Windows 10 Update Taking Forever? Fix It Now!

Updated by

Tracy King 

Written by

Linda 

Updated on April 19, 2024

Please provide the list of languages you need translated into American English.

"Windows 11/10 Update Taking Forever Overview"

Windows 10 pushes many regular updates for better stability and performance, along with crucial updates mainly focused on bug fixes and new features. Windows 10 updates are quite routine and occur frequently, approximately twice a month. And here's the issue: you're facing that irritating situation again where Windows 10 updates are taking an eternity to download and install on your PC. How long does a Windows update usually take, and how can you bypass this lengthy waiting time?

How Long Does the Windows 11/10 Update Take

Between 10 and 20 minutes

It may take between 10 and 20 minutes to update Windows 10 on a modern PC with solid-state storage. The installation process may take longer on a conventional hard drive. Besides, the size of the update also affects the time it takes. Some updates are small, and you might not even notice them installing, others are massive and take a good chunk of time to install.

Read Also:

How to Fix Windows 11 Update Stuck at 100% | Full Guide

When upgrading to Windows 11, the update download process may become stuck at 100%. Fortunately, this guide provides effective and quick solutions to resolve the Windows 11 100% stuck issue.

Why Does Windows 11/10 Update Take So Long?

The duration of Windows updates can be influenced by multiple factors.

1. A slow internet connection or concurrent downloads
2. An old hard disk drive on your computer that is filled with data
3. Too many fragments causing a slow Windows 10 update
4. Microsoft's servers are overloaded with many users attempting to download simultaneously
5. Windows update components might be malfunctioning
6. The software might be interfering with the Windows update process

5 Effective Solutions for the Windows 11/10 Update Taking Too Long Issue

Are you seeing Windows 10 taking forever with every 2018 update? Like the most common blue screen loop that says "Getting Windows ready, don't turn off your computer"? Brace yourself, as your computer might be slowing down, becoming unresponsive, or freezing! Let's try the following methods to resolve the issue of slow Windows 10 updates: 1. **Check for Disk Space**: Ensure you have enough disk space for the update to proceed smoothly. Free up at least 16 GB on your primary drive. 2. **Pause Updates Temporarily**: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, then click "Pause updates for 7 days." This will give you time to troubleshoot. 3. **Run a Disk Cleanup**: Open File Explorer, right-click your main drive (usually C:), and select Properties. Click "Disk Cleanup," then "Clean up system files." This will remove temporary files and free up space. 4. **Disable Antivirus Software**: Some antivirus programs can interfere with updates. Temporarily disable it, but remember to re-enable it after the update. 5. **Update Drivers**: Outdated drivers can cause issues. Visit your hardware manufacturer's website to download the latest drivers. 6. **Windows Update Troubleshooter**: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Windows Update. Run the troubleshooter and follow its instructions. 7. **Manually Download the Update**: Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog website, search for the specific update, and download it manually. 8. **Reset Windows Update Components**: Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands: - `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` 9. **Boot in Safe Mode**: If all else fails, restart your PC in Safe Mode and try updating from there. 10. **Contact Microsoft Support**: If none of these steps help, reach out to Microsoft Support for further assistance. Remember, patience is key when dealing with updates, but these steps should help speed up the process.

Method 1: Optimize your network.

A faster internet connection might solve your problem and reduce the update time. You can upgrade to a fiber-optic connection or purchase more bandwidth from your internet service provider to increase speed. Alternatively, try using a bandwidth management tool to ensure adequate network resources are allocated for Windows 10 updates.

Method 2: Free up hard drive space by deleting large files and junk files.

Windows 10 updates frequently occupy a significant amount of hard drive space, necessitating sufficient free space to ensure a faster installation process. To achieve this, you need to remove junk files and unessential large files. If there is a substantial number of files to delete, manually doing so can be tedious and time-consuming. In such instances, utilizing cleanup software can be beneficial, as it automatically deletes a large quantity of files in one go.

Now, download this powerful disk management tool to resolve the slow Windows 10 update issue.

Step 1. Download and install the free tool Partition Master, then launch it on your Windows PC.

On the suite, hover your mouse on "PC Cleaner", click the Download icon to install and launch the CleanGenius tool.

Step 2. On CleanGenius, select "Cleanup" on the main screen, and click "Scan" to start scanning.

Step 3. When the scan is over, select the useless large files and click “Clean” to get rid of large files.

Step 4. When CleanGenius finishes cleaning the files you selected, click “Done” to complete the process.

If you think these solutions are not working, keep reading, and we'll provide more options. If this helps, feel free to share it with others who might need assistance.

Method 3: Use the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Aside from internal hardware issues, it's likely just system glitches that send your computer into a never-ending loop of a blue screen during a Windows 10 update.

Microsoft has a tiny program of its own called the Windows Update Troubleshooter that can fix broken components that might be hindering the update process.

Method 4: Disable Startup Programs That Conflict with the Update

You never know that third-party apps might conflict with the update simply because they happen to launch simultaneously. Along with apps, services and drivers can have a similar impact. Therefore, if you're confident that the issue isn't due to a poor internet connection or suboptimal hard drive performance, take this factor into account. You might want to attempt a clean boot of Windows 10 before trying to install the new update.

Step 1. Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2. Type msconfig in the Run box, and then click OK.

Step 3. In the System Configuration, click the "Services" tab.

Step 4. Check the box that says Hide all Microsoft services.

Step 5. Click "Disable all".

Step 6. Next, return and proceed with the Startup tab.

Click it to open the Task Manager.

Step 7. Click Open Task Manager.

Step 8. Click any suspicious startup program that might conflict with the update, and then click "Disable".

Disable startup programs that conflict with Windows 10 update

Repeat the previous step for all the startup programs in question.

Step 9. Close the Task Manager, and click "OK" in the System Configuration window.

Step 10. Restart your PC and try to get the update again.

Method 5. Schedule Updates for Low-Traffic Periods

Major Windows 10 updates with lengthy installations can happen anytime. But your internet connection may not be fast around the clock. You can disable automatic updates and schedule them for off-peak hours when your computers and office network are idle. Open the Windows Update window and specify the preferred time for installing updates.

Most of the time, people get Windows 10 unwillingly because Microsoft has an automatic update turned on by default on our computers. To prevent any problematic updates in the future, you can always try to disable Windows 10 update permanently.

By the way, if you encounter a slow boot or startup issue after updating Windows 10, you can find fixes on this page.

In sum

This tutorial illustrates how long a Windows 10 update takes and why the Windows 10 update is taking so long. The six most effective solutions provided can assist you in resolving issues of Windows 10 updates taking forever. Among these, freeing up storage space and defragmenting your hard drive are particularly useful. You can accomplish this task with the aid of the tool Partition Master Free.

This free disk management tool makes complex hard drive organization easier than ever, such as converting MBR to GPT during Windows installation, converting FAT to NTFS, changing a logical partition to primary or primary to logical, and more.

Windows 11/10 Update Taking Forever FAQs

1. How long does the Windows 10 update take in 2019?

Major updates to the Windows OS happen about every six months, with the most recent being the November 2019 Update. Major updates may take a bit longer. The typical installation for the regular version takes 7 to 17 minutes.

2. Why do Windows 10 updates take so long?

Why does Windows 10 update take so long? Windows 10 updates take a considerable amount of time to finish because Microsoft continually adds larger files and features to them. The major updates, released annually in the spring and fall, typically take around four hours or more to install. Additionally, the duration is influenced by factors such as limited available storage space, hard drive fragmentation, software conflicts, and others.

3. How can I stop a Windows 10 update that is currently in progress?

You can stop Windows 10 updates in progress in the services.

< strong > Step 1. < /strong> Open the Search windows box and type "Services" in Windows 10. Right-click on "Services" and select "Run as Administrator".

Step 3. Right-click "Windows Update," and from the context menu, select "Stop." Alternatively, you can click on the "Stop" link available under the Windows Update option in the top left corner of the window.

4. How long does it take to update Windows 10 version 1903?

It depends. The time can vary depending on the device and network conditions. Generally, installing Windows 10 1903 takes about 30 minutes. The setup process and subsequent reboots might happen multiple times. All in all, you should expect around an hour to finish upgrading to Windows 10 1903.

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