How to Get “Please Wait While Windows Install a System Update” Unstuck

The update still needs to finish

Wait at least 3 hours for the update to finish. Normally you shouldn't power off or unplug your computer while an update is underway. If an update is taking longer than usual, it could just be a large update. Wait at least 3 hours for the update to finish. If there is no progress after 3 hours, you can assume your computer is stuck. Some computers have an LED light that indicates when there is hard drive activity taking place. If you see this light still flashing, this indicates the update is still taking place. If it stops flashing, your computer may be stuck.

No internet connection

Check your internet connection. Sometimes your computer needs an internet connection to download an update. Check your modem or router and make sure it is powered on and connected to the internet. If other devices are experiencing a slow or unstable internet connection, try restarting your modem or router.

Your peripherals are interfering with the update.

Disconnect your peripherals. Sometimes external devices can interfere with an update. If you have any USB devices connected to your computer, try disconnecting them to see if this fixes the problem.

Your computer needs to be restarted.

Force-restart your computer. If you've been waiting for a long time and there is no progress on the update, you can try to force-restart your computer. To do so, press and hold the Power button until your computer powers off. Then power your computer back on. See if it'll finish the update or boot up as normal.

Your startup system is corrupt.

Run startup repair. If your computer keeps getting stuck on the system update, you can try doing a startup repair. This will try to fix any issues that are keeping your computer from booting normally. Use the following steps to do a startup repair: Force-restart your computer 3 times. Force restart your computer as soon as you see the manufacturer's logo on the screen. This should boot into Windows Recovery Environment. Select Troubleshoot. Select Advanced Options. Select Automatic Startup Repair. Follow any instruction you are prompted with.

The latest update is corrupt.

Uninstall the latest update. If your computer froze during an update, it's possible the update may be corrupt. If you can't boot into Windows, you can uninstall the latest update from Windows Recovery Environment. Use the following steps to do so: Force-restart your computer 3 times to boot into Window Recovery Environment. Select Troubleshoot. Select Advanced Options. Select Uninstall updates. Select Uninstall latest quality updates.

Your hard drive isn't working.

Run the check disk utility. If your hard drive is not able to read or write properly, your computer will not be able to complete an update. You can use the Check Disk (Chkdsk) utility to scan your hard drive for any errors and try to fix them. Use the following steps to run Check Disk: Force-restart your computer 3 times to boot into Windows Recovery Environment. Select Troubleshoot. Select Advanced Options. Select Command Prompt. Type chkdsk c: /f and press Enter. Wait for the check disk utility to finish

Something is wrong with Windows.

Boot into Safe Mode. If you are not able to boot into Windows using the regular methods, you can try booting into Safe Mode. This will boot into Windows with minimal functionality. This will allow you to troubleshoot and uninstall problematic software and drivers. You can also try updating Windows in Safe Mode. Use the following steps to boot into Safe Mode: Force-restart your computer 3 times to boot into Windows Recovery Environment. Select Troubleshoot. Select Startup Settings. Select Restart. Press F4 to boot into Safe Mode.

Your hard drive is full.

Free up hard drive space. If your hard drive is full, there may not be enough space for an update to complete. Boot into Windows, either using the regular boot method or boot into Safe Mode, then free up some space. Uninstall apps you no longer use or play. Delete photos and videos you no longer need. You can backup your files to cloud storage if you want to keep them.

Windows is corrupt.

Reinstall Windows. If you can't boot into Windows and you continually receive a message that there is an update installing, you may need to reinstall Windows,. Use the following steps to do so: Force-restart your computer 3 times to enter Windows Recovery Environment. Select Troubleshoot. Select Reset this PC Select Keep my files. If this doesn't work, do it again and select Erase everything. Doing so will erase all data on your computer so only do that as a last resort. Select your user account and enter your password. Select Reset.

Your BIOS is corrupt.

Perform a BIOS recovery. If your computer is stuck trying to update and will not boot properly, there could be an issue with the BIOS. This is the firmware that is installed on your motherboard that handles your computer's hardware. If your BIOS is corrupt, you will need recover and repair it. The way you do this is different from one computer model to the next. Consult the user's manual or manufacturer's web page of your computer to learn how to recover the BIOS.