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
    2016-11-26T21:37:02+00:00

    As a workaround, install the updates responsible for this issue (by being offered to your installation) manually in advance. See:

    https://answers.microsoft.com/message/9366cc04-59d6-4b37-bee9-dffcdc7c602a

    Regards, VZ

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-11-28T08:09:13+00:00

    Microsoft has come up with a solution.  If you have a Windows 10 PC, you will notice two things:

    1. You cannot turn off updating.
    2. You always get "cumulative rollup" updates.  NO individually selectable updates.

    This achieves one big thing:  All PCs are updated to the same level all the time.  No weird permutations of individually selected updates.  No combinations of some new updates and some old updates.  All PCs in the same update state all the time.

    The time being taken for updates comes from trying to sort out all the dependencies and combinations possible.  I ran a normal "Check for Updates" last month and it took a day and half (36 hours) on a Core2 Duo PC.  One core was appeared to be running at near 100% during the entire process.

    So Microsoft has a fix.  They've done it for Windows 10.  Now people are complaining about the all or nothing approach to updating.  Can't win.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-11-28T18:54:08+00:00

    MB

    mbulger;

    I think you've got it right. I guess MS doesn't want us to keep older PCs.

    I noticed that, so I set Auto Update on my Vista, and now I get just one Security Essentials update randomly, just enough to run MSE.

    Thanks

    dano

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