How to Fix “Windows Updates Stuck at 100” on Windows 11/10

Windows Updates Stuck at 100

Windows Update is a key part of the system to ensure smooth system performance. Windows 11/10 automatically downloads and installs important updates from Microsoft Server, but sometimes update installations get stuck or freeze when processing updates on Startup.

You may see the following message: “Working on update 100% complete. Don’t turn off your PC. This will take a while.” and you will be stuck on the Windows update screen. There are many reasons for the issue, but most of the time it caused by the conflicts with software or drivers.

Now, it’s time to see how to actually fix the “Windows update stuck at 100” issue with the below-listed troubleshooting guide.

It’s frustrating to encounter the “Windows stuck on update” error frustrating, but you should notice that your update probably isn’t stuck, and you’ll just have to wait for a while to complete the installation. If it is still stuck at the interface, you can try the methods below.

Method 1: Remove Any USB Peripherals

If your Windows update stuck at 100, the first thing you can try is to remove any external device connected to PC and make sure you also disconnect any device connected via USB like pen drives, mouse or keyboard, portable hard disk, etc.

Once you have successfully removed any USB peripherals, try to update the Windows again and check if the issue has been fixed or not.

Method 2: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

If you are still stuck on the screen, then you should restart your computer in Safe Mode before you do any operations. You can use Windows 11/10 recovery bootable media like a DVD/USB bootable drive to enter WinRE to enter into Safe Mode. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Insert your Windows installation CD/DVD or USB bootable drive to your computer, and start the computer.

Step 2: Enter the BIOS.

Step 3: Choose the DVD or USB flash drive as the first boot device and boot the Windows 11/10 PC from the device.

Step 4: Click Repair your computer to enter into WinRE successfully.

Now, you can continue to enter Safe Mode.

Step 1: From the Choose an option screen, click the Troubleshoot option. Next, click Advanced options.

Step 2: Click the Startup Settings option.

Step 3: Click the Restart button.

Step 4: Then you will see multiple options for startup. Press the F4 key to enable Safe Mode.

Now your PC will restart in Safe Mode. Then running Windows Update Troubleshooter is the easiest and fastest method to fix the “Windows update stuck at 100” error. Windows Update Troubleshooter is a built-in feature designed to fix Windows update errors.

Now you can follow the instructions step by step below to run Windows Update Troubleshooter:

Step 1: Type Settings in the Search box to open it.

Step 2: Choose Update & Security and then select Troubleshoot in the left panel.

Step 3: Click Windows Update under the Get up and running section in the right panel and then click Run the troubleshooter.

Step 4: It will start to detect the existing problems and you just need to wait for the process finished. Then click Apply this fix.

Step 5: Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the repair process.

Restart your computer and then check if the “working on updates 100 complete” issue still exists. If this method cannot fix the error, try the next methods.

Method 3: Rename SoftwareDistribution Folder

The next method for you is to rename the SoftwareDistribution folder. Here is how to do that:

Step 1: Type Command Prompt in the Search box, then right-click the first result to choose Run as administrator.

Step 2: Now type the following commands to stop Windows Update Services and then press Enter after each one:

net stop wuauserv

net stop cryptSvc

net stop bits

net stop msiserver

Step 3: Next, type the following command to rename SoftwareDistribution Folder and then press Enter:

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

Step 4: Finally, type the following commands to start Windows Update Services and press Enter after each one:

net start wuauserv

net start cryptSvc

net start bits

net start msiserver

Reboot your PC and check if the “working on updates 100” issue has gone.

Method 4: Perform a Clean Boot

Performing a clean boot can help you start Windows through a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, which can avoid software conflicts while installing Windows updates. In order to perform a clean boot, you need to do:

Step 1: Type msconfig in the Run box(pressing the Windows +R keys), and press Enter.

Step 2: Then go to the Services tab. Check the Hide All Microsoft Services box.

Step 3: Now, click the Disable all button, and click Apply to save the change.

Step 4: Navigate to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.

Step 5: In the Task Manager tab, select the first enabled application and click Disable. Here you need to disable all enabled applications one by one. After disabling all programs, close Task Manager and click OK.

Afterward, you can restart the computer to update Windows again. If the “working on updates 100% complete” error doesn’t occur when in a clean boot state, then it indicates that one of the programs was causing the error.

Method 5: Uninstall the Particular Update Causing the Issue

If the error still occurs, you can also try uninstalling the particular update that causes the issue. The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Open Control Panel. Click the Programs and Features section.

Step 2: From the left-hand menu, click View installed updates.

Step 3: Now right-click the particular update which is causing this problem and select Uninstall.

Restart your PC and the “Windows update stuck at 100” issue should be fixed.

Method 6: Run DISM in Safe Mode

You can also try running DISM, which allows you to repair corrupted system files. Please refer to the following steps:

Step 1: Type cmd in the Search box, then right-click the first result to choose Run as administrator.

Step 2: Type the following commands and press Enter after each one:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Step 3: Let the DISM command run and wait for it to finish. If the above commands won’t work, then try the commands below:

Dism /Image:C:\offline /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:\test\mount\windows

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:\test\mount\windows /LimitAccess

Reboot your PC and this should fix the “Windows stuck on update“ issue.

Method 7: Run Automatic Repair

If the working on updates 100 complete issue still occurs, you have to run Automatic Repair. I will show you how to run it step by step.

Step 1: Click Repair your computer in the bottom-left corner to enter WinRE.

Step 2: You need to click Troubleshoot in the popup window to continue.

Step 3: Click Advanced options to go to the next page.

Step 4: Choose the Startup Repair in the Advanced options screen and wait for the process to be completed.

Now, when the process is finished, you can restart your computer and run Windows update to check whether the working on updates 100 is solved.

Method 8: Perform System Restore in WinRE

If the previous methods don’t work, you should perform a system restore via WinRE. Here is how to do that:

Tip: Only if you have created a restore point in advance, you can try this method.

Step 1: Enter WinRE.

Step 2: You should click Troubleshoot in Choose an option, and then choose Advanced options.

Step 3: Choose System Restore in Advanced options.

Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restore.

Now, try to run Windows update and the issue should be fixed.

More useful solutions you can find by watching this video:

My Windows update was stuck at 100 and I didn’t know how to fix it. Thanks to this post, it helped me solve the issue. I’d like to share it with more friends.Click to Tweet

What to Do After Solving Windows Update Stuck at 100?

After solving the problem of Windows update stuck at 100%, you had better create a system image to restore your system when it crashes.

Referring to create a system image, it is highly recommended you to use MiniTool ShadowMaker – a piece of fantastic and professional backup software. It is pretty easy and safe to back up and restore your system.

In addition to backing up your operating system, you can also use MiniTool ShadowMaker to back up files and folders, disks and partitions. What’s better, you can use it for free within 30 days, so just download it and have a try.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Here are the instructions to create a system image with MiniTool ShadowMaker:

Step 1: Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker, then click Keep Trial.

Step 2: MiniTool ShadowMaker selects the source by default. Thus, you just need to choose the backup destination.

Step 3: Go to the Backup page. Click Back Up Now to start creating a system image.

Step 4: Wait for MiniTool ShadowMaker to finish backing up the operating system.

In order to keep my system safe, I make a backup of it successfully with MiniTool ShadowMaker. It helps me a lot!Click to Tweet

Final Words

To sum up, this post has introduced what causes the error of Windows update stuck at 100 and shown 8 solutions to fix it. If you come across the same issue, try these solutions. If you have any better solution to fix the issue, you can share it in the comment zone.

After fixing this problem, it is recommended you create a system image. If you have any problem when using MiniTool program, please feel free to contact us via the email support@minitool.com and we will reply to you as soon as possible.

Windows Updates Stuck at 100 FAQ