How To Fix Windows 10 Update Problems Easily (2024) Windows 10 Not Updating

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Fix Windows 10 Update Problems.

This Windows 10 guide will show you some expert fixes to try and resolve any issues you may be having with Windows 10 updates not working on your PC or laptop.

Windows updates are an essential part of maintaining a secure and optimized operating system. The updates are designed to do a variety of things such as enhancing system performance, fixing bugs, and patching any known security vulnerabilities.

Why has my Windows update failed?

Regularly installing Windows updates ensures that your PC or laptop stays up to date with the latest features and improvements, helping to make your computer smoother and give you a better experience.

Every now and again Windows 10 just decides it does not want to install the latest updates and this could be down to many reasons.

It could be your security software installed on your Windows 10 system blocking important files for the update to run. Update problems could also be caused by recently installed drivers that are not compatible or a system file that has become corrupted! It could be just as simple as you are not signed in as a Windows 10 administrator and this is causing the problem.

Tips to resolve when Windows 10 won’t update

Below are different methods to fix Windows 10 updates not working. By following these tips and troubleshooting tools, you will hopefully be able to overcome any update-related challenges and keep your Windows 10 system running smoothly and securely.

Fix 1: Run update troubleshooter

Windows 10 comes with a built-in troubleshooter that can automatically detect and fix common update problems.

Type troubleshoot in the start menu > Open Troubleshoot Settings

Go to Additional troubleshooting and select Windows update and run the troubleshooter

Fix 2: Disk Cleanup

Run a disk cleanup on your PC using the one built into Windows. This will help with cleaning any old temporary files that could be causing issues stopping Windows 10 from updating.

Open the Start Menu and type in Disk Cleanup and open it

Select your drive

Select Clean up System Files and select your Drive again

You can then also go through and choose which items to clean by checking the boxes and pressing OK > Then Delete Files

Windows 10 Disk Cleanup with delete files confirmation window.

Fix 3: Disable your Antivirus and Firewall

Try disabling the security that you may have installed on your PC or laptop as either of these could be causing you issues when trying to update Windows 10.

Fix 4: Turn off VPN

Turn off your VPN if you are using one.

Fix 5: Check Disk

Try running a check disk to see if any of the system files have become corrupted on your computer.

Open File Explorer > Go to This PC and Right-click on the C: Drive

Go to Properties > Tools

Click on ‘Check‘ underneath error checking

Select Scan Drive and then fix any errors and then go ahead and Restart your PC

Scan drive in Windows 10 error checking

Fix 6: Restart the Windows Update Service

To stop the service open Command Prompt and type in the following command:

net stop wuauserv

Press enter

Type in net stop bits and press enter

Then to start the Windows update service again type in:

net start wuauserv and press enter

Type in net start bits > Press enter

Fix 8: Clear the software distribution folder

Open File Explorer and go to the following location:

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

Delete everything in this folder, or you can always rename the software distribution folder if you don’t want to delete it.

Fix 9: Re-register DLLs

Try reregistering your .Dll files back to your system.

Type in the following code in Command Prompt and press Enter

for %i in (%windir%\system32\*.dll) do regsvr32.exe /s %i

Windows Command Prompt entering code to re-register .dll files

After trying these fixes you can try and run the Windows updates again.

Final Thoughts

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the most common Windows 10 update problems. Remember to keep your system up to date to ensure optimal performance, security, and access to the latest features.

If all the above fixes fail then it may just be you need to reinstall Windows 10 by doing a fresh install. The upside of doing this is it’s always good to do a fresh installation as it will remove any old rubbish on your PC / laptop and speed it up

Check out our YouTube video here on How To Fix Update Issues In Windows 10.

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