Won't finish update
- Thread starter Gwynevere
- Start date
Sometimes. There are many scenarios that would cause this especially if it's behind in updates or a major release. I'd say let it run for a while longer. If there is an error, it usually stops itself. (not always but in most cases)
It's not advisable to stop it.
It's very rare, but I have had a machine that took it all night. I thought it was hosed but I let it run all night and the next morning, there was my login screen.
It's not advisable to stop it.
It's very rare, but I have had a machine that took it all night. I thought it was hosed but I let it run all night and the next morning, there was my login screen.
As noted, it depends on many factors. Major updates may update 1000s of files and that can take a long time because the update does not just overwrite the old. It has to first save a copy of the old (in case it needs to be recovered), write the new file, then verify the write was successful. And it has to do that with each file. In effect, these big updates are like doing a complete new install - only it takes even longer because it needs protect the old installation (including all your personal data and installed programs) in the process - just in case a rollback becomes necessary.
Then there is your Internet connection as well as other activity you (or the OS) may be doing on your computer at the same time.
The performance capabilities of the hardware itself matters. As does the amount of free disk space. Also, and this is especially true with some notebooks, major updates are pretty resource intensive - not just on the drive, but the CPU and RAM too. This means they will likely start to heat up. And because the update process can take a lot of time, that heat can build up and build up some more to the point where the system may throttle back in speed so it will cool back down. This "thermal protection" feature is a good thing - but it does mean tasks will take longer to complete.
When my laptop upgraded to 20H2 (a major update), it "appeared" to be stuck at 46% for well over an hour. I decided to head out to my favorite Mexican restaurant and when I came back, it had finally jumped all the way up to 52%.
And in another hour or so, it finished and after a reboot, worked fine.
One thing I have noticed on some systems is the computer may go into sleep mode and temporarily halt the update process, then resume again once awake. So wiggling the mouse every so often to keep it awake may help.
There have been times when a system was rebooted during the update. While not a good idea, the system will typically resume where the update left off. HOWEVER, corruption is possible so the advice to just let it run until it completes is still the best advice.
Then there is your Internet connection as well as other activity you (or the OS) may be doing on your computer at the same time.
The performance capabilities of the hardware itself matters. As does the amount of free disk space. Also, and this is especially true with some notebooks, major updates are pretty resource intensive - not just on the drive, but the CPU and RAM too. This means they will likely start to heat up. And because the update process can take a lot of time, that heat can build up and build up some more to the point where the system may throttle back in speed so it will cool back down. This "thermal protection" feature is a good thing - but it does mean tasks will take longer to complete.
When my laptop upgraded to 20H2 (a major update), it "appeared" to be stuck at 46% for well over an hour. I decided to head out to my favorite Mexican restaurant and when I came back, it had finally jumped all the way up to 52%.
And in another hour or so, it finished and after a reboot, worked fine.One thing I have noticed on some systems is the computer may go into sleep mode and temporarily halt the update process, then resume again once awake. So wiggling the mouse every so often to keep it awake may help.
There have been times when a system was rebooted during the update. While not a good idea, the system will typically resume where the update left off. HOWEVER, corruption is possible so the advice to just let it run until it completes is still the best advice.
britechguy
Well-known member
I'll just add here that if someone is performing a multi-version-jumping Feature Update (e.g., 1909 to 21H1) that can take significantly longer. Any time a major Feature update (e.g., 1909 to 2004) is occurring it will take longer than a minor one (e.g. 2004 to 20H2, 20H2 to 21H1, or 2004 to 21H1). The former virtually wipe the existing Windows 10 install and start from scratch for the operating system while the latter simply activate features previously downloaded but that were intentionally kept dormant until Microsoft was ready to have them activated.
Also, in the case of major Feature Updates, they will be slower, often hours long, on HDDs rather than SSDs (where they'll be much faster, but still can take a while) and if you elect to download the latest updates when asked near the outset of the update, your internet speed will be a hugely determining factor as to how long that step takes.
For those who want the fastest possible Feature Update, disconnect from the internet before initiating it, and answer that you do NOT want to download the latest updates. Those will be applied by Windows Update anyway.
Also, in the case of major Feature Updates, they will be slower, often hours long, on HDDs rather than SSDs (where they'll be much faster, but still can take a while) and if you elect to download the latest updates when asked near the outset of the update, your internet speed will be a hugely determining factor as to how long that step takes.
For those who want the fastest possible Feature Update, disconnect from the internet before initiating it, and answer that you do NOT want to download the latest updates. Those will be applied by Windows Update anyway.
Hey Gwenevere! Did it finish yet?
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