1. Restart Your Computer and Retry the Update
- Save your work and restart your PC.
- After reboot, go to Settings - Windows Update - Check for updates.
2. Run the System File Checker (SFC)
- Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:
sfc /scannow
- This scans and repairs missing or corrupted Windows files.
- Once completed, restart your system and retry the update.
3. Use the DISM Tool to Repair Windows Image
- Run these commands in Command Prompt (Admin) one by one:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- When done, restart your computer and try Windows Update again.
4. Delete the Pending.xml File
A corrupted or stuck pending.xml file can block updates.
- Open Command Prompt (Admin).
- Type the following commands:
net stop trustedinstaller
del %windir%\winsxs\pending.xml
- If you receive an access denied message, rename it instead:
ren %windir%\winsxs\pending.xml pending.old
- Then restart your computer and retry updates.
5. Reset Windows Update Components
- Run these commands in Command Prompt (Admin):
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
- This forces Windows to recreate a fresh update environment.
6. Repair the Component Store Using PowerShell
- Open PowerShell (Admin) and execute:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth
- After the repair completes, restart your PC and run the update again.
7. Check for Disk Errors
- Open Command Prompt (Admin) and type:
chkdsk C: /f /r
- Press Y when prompted, then restart your PC to let the disk scan run.
8. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
- Go to Settings - System - Troubleshoot - Other troubleshooters.
- Select Windows Update - Run.
- Apply the recommended fixes and restart your system.
9. Manually Install the Pending Update
If updates still fail through Windows Update:
- Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
- Search for the KB number of the failed update.
- Download and install it manually.