Windows update will not download updates - stuck at 0% downloading

Anonymous
2010-04-17T03:45:39+00:00

Everytime I start windows update it won't download the updates. The bar keeps on running but nothing downloads and the percentage stays at 0%.

Whats wrong? Anything I can do to fix this?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Windows update

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Anonymous
2011-11-10T19:59:39+00:00

I found a solution to my problem when Windows would search for updates, but then when it started downloading it would stay at 0% forever. I started by stopping the Windows Update service (in my case the service proved to be frozen so I restarted my computer and disabled the service before it starts) and the Application Experience service. After that I went to the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder and pressed ctrl+a and shift+delete to empty its contents. Mine contained more than 70,000 files so it took a while. I started Application Experience and enabled Windows Update. I let it check for updates and try to download them. It worked perfectly.

Do not worry about deleting important windows files in this case. The contents of SoftwareDistribution is used as a cache and data for Windows Update. When Windows Update starts again it rebuilds the cache repopulating it with up-to-date versions of the files and chewing up a ton of harddisk space again.

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Anonymous
2010-04-23T13:09:40+00:00

sash123,

    If this issue is still happening, then take a look at article: Vista Update stops at stage 3 of 3 

Then let us know the results.

*** edited

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-05-05T00:07:35+00:00

    Wow! Who would have thought that would make a difference. I had the same problem ,wouldn't download updates for Windows 7 64 bit. I read your post and updated Java and now updates work perfect. Thanks

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-04-27T11:11:32+00:00

    It didn't fix my main problem, which is that I can't download Windows Updates in Vista.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-04-19T16:01:47+00:00

    Went to the link for KB3145739 and it was totally confusing. A whole lot of talk and no simple link to download that install. Could not figure out what the page was trying to do. One more problem Microsoft creates and then takes up a whole ton of my valuable time trying to solve.

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