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
    2015-08-08T02:34:53+00:00

    I have been unable to get a complete windows update in my Win 8.1 system for over 18 months. I've tried all kinds of suggestions from people on this forum and none of them has resulted in a clean update. Occasionally, I've been able to get one or two updates in if I select them singly.  Then it turns to **** again. Guess I won't be able to get Windows 10 because my system is definitely not up to date.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-08-08T01:16:30+00:00

    I made  a reply earlier, but apparently Microsoft would rather ignore what works, so I I will repeat just once last time, actually, I will reiterate and then make a caveat/observation. 

    If impossible enough to  look up my prior response so sorry ...

    But in that history I stated the workaround that worked, What amazes me is the the fact that after all of this time they don't appear to even remotely get it, what is the purpose of this forum, and all of this information if MVP and such and Microsoft clearly don't have a clue even after all of this time.

    This is crazy really, If you can't see my reply to the fix, sorry but just had to make a comment.

    For MSOFT, really? Stand on head , take a break, life sucks, is a solution to something so basic and to do with updates? seriously? shame on you. The End.

    Translated ... send us info, it still won't help, and we really don't care/understand,. but makes us look like we're doing something of no correction/use ... the end. Oh, BTW, did you reboot reinstall? Because seriously we really don't get it, it was by design lol ... good luck ...

    Request: design a system, that actually is smart enough to understand enough at least to state why things don't work, oops there I go ... rocket science ... lol Seriously? Best case... trap ... blue screen say ... sucks being you is good design?

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-08-07T23:28:04+00:00

    I had the same problem. After I had gotten the new windows 10 Update I went to "Settings" and then the new "Update & Security" and In the "Windows Update" section I clicked the "Check for updates" It showed for the longest time that it was "Downloading Updates 0%. What I did was left the window open and got online and tried to contact support through chat. After I had sat and waited for nearly and hour I glanced over and noticed that the updates had started to download. So my suggestion is to just open the update window and let it sit for a while and when you come back you may find the updates ready to be install and then all you need to do is restart you computer as usual.

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