Downloading updates stuck at 0% complete.

Hi Godof,

Thank you for posting the question in Microsoft Community forums.

From the issue description, you are facing issues with installing Windows Update and downloading updates stuck at 0% complete.

In order to provide you with a quick resolution, please reply to these questions:

1.       Does the issue occur with particular update?

2.       Have you made any changes on the computer prior to the issue?

Follow the suggestions listed below for a possible fix:

Method 1: You can run the windows update troubleshooter and check if it helps:

Open the Windows Update troubleshooter

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Open-the-Windows-Update-troubleshooter

Method 2: You may follow steps from the article mentioned below and check.

Unable to install updates in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2

 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2509997

Note: This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. How to back up and restore the registry in Windows:

 http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Back-up-the-registry

Warning: Microsoft does not recommend interrupting the CHKDSK process. Microsoft does not guarantee the integrity of the disk if the CHKDSK program is interrupted. For safety you can back up your data before using the check disk command.

Method 3: I would suggest you to follow steps from the article mentioned below and check:

Error: Failure configuring Windows updates. Reverting changes. Do not turn off your computer when you try to install Windows Updates

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358/en-us

Hope this information helps. If you need any assistance on Windows please revert back will be happy to help you.

 I am using Windows 7 64 bit .

14 updates need to be downloaded but every time I attempt to download them, windows sticks at  "Downloading Updates" and never moves above 0%.

 

I have even left the computer on overnight but it still fails to update.

I have disabled my anti virus, checked the memory, the hard drive, updated my device drivers to the latest versions, run ccleaner on the registry, but still no joy. Can anyone help?

 

I have also run Mocrosoft "Fix it" but this just hangs at "Resolving issues". I left this all night just in case but to no avail.

 

Thankyou for your reply,

Even if I pick ust one update at a time. Windows always gets stuck at 0% no matter which update I try.

I have tried empying the contencts of c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution and restarting the machine in a cleanboot state.  Windowsthen finds the updates it requires but always failes to actually download any of them.

Thankyou for your reply,

 

Even if I pick ust one update at a time. Windows always gets stuck at 0% no matter which update I try.

 

I have tried empying the contencts of c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution and restarting the machine in a cleanboot state.  Windowsthen finds the updates it requires but always failes to actually download any of them.

Even if you KNOW you have done a part - do it again, as given.
 

Check for malware:

Download, install, run, update and perform full system scans with the following two applications:

• MalwareBytes (FREE)
• SuperAntiSpyware (FREE)

Removing everything they find. Rebooting when needed. (You can uninstall one or both when done.)

Then perform an online scan with the eSet Online Scanner. Remove whatever is found.

Reboot.
 

Get the System Update Readiness Tool (save it) for your system architecture and right-click on it and "Run as Administrator".

• All supported x64-based (64-bit) versions of Windows 7

Let it run/fix things.

Reboot.

Try updating.

If it is still failing, attempt this next:

Reset your Windows Update Components with this FixIt:
How do I reset Windows Update components?

Reboot.

Try updating.

If it still fails, try this...

1. Start an elevated command prompt.
   
2. Run the following commands hitting enter after each line:
   
   net stop wuauserv
   cd %systemroot%
   ren SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   net start wuauserv
   
   
3. Reboot
   
4. Try updating.

**Important** The following issues occur when you do this:

• Updates that are currently downloaded but that have not yet been installed have to be downloaded again by using Windows Update or Microsoft Update.
• When you delete the Software Distribution folder, your download history is removed.
• If you currently receive updates from Microsoft Update and from Windows Update, you will have to re-select this option from the Windows Update Web site.

**Note** If the issue is resolved and you can successfully download and install updates, you can safely delete the SoftwareDistribution.old directory to recover disk space.

STILL failing? We have something else to try...

Use this FixIt:
How to obtain the latest version of the Windows Update Agent

Reboot.

Register the WU components:

1. Start an elevated command prompt.
2. Run the following commands hitting enter after each line:
   
   regsvr32 Jscript.dll
   regsvr32 wuapi.dll
   regsvr32 wuaueng.dll

Reboot.

Try updating.
 

If it still fails after that - repeat this part ONCE more...

Reset your Windows Update Components with this FixIt:
How do I reset Windows Update components?

Reboot.

Try updating.
 

Come back and let everyone know how you faired.

Thankyou Shenan for your very comprehansive reply.

I have run Malwarebytes, Superantispyware and the eSet online scanner.

some Adware was found and removed.

I have downloaded and saved the System Update Readiness Tool.

I had some trouble downloading the system rediness update, but now it has downloaded and installed.

Still no joy downloading other updates.. I will carry on as you suggested and post back here.

I eventually managed to download the system readiness tool. It did not find anything.

I continued to "reset windows updates components" which I am trying manually as fixit just hangs.

I could not get to wuauserv service to stop on my pc. So i tried a cleanboot and did not start the windows update service. When I continued to try and delete the qmgr files , I could not as they "were being used by another process" even though wuauserv is not running, see following text from my command prompt window:

C:\Windows\system32>net stop bits
The Background Intelligent Transfer Service service is not started.

More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3521.

C:\Windows\system32>net stop wuauserv
The Windows Update service is not started.

More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3521.

C:\Windows\system32>Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Do
wnloader\qmgr*.dat"
C:\ProgramData\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr0.dat
The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
C:\ProgramData\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr1.dat
The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

Can you help with this?

I have the same problem here. Brand spankin' new computer.

After trying everything above in vain, looks like the problem is that you have to log in to your Live account from Internet Explorer (when I did this, it finally started to actually get somewhere). I had to set up local accounts (which don't seem to work for updates) for a business (since Win8 is not really biz friendly IMHO).

Received a secondhand Hard Drive on Saturday morning after deciding to purchase one after numerous problems trying to reinstall Win 7 on the previous one. Just couldn't get windows updates to work on it after trying to upgrade to Windows 10 which screwed my Laptop and main pc up.

I have had the same problem today on my Laptop, firstly checking updates went on and on and on, then after i cancelled it it stated i had 220 updates to go in when i tried it again.

Then downloading updates went on and on sticking on 0% and after about nearly 2 hours i cancelled this and on doing this it said i had 220 updates to install.

I clicked to install the updates and now as i type this, i have 220 updates running into my system.

Fingers and Toes crossed that i don't have anymore problems otherwise it will get a taste of the mighty Hammer.

:-))