The Windows 10 operating system requires constant updates to function properly. With every new patch Microsoft company improves the system in terms of security and also adds new functions to it. But Windows updates do not always go smoothly, and sometimes users have to deal with errors. After downloading the update operating system, the computer requires a traditional reboot for them to install and take effect. However, during the installation of updates after a reboot, the user may encounter one of the following errors:
Both of these errors make it clear that something went wrong during the system update process. In this article, we will look at what to do if these errors occur and how to fix them.
What to do if Windows Update can't complete
When a Windows update fails to complete, the user sees a message on the screen that changes made to the system will be rolled back. You just need to wait until the computer returns the system to the state it was in before installing the latest update.
However, it often happens that the message “We were unable to configure Windows updates"hangs for a long time or appears even after the computer automatically restarts. In such a situation, turn off the computer only as a last resort. It is recommended to wait until all changes are canceled. This may require more than one, not two, or even three system reboots. Sometimes cancellation changes made lasts for several hours.
Please note: The duration of undoing changes depends on many parameters, but, first of all, on the speed of work hard drive and the amount of information on it. For example, on laptops with slow hard drives, undoing a Windows update can take 5 hours or more.
How to complete a Windows update if an error occurs
It is not recommended to leave your computer without updating - this may cause errors in the future when trying to run applications, reduces the level of security and can lead to various problems. There are several options for what to do if you cannot configure Windows update, and we will discuss them below.
Delete the Windows 10 update cache
The first thing you need to try if you can’t configure Windows update is to clear the SoftwareDistribution folder, in which the operating system update cache accumulates, or delete the contents from it. Depending on the “behavior” of the computer, this will have to be done in different ways.
After performing the steps described above in the first or second way, make sure in the system settings that Windows downloads and installs the update without errors. Next, restart your computer for the update to be applied. Please note: If no more errors occur, you can delete the SoftwareDistribution.old folder, which contains an unnecessary update cache.
Checking your computer with diagnostic tools
If the method described above does not help fix the problem that is preventing you from completing a Windows update, you can try using the operating system's built-in diagnostic utilities. As with the solution to the problem above, the steps will depend on whether or not you can boot Windows.
If the computer finishes undoing the changes and allows the system to boot
If your computer does not complete undoing changes and keeps restarting
- Open the command line with bootable flash drive(the detailed process of how to do this is described above in the instructions for deleting the update cache);
- Write and apply the following command to reboot your computer in safe mode: bcdedit /set (default) safeboot minimal
- Once your computer is restarted in Safe Mode, run the commands to launch diagnostic tools through the command line. For this purpose in command line write one by one: msdt /id BitsDiagnostic msdt /id WindowsUpdateDiagnostic
- Next, enter the command to disable safe mode: bcdedit /deletevalue (default) safeboot
- After a reboot, the “We were unable to complete updates” error should no longer bother you.
Checking user profiles
Another reason for the “Update could not be completed” error on Windows 10 is a problem in the registry with user profiles. It can be eliminated in two ways. The simplest one is to do . A more complex option involves making changes to the registry yourself as follows:
Important: Before you begin deleting or changing registry settings, we recommend.
Other ways to fix the “We were unable to configure updates” error
If none of the methods above help fix the error that occurs when you try to install Windows updates, you can try the following steps.
Some users may encounter a situation where their operating system for some reason does not download system updates (both for the Windows OS itself and for its system components). This problem can have many reasons, ranging from failures of the update service to the lack of free space on the system disk. In this article I will tell you why Windows Update 7 does not download updates, what the problem is and how to fix it.
The essence of the problem “Windows Update 7 does not download updates”
So why doesn't Windows 7 Update download updates? The Update Center functionality may fail for the following reasons:
Having identified the reasons that cause problems with updating Windows 7, let's move on to options for solving them.
How to fix Windows Update dysfunction in Windows 7
So, what should you do if Windows 7 Update does not download updates? I suggest following the following series of tips:
net stop wuauserv
ren %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.OLD
net start wuauserv
After executing the commands, go to the Update Center and try to update the system yourself, perhaps this will help fix the problem “Windows 7 Update does not download updates.”
What to do if Windows 7 updates are not installed
Above I described a situation in which Windows 7 Update does not download updates, the reasons for this problem and how to solve it. In this situation, first of all, you should make sure that the corresponding update service is working, and also delete the update files in the cache. If these tools do not work, you should follow the entire set of tips I described; usually one of them will effectively fix the problem with the Update Center on your PC.
In contact with
Windows 7 OS, although it is an improved operating system compared to previous versions, it also constantly requires installing updates and service packs. And this can often cause many unforeseen problems. Now we will figure out why Windows 7 updates are not installed and what to do in this situation.
Why do you need a Windows update?
Many users of computer systems with Windows 7 (or any other operating system) do not even fully understand why a system update is required, believing that updates only relate to patching holes in the security system.
This is partly true, because almost every day many attackers find gaps in it, through which they penetrate into other people’s computers and do their dark deeds, from simply violating the integrity of the “operating system” and its correct functioning up to the theft of personal data ( confidential information) and bringing the system to a complete “crash” even with the deletion of files and folders.
On the other hand, constant updates concern all components of Windows and special platforms, when installed, it becomes possible to optimize the operation of the entire system as a whole. But there are some nuances and some subtleties here. Now we will look at the problem of why Windows 7 updates are not installed.
Problems with automatic updates
First you need to make sure that computer system The automatic update option is enabled as recommended by default, and there are no interruptions in the Internet connection.
In order to view this data, you just need to go to “Windows Update” and in the settings settings, check the line indicating the automatic update method. It may very well be that this option is simply disabled.
If, with this question, the updates are not installed again, Windows 7 updates can be installed manually, since the file responsible for the automatic update may be damaged.
Manual update
If there is a problem with automatic updating, you can try to perform it manually using the search function in the same “Update Center”, after which click on the button on the right “Install now”.
If the updates are installed, then the problem is really in the update file itself. What to do with this will be said a little later, but, apparently, disruptions in its operation may be associated with exposure to viruses or damage.
As for file corruption, the situation can be corrected by restoring the system, provided that such errors were not observed before. By the way, this problem is quite often observed in situations where Windows 7 SP1 updates are not installed. The first service pack is considered to be somewhat unfinished.
Error 643
It is also not uncommon to see problems when Windows 7 updates are not installed (error 643) due to problems in one of the main platforms of the system. This is Microsoft. NET Framework (this error refers specifically to this component).
Many users, either out of ignorance or out of habit, begin to update it in manual mode. But this is a mistake. The fact is that problems associated with it can really greatly affect automatic updates. There is only one way out: completely remove it from the system (at least from the “Programs and Features” section), then download the installation distribution latest version from the official Microsoft website, and only then install it on the system manually.
But it is advisable to carry out preliminary removal not using the “native” Windows uninstaller, but with some third-party utility that allows you to delete all residual files, as well as entries and keys in system registry in full. There are enough programs for this. For example, a fairly serious utility is iObit Uninstaller with a built-in function complete removal ForcedIninstall.
Error code 800b0100
Quite often, Windows 7 updates (code 800b0100) are not installed due to problems with Update Center in general.
IN in this case It is recommended to use automatic scanning and error correction utilities from Microsoft such as System Update Readiness Tool or Fix It. Both programs are very easy to use and allow you to find and fix problems automatically.
In most cases, this technique allows you to get rid of many problems, not even related to the inability to update the system. Mostly this concerns the second utility.
Disabling antivirus and firewall
But why are Windows 7 x64 updates not installed due to any restrictions from the antivirus or firewall?
Indeed, sometimes such situations can manifest themselves. It all depends on which antivirus is installed on the system. It may very well be that there is a conflict between the firewall and antivirus software.
Naturally, the update comes from a reliable source (we are not taking into account the impact of viruses with request redirection for now), therefore, they can simply be disabled during the update.
If after this the update proceeds normally, it is worth changing the antivirus or reconfiguring the firewall, adding the antivirus itself to the list of exceptions.
Viral infection
Now let's see what can be done when Windows 7 updates are not installed due to viruses or malicious codes. As mentioned above, some of them are capable of spontaneously setting a redirect (redirection) to another source in the Update Center when trying to access the update system.
It is clear that in this case you will have to conduct a full scan for threats, but it is advisable to enable the in-depth analysis mode. Of course, this will take more time (up to several hours), but then you can be firmly confident that all threats have been eliminated.
If such scanning does not help, you can use Rescue Disc utilities, launched before Windows starts. By the way, they are the ones that allow you to perform a much better scan than standard antiviruses.
Afterword
If all of the above methods do not help, and the problem remains, as a last resort, you can try to reinstall the system again, so to speak, with clean slate, or use the recovery console located on the original installation or recovery disk (Windows 7 Rescue Disc - not to be confused with anti-virus utilities).
The article will tell you why Windows 10 updates are not installed and how to get rid of the problem that arose during the operating system update process.
Microsoft said that there are no plans to release Windows 11 in the near future. Instead, changes will be made to the “ten”, released in the form of updates. As a result, the operating system over several years of development will be very different from Windows 10 released in the summer of 2015 in all respects: performance, functionality, appearance, possibilities.
Moreover, the user will not be able to refuse to receive innovations in the system. It can only briefly delay the download of updates that do not relate to OS security. And the option is available only in the professional and corporate versions; owners of the tens home edition will not even be able to delay downloading updates.
Only a registry editor, a tool for editing group policies, or third-party utilities that perform the corresponding manipulations with registry entries in one click will help you completely avoid installing updates in the “ten”.
Solution
Let's get straight to the topic of conversation.
Posted on the software giant's forum brief instructions to solve the problem: close the Update Center, wait at least 15 minutes, call the Windows 10 update tool again.
Checking for new updates.
After exiting the center, try restarting your computer, sometimes it helps.
To avoid manual checks for updates, go to “Advanced settings”.
Set the method for receiving updates to “Automatic (recommended)”.
2. Activate the service responsible for updates
Advanced users or people using pirated builds of "tens" encounter problems when updating the OS due to the fact that the Windows 10 update service is inactive. This is done to avoid problems with activation and to disable constant downloads and installation of incomprehensible operating system updates.
1. To enable the service, call the command interpreter using the Win+R combination, enter services.msc in the text form and execute the command with the “Enter” key or the “OK” button.
2. In the window with a list of services, find the service “Windows Update” or “ Windows Update"in some assemblies "tens".
3. Through context menu go to the “Properties” of the service.
4. In the “Startup Type” section, set the value to “Automatic” or “Manual” if you want to perform the update once.
5. Click on the “Run” button and close the windows, saving the adjustments made.
3. We use the capabilities of the tool for diagnosing and fixing system problems
1. Through the “Control Panel” or the search bar, launch the “Troubleshoot Windows 10 Update” tool.
3. Give the application administrator privileges.
When the scan is complete, a window will appear showing the results of the troubleshooter.
4. Close the window.
After this, it is advisable to restart the computer.
4. Let's use the problem-finding tool downloaded from the Microsoft resource
- We are looking for a tool for detecting and troubleshooting problems with the “dozens” on the Microsoft website and downloading it.
- Launch the utility and click “Next” after selecting the problem.
As a result of the application, the detected problems will be corrected.
5. Other problems
Among the other factors that cause problems with “tens” updates are:
- absence free space on the system partition;
- occupied by cache update files loaded with errors;
- blocking Internet access by firewall.
Operating system updates are necessary to keep it in optimal condition for comfortable work. In Windows 10, the update process itself requires virtually no user interaction. All important changes in the system that relate to safety or ease of use take place without the direct participation of the user. But there is a possibility of problems occurring in any process, and Windows updating is no exception. In this case, human intervention will be necessary.
Problems updating the Windows 10 operating system
A variety of problems may arise when installing updates. Some of them will be expressed in the fact that the system will immediately require updating again. In other situations, the error will interrupt the current update process or prevent it from starting. In addition, an interrupted update may even lead to undesirable consequences and require a system rollback. If your update doesn't complete, do the following:
And now that your system is safe, it’s worth finding out what was causing the problems and trying to correct the situation.
Update unavailable due to antivirus or firewall
Any installed antivirus If the settings are incorrect, it can block the Windows update process. The easiest way to check is to simply disable this antivirus while checking. The shutdown process itself depends on your antivirus program, but usually this is not difficult.
Almost any antivirus can be disabled via the tray menu
Disabling the firewall is another matter entirely. Of course, you shouldn’t disable it forever, but you may need to pause it to install the update correctly. To do this, do the following:
- Press Win+X to open the Quick Access Toolbar. There, find and open the “Control Panel” item.
Select Control Panel from the Quick Access Menu
- Among other Control Panel items is “Windows Firewall”. Click on it to open its settings.
Open Windows Firewall in Control Panel
- On the left side of the window there will be various settings for this service, including the ability to disable it. Select it.
Select "Turn on or off" Windows Firewall" in its settings
- In each section, set “Disable Firewall” and confirm the changes.
For each network type, set the radio button to "Disable Firewall"
After disconnecting, try updating Windows 10 again. If it is successful, it means that the reason was indeed the restriction of network access for the update program.
Unable to install update due to lack of space
The update files must be downloaded to your computer before installation. Therefore, you should never fill your hard drive space to capacity. If the update was not downloaded due to lack of space, you need to free up space on your drive:
- First of all, open the Start menu. There is a gear icon there that you need to click on.
From the Start menu, select the gear symbol
- Then go to the "System" section.
IN Windows settings open the “System” section
- There, open the “Storage” tab. In "Storage" you can track how much space you have free on which disk partition. Select the partition on which you have Windows installed, because this is where updates will be installed.
Go to the “Storage” tab in the system partition
- You'll get detailed information about what exactly is occupied by space on the hard drive. Review this information and scroll down the page.
You can study what your HDD, via "Storage"
- Temporary files can take up a lot of space and can be deleted directly from this menu. Select this section and click "Delete temporary files."
Find the “Temporary files” section and delete them from “Storage”
- Most likely, most of your space is taken up by programs or games. To remove them, select the “Programs and Features” section in the panel Windows management 10.
Select Programs and Features from Control Panel
- Here you can select all the programs you do not need and remove them, thereby freeing up space for updating.
Using the Uninstall or Change Programs utility, you can remove unnecessary applications
Even a major Windows 10 update shouldn't require too much free space. However, for the correct operation of all system programs It is advisable to leave at least twenty gigabytes free on a hard or solid-state drive.
Video: instructions for clearing space on your hard drive
Windows 10 updates won't install
It's good if the cause of the problem is known. But what if the update downloads successfully but fails to install without any errors. Or even the download does not go well, but the reasons are also unclear. In this case, you should use one of the methods to correct such problems.
Fixing problems with updating through the official utility
Microsoft has developed special program for one task - fixing any problems with Windows updates. Of course, this method cannot be called completely universal, but the utility can really help you in many cases.
To use it, do the following:
- Open the Control Panel again and select the “Troubleshooting” section there.
Open Troubleshooting in Control Panel
- At the very bottom of this section you will find the option “Troubleshooting problems using Windows Update.” Click on it with the left mouse button.
At the bottom of the Troubleshoot window, select Troubleshoot using Windows Update
- The program itself will start. Go to the "Advanced" tab to make some settings.
Click on the "Advanced" button on the first screen of the program
- You should definitely choose to run with administrator rights. Without this, such a check will most likely be of no use.
Select "Run as administrator"
- And then press the “Next” button in the previous menu.
- The program will automatically search for certain problems in Windows Update. The user is only required to confirm their correction in the event that a problem is actually discovered.
Wait until the program detects certain problems
- Once the diagnostics and corrections are completed, you will receive in a separate window detailed statistics about bugs fixed. You can close this window and after restarting the computer, try to update again.
You can review the fixed issues in the diagnostic completion window
Manually downloading Windows 10 updates
If all your problems are related exclusively to Windows Update, then you can download the update you need yourself. There is an official update catalog specifically for this opportunity, from where you can download them:
Make sure updates are enabled on your computer
Sometimes a situation may arise that there are no problems. It's just that your computer is not configured to automatically receive updates. Check it:
Windows update version kb3213986 is not installed
Cumulative update package version kb3213986 was released in January of this year. It includes many fixes, such as:
- fixes problems connecting multiple devices to one computer;
- improves background work system applications;
- eliminates many Internet problems, in particular problems with browsers Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Explorer;
- many other fixes that improve system stability and fix bugs.
And, unfortunately, errors may also occur when installing this update package. First of all, if the installation is unsuccessful, Microsoft experts advise deleting all temporary update files and downloading them again. This is done as follows:
Another reason for problems with this update is outdated drivers. For example, old driver motherboard or other equipment. To check this, you should open the “Device Manager” utility:
- To open it, you can use the Win+R key combination and enter the command devmgtmt.msc. After that, confirm the entry and the device manager will open.
Enter the command devmgtmt.msc into the Run window
- In it you will immediately see devices for which drivers are not installed. They will be marked with a yellow symbol with exclamation mark or will be signed as unknown device. Be sure to install drivers for such devices.
Select automatic search updated drivers in the next window
- If more than one is found for the driver a new version, it will be installed. Repeat this process for each of your system devices.
After all this, try installing the update again, and if the problem was in the drivers, then you will no longer encounter this update error.
Problems with March Windows updates
March 2017 also saw some issues with updates. And if you can't install some of the versions now, check to see if they were released in March. Thus, the update to version KB4013429 may not want to be installed at all, and some other versions will cause errors in the operation of the browser or video playback programs. In the worst case scenario, these updates can cause serious problems with your computer.
If this happens, then you need to restore the computer. It's not that hard to do:
Your best bet is to simply not install unstable builds. There are now many versions of Windows that do not contain critical errors, and the likelihood of problems occurring during their installation is much less.
Video: Fixing various Windows 10 update errors
How to avoid problems when installing a Windows update
If you encounter problems updating frequently, then you may be doing something wrong yourself. Make sure to avoid common Windows 10 upgrade pitfalls:
Usually the cause of the problem is on the user's side. Following these simple tips, you can avoid critical situations with new Windows updates.
The Windows 10 operating system has stopped updating
After some errors appear in the update center, the operating system may refuse to update again. This means that even if you fix the cause of the problem, you will not be able to update again.
Sometimes the update error appears over and over again, preventing you from installing it
In this case, it is necessary to use diagnostics and recovery system files. You can do this as follows:
Video: What to do if Windows 10 updates won't download
Windows 10 updates often contain important security changes for this system. Therefore, it is important to know how to install them if automatic method failed. Knowledge different ways The update bug fixes will come in handy for the user sooner or later. And even though Microsoft tries to make new builds of the operating system as stable as possible, the likelihood of errors remains, and accordingly, you need to know how to solve them.