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
    2015-07-08T15:43:13+00:00

    I tried this and it seemed to work until the download reached 40% at which point it stalled. Let it run overnight and still nothing. This morning I tried installing one update at a time. Each one I selected to install showed some percentage of down load completion, a number at 99%. One update did install but one hung and hung the task manager as well. I re-booted and the computer hung at installing one of one. Did a brute force stop and re-started. I guess i'm giving up on getting Windows update to work. I've only been able to get a few updates in the last eighteen months. Just wonder if this means that I won't be able to get the Windows 10 upgrade. I know I won't be able to get a reservation. I'd do a clean install if I had anything to install from.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-06-10T21:28:45+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?

    Faore Kuran's suggestions worked great on a Win 7 PC.  Had a few times that the Application Experience Service would restart, so then I disabled it to stop that, and after a restart it allowed me to clean out the Windows\Software Distribution Folder.  May have to keep tweaking the Services:  Windows Updates and/or Application Experience to keep them turned off while you empty the Software folder, but it did fix the problem.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-05-21T21:44:16+00:00

    After unsuccessfully trying the Microsoft Fix-It Tool, I found and applied your fix.

    Once Windows Update started checking for updates, it took a while (maybe 8 mins.) before anything showed up, but the updates did show up and are successfully downloaded and installing as I write this.  Thank you!

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