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
    2016-12-10T17:57:58+00:00

    I'm having same problem but went from Windows 7 to Windows 10 this is a newer laptop and is freezing up also running slow.my updates stay at 0% as well.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-11-29T16:49:11+00:00

    MB

    mbulger;

    Actually some have been able to roll back a Win 10 update. I had to roll back twice, that works on Win 10, but I don't know how to select updates randomly.

    dano

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-11-28T19:31:14+00:00

    Yeah I left a perfectly good working and updating windows 7 machine in storage for 3 months. Quad core. It won't update at all. I'm predicting I can freash install and update until Nov. 28th 2016 but the update components will only break again. Solution for me, stop denying Microsoft has created windows-10 to future proof platform problems to keep  with the demand of today's technology. Why support something you move away from? Clearly they offer it to Windows 7 and Windows 8 users as a hey!!!!! Wake up!! We are focused on today not yesterday.

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