Windows 10 does not update. Additional ways to fix the error

One of common problems Windows users 10 - message “We were unable to configure Windows updates. Changes are being rolled back" or "We were unable to complete the updates. Cancel changes. Do not turn off the computer" after restarting the computer to finish installing updates.

This manual provides details on how to fix the error and install updates in this situation. different ways. If you have already tried a lot, for example, methods related to cleaning the SoftwareDistribution folder or diagnosing problems with Windows 10 Update, below in the guide you can find additional, little described options for solving the problem.

Note: If you see the message “We were unable to complete the updates. Cancel changes. Do not turn off the computer" and watch it in currently time, while the computer reboots and again shows the same error and you don’t know what to do - don’t panic, but wait: perhaps this is a normal cancellation of updates, which can occur over several reboots and even several hours, especially on laptops with slow hdds . You'll likely end up in Windows 10 with your changes undone.

Clearing the SoftwareDistribution folder (Windows 10 update cache)

All Windows 10 updates are downloaded to the folder C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download and in most cases cleaning this folder or renaming the folder SoftwareDistribution(so that the OS creates a new one and downloads updates) allows you to fix the error in question.

There are two possible scenarios: after canceling the changes, the system boots normally, or the computer restarts endlessly, and you keep seeing a message that Windows 10 updates could not be configured or completed.

In the first case, the steps to solve the problem will be as follows:

In the second case, when the computer or laptop constantly reboots and the undoing of changes is not completed, you can do the following:

After this, you can go to Settings - Update & Security and check if the updates download and install without errors. If Windows 10 updates without telling you that the updates could not be configured or completed, go to the folder C:\Windows and delete the folder SoftwareDistribution.old from there.

Troubleshooting Windows 10 Update

Windows 10 has built-in diagnostic tools to help fix update problems. Just as in the previous case, two situations may arise: the system boots or Windows 10 constantly reboots, all the time reporting that the update setup could not be completed.

In the first case, follow these steps:

The second situation is more complicated:

1. Follow steps 1-3 from the section about clearing the update cache (go to the command line in the recovery environment launched from a bootable USB flash drive or disk).
2. bcdedit /set (default) safeboot minimal
3. Restart your computer with hard drive. Safe mode should open.
4. In Safe Mode, at the Command Prompt, enter the following commands in order (each will launch the troubleshooter, go through one first, then the other).
5. msdt /id BitsDiagnostic
6. msdt /id WindowsUpdateDiagnostic
7. Disable safe mode with the command: bcdedit /deletevalue (default) safeboot
8. Restart your computer.

Maybe this will work. But, if according to the second scenario (cyclic reboot) the problem has not been fixed by now, then you will probably have to use Windows reset 10 (this can be done while saving data by booting from a bootable USB flash drive or disk).

Windows 10 updates failed to complete due to duplicate user profiles

Another, little described cause of the problem “Unable to complete updates. Cancel changes. Don't turn off your computer" in Windows 10 - problems with user profiles. How to eliminate it (important: what is below is at your own risk, you can potentially ruin something):

Once the procedure is complete, restart your computer and try installing Windows 10 updates again.

Additional ways to fix the error

If all the proposed solutions to the problem of undoing changes due to the fact that Windows 10 updates could not be configured or completed were not successful, there are not many options left:

1. Perform a system integrity check Windows files 10.
2. Try to do a clean one loading Windows 10, delete content SoftwareDistribution\Download, download the updates again and start installing them.
3. Remove third-party antivirus, restart the computer (needed for the removal to complete), install updates.
4. Try it long haul to restore Windows Update components to their original state, described on the official Microsoft website

Finally, when all else fails, it is possible the best option will perform an automatic reinstallation of Windows 10 (reset) while saving the data.

The problem with downloading updates is quite common among users of the Windows 10 operating system. The reasons for its occurrence may vary, but usually it is due to a glitch in "Update Center".

Updates can be downloaded without "Update Center", for example, from the official website or using a third-party utility. But first, you should try to fix the problem using standard means.

Method 1: Troubleshooter

Perhaps a minor failure occurred that can be corrected with a special system utility. Usually problems are resolved automatically after scanning. At the end you will be provided with a detailed report.

1. Clamp Win+X and go to "Control Panels".



2. Change the view to large icons and find "Troubleshooting".



3. In chapter "System and safety" click on "Troubleshooting with...".



4. A new window will appear. Click "Further".



5. The utility will begin searching for errors.



6. Agree to search with administrator rights.



7. After scanning, apply the fixes.



8. At the end, you will be provided with a detailed report on the diagnostics performed.



If the utility does not find anything, you will see a corresponding message.



This remedy is not always effective, especially with more serious problems. Therefore, if the utility did not find anything, but the updates still do not download, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Clear the update cache

Failure may occur due to underloaded or incorrectly installed components Windows updates 10. One solution is to clear the update cache using "Command line".

1. Disable your internet connection. To do this, open the tray and find the Internet access icon.



2. Now turn off Wi-Fi or other connection.



3. Clamp Win+X and open "Command Prompt (Administrator)".



4. Stop the service "Windows Update". To do this, enter

   net stop wuauserv

   and press the key Enter. If a message appears about the impossibility of stopping the service, reboot the device, and then try again.



5. Now disable the background transfer service with the command



6. Next follow the path

   C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\

   and delete all files. You can pinch Ctrl+A, and then clear everything with the key Delete.



7. Now we start the disabled services back with the commands

   net start bits
   net start wuauserv

8. Turn on the Internet and try downloading updates.

If the cause of the failure was the cache files, then this method should help. After such manipulations, the computer may take longer to shut down or restart.

Method 3: Windows Update MiniTool

If none of the two methods help, then you should use other means. Windows Update MiniTool is able to check, download, install updates and much more.

1. Download the utility.



2. Now right-click on the archive. Select "Extract everything...".



3. In the new window, click on "Extract".



4. Open the unpacked folder and run the version that suits your bitness.



5. Update the list of available downloads.



6. Wait until the search is completed.



7. Mark the required component. In the left panel, find the tool icons.
   • The first button allows you to check for current updates.
   • The second starts the download.
   • The third one installs the update.
   • If the component is downloaded or installed, the fourth button removes it.
   • The fifth hides the selected object.
   • The sixth one gives a download link.

   In our case, we will need a sixth tool. Click on it to get a link to the desired object.



8. To get started, paste the link into a text editor.



9. Select, copy and paste it into the address bar of your browser. Click Enter so that the page starts loading.



10. Download the file.



Now you need to install the CAB file. This can be done via "Command line".



This method may not seem the simplest, but if you understand everything, you will understand that there is nothing complicated. The Windows Update MiniTool utility provides direct links to download CAB files that can be installed using "Command line".

Method 4: Setting up a limited connection

A limited connection may affect downloading of updates. If you don't need this function, then it should be disabled.




A limited connection can always be activated back in "Options" Windows 10.

other methods

• If none of the above methods helped, then try downloading the updates directly from the official website.
• Try disabling your third-party antivirus or firewall while downloading the update. Perhaps they are the ones blocking the download.
• Check your system for viruses. Malicious software may also be the cause of the problem.

Updates won't install on Windows 10: what are possible reasons and ways to get out of the situation? Version 10 of the Microsoft operating system is designed in such a way that, ideally, updates simply cannot be installed. The only possible solution, if the issue is a conscious refusal of updates, may be to postpone their downloading and installation for some period. This number of updates does not include security updates, and this feature itself is provided only in editions Windows Pro and Enterprise. Full access to managing system updates, in particular with regard to the complete refusal to install even security updates, is possible in Windows 10 only with the help of third-party special programs. Working with one of these - Windows Update MiniTool - was discussed recently, in. Below we will consider the opposite situation - how, on the contrary, to eliminate problems that prevent the installation of updates in the Windows 10 system.

1. Simple recipes from Microsoft

To troubleshoot problems with updates, Microsoft recommends simplest recipe– you need to exit the Update Center, wait 10-15 minutes, and then try again to check for updates.

And in order not to worry about this at all, the software giant insists that the automatic update installation type is set in the Update Center settings.

2. Solving the problem with installing updates using the Computer Troubleshooter tool

Run the Computer Troubleshooter in Windows 10.

Right-click on the Start menu and select “Control Panel”

"Find and fix problems"

"Troubleshooting using Windows Update"

Click "Additionally"

"Run as administrator"

Diagnoses problems related to Windows Update.

After running the diagnostics, the Computer Troubleshooter will offer you a solution, click “Apply this fix” and Windows 10 Update problems will be resolved.

3. Enable the update service

Official Windows distributions come in mandatory with the Update Center service enabled. The same cannot be said about pirated builds, in particular Windows 10, in which the update service can be disabled to resolve the issue with activating the operating system. Let's check if this service is enabled, and if it is disabled, enable it. We will get to system services using the “Run” command (hot keys Win + R). Enter:

services.msc

After clicking “Ok” the system services section will open. Double-click to open the Windows Update service.

Let's start the service.

4. Microsoft Update Troubleshooter

For each version Windows Microsoft The site publishes an additional troubleshooting tool - special utility, which, like the standard tool, is designed to troubleshoot problems with updates in automatic mode. Download this utility.

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

When installing updates, some problems may arise. different problems. 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:

1. 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

2. Among other Control Panel items is “Windows Firewall”. Click on it to open its settings.

   Open Windows Firewall in Control Panel

3. 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

4. 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:

1. 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

2. Then go to the "System" section.

   In Windows Settings, open the System section

3. 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

4. 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"

5. 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”

6. More likely, most Programs or games take up space. To remove them, select the “Programs and Features” section in the panel Windows management 10.

   Select Programs and Features from Control Panel

7. 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:

1. Open the Control Panel again and select the “Troubleshooting” section there.

   Open Troubleshooting in Control Panel

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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"

5. And then press the “Next” button in the previous menu.
6. 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

7. Once the diagnostics and corrections are complete, you will receive 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 the background operation of system applications;
• eliminates many Internet problems, in particular problems with the Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Explorer browsers;
• 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, specialists Microsoft It is advised to delete all temporary update files and download them again. This is done as follows:

Another cause of 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:

1. 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

2. In it you will immediately see devices for which drivers are not installed. They will be marked with a yellow symbol with exclamation point or will be signed as an unknown device. Be sure to install drivers for such devices.

   Install drivers for all unknown devices in Device Manager

3. In addition, check other system devices.

   Be sure to update all drivers for system devices if Windows update fails

4. The best way is to right-click on each of them and select Update Drivers.

   Right-click on the device and select "Update Driver"

5. In the next window, select to automatically search for updated drivers.

   Select to automatically search for updated drivers in the next window

6. 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 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 appeared in the update center, 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, you need to use diagnostics and system file recovery. You can do this as follows:

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Microsoft regularly releases updates for Windows 10: some of them are global in nature and add new functionality to the system, others affect the operation of internal system components that are invisible to the average user. But what users always notice is notifications about a forced restart of the computer to install updates. Very often this process occurs at the most inopportune moment, which can lead to data loss and nerve cells user.

But this is half the trouble; the moments are especially wonderful when, after agonizingly waiting for an update to be installed, Windows reports that these updates were not installed. What to do in such cases?

The first step is to check the “Update Log” - this is a special log where information about all update packages that your computer receives is stored. Go to Action Center > All Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Update History.

Analyze the list that appears in front of you. You'll likely see numerous "Failed to install" errors next to most packages. Their reasons for each individual update package should be considered individually, but very often they are united by the fact that the elements for which Windows is trying to install updates are simply not in the system. This happens in cases where an unlicensed Windows version, where the authors of the “assembly” kindly deleted some system files, or if the user himself deleted system files in Windows 10. In such cases, only a complete reinstalling Windows or shutdown automatic update so that the system does not constantly try to update something that does not exist.

If the version of Windows 10 you are using is guaranteed to be licensed, and no one has ever touched the system files, then you need to check the operating system for errors. Open up command line as administrator and enter the command sfc /scannow. If Windows finds damaged files, she will fix them.

The second reason why updates cannot be installed may be that the update files themselves are damaged. This may happen due to a poor Internet connection, Microsoft error or due to a break in the update download session. You can delete downloaded files by going to the directory c:/windows/SoftwareDistribution/Download/. After deleting the files, it would be a good idea to clean the registry using special software, and then start downloading updates from Windows Update manually.

Windows is too complex an operating system to provide universal instructions for solving problems with updates. As mentioned above, a reliable assistant for finding the main reason for the inability to install updates is a log that will tell you which specific element of the system cannot be updated.