "Enter" to rename the SoftwareDistribution folder:

Ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

Step 3. You can restart your Windows updates once the above command has run successfully. You can achieve that by typing the following string of commands and hitting "Enter" after each:

• net start wuauserv
• net start cryptSvc
• net start bits
• net start msiserver

You can now confirm if the update process has resumed.

Fix 6. Run Automatic Startup Repair

If your PC has failed to boot normally after an unsuccessful update, you can run a startup repair to fix things. Below are the steps to run a startup repair to fix the "Windows 11 updates are underway stuck" issue.

Step 1. Boot your computer to WinRE using a bootable media.

Step 2. Next, click on "Troubleshoot" and go to "Advanced options".

Step 3. Next, click on the "Startup Repair" option. The system will run this troubleshooter and fix the issues preventing Windows from loading.

Fix 7. Perform a System Restore

Performing a system restore helps to revert your computer to its working state before the Windows update stuck issue. You can perform a system restore if you had created a system restore point before you started Windows 11 updates. Below is how you can perform a system restore:

Step 1. Launch Command Prompt as an admin. Type rstrui.exe in the command line and hit "Enter". This allows you to go to the System Restore window.

Step 2. Click on the "Next" button and select a restore point. Next, follow the onscreen instructions to start restoring your PC.

Step 3. Once your computer restarts, try to install the pending Windows 11 updates. This will possibly fix the Windows update stuck issue.

Fix 8. Reset This PC

If the solutions mentioned above have not fixed the "stuck on the updates" issue, another viable option is to reset the device. Resetting will clear all the settings, and then reinstall Windows on your computer. This fix is the surest way to fix any issues preventing your operating system from working normally.

You'll have the option to keep or delete all personal files. Follow the steps below to reset your PC and fix the "Windows 11 updates are underway stuck" issue:

Step 1. Go to the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and click "Troubleshoot".

Step 2. Next, click on the "Reset this PC" option. In the "Choose an option screen", you'll have the option to "Keep my files" or "Remove everything". Select your preferred option to move to the next step.

Step 3. Depending on where your Windows ISO file gets located, you can select to either perform a "Cloud download" or "Local reinstall". Next, follow the onscreen instructions to complete resetting your PC. Since this process could take some time, you must stay patient.

Step 4. Once your PC has finished resetting, you can log in afresh. Your device will now work normally. You can try updating Windows 11 again to check if the errors have disappeared.

Bonus Tip: Backup Your Computer Before Updating Windows 11

When updating Windows 11, it's possible to encounter errors that may affect the safety of your data. As a precaution, we advise that you back up your data first. One of the best software you can use to securely back up your Windows PC data is EaseUS Todo Backup, a name that has to be mentioned in the backup and recovery field.

With this tool, you can access your data even when Windows fails since it has an efficient backup and restore feature. In just a few clicks, EaseUS Todo Backup allows you to back up your files to the cloud, the network, NAS, an external hard drive, local drives, etc.

The main features of EaseUS Todo Backup:

• Bootable backup and recovery.
• Creating system image on USB.
• Multi-path backup storage.
• Simple backup management.
• Enhanced backup efficiency.
• Creating schedule backup.

After you download and install EaseUS Todo Backup on your computer, follow the guide below to back up your PC.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Todo Backup on your computer, and click Create Backup on the home screen and then hit the big question mark to select backup contents.

Step 2. To back up your Windows operating system, click "OS" to begin the backup task.

Step 3. Your Windows operating system information and all system related files and partitions will be automatically selected so you don't need to do any manual selection at this step. Next, you'll need to choose a location to save the system image backup by clicking the illustrated area.

Step 4. The backup location can be another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, network, cloud or NAS. Generally, we recommend you use an external physical drive or cloud to preserve the system backup files. 

Step 5. Customiztion settings like enabling an automatic backup schedule in daily, weekly, monthly, or upon an event, and making a differential and incremental backup are available in the Options button if you're interested. Click "Backup Now", and the Windows system backup process will begin. The completed backup task will display on the left side in a card style.

Final Thoughts

You may encounter the "Windows 11 updates are underway stuck" issue because of issues like unstable internet, faulty drivers, software conflicts, power interruption, or corrupted update files. To address these issues and fix the update error, ensure you apply the fixes discussed in this article.

Also, remember to save your data using EaseUS Todo Backup before updating Windows 11. This data backup and restore software guarantees the safety and availability of your data. To start using EaseUS Todo Backup today, ensure you download and install the software to your PC.

FAQs on Windows 11 Updates Are Underway Stuck

Below are common questions about the "Windows 11 updates are underway stuck" problem.

1. Why Is Windows Installation Taking So Long?

Although a Windows installation takes time, it shouldn't last too long. When that happens, it could result from underlying issues like slow internet, conflicting programs, driver errors, or corrupted update files. Ensure you check on these issues before resuming the Windows installation process.

2. What to Do If Windows Update Is Stuck?

If your Windows update gets stuck, you can try out the following fixes:

• Hard reset PC.
• Run Windows update troubleshooter.
• Run automatic startup repair.
• Run SFC scan.
• Reset PC.

Go to the previous sections of this article to get detailed steps of how these methods work. Ensure you back up your data using EaseUS Todo Backup before you try resetting your PC.

3. Why Is the Windows 11 Update Stuck on 100 Downloading?

Windows 11 may get stuck on 100% downloading if your internet connection is unstable. This may also happen because of power interruption. Ensure you check on these issues for the update process to complete.