Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This vid helps get started w/ Windows updates.
i. When you see the message **"Windows Updates Pending Install"**, it means that updates have been downloaded but are waiting to be installed. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as the system needing a restart to complete the installation or conflicts with other tasks running on the computer.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to resolve the issue and get those updates installed:
### 1. **Check for Pending Updates**
- **Go to Settings**:
Open **Settings** by pressing `Windows + I` or by clicking on the **Start menu** and selecting the **gear icon**.
- **Navigate to Update & Security**:
Click on **Update & Security**.
- **Check for Updates**:
Click **Windows Update** on the left sidebar, and then click **Check for updates**. Windows will search for any pending updates and attempt to install them.
If there are updates available, Windows will attempt to install them. If the message persists, follow the additional steps below.
### 2. **Restart Your Computer**
- Many updates require a restart to complete the installation process.
- Simply click on **Restart now** if you see that option, or go to **Start - Power - Restart**.
- After restarting, check if the updates have finished installing.
### 3. **Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter**
- **Go to Settings - Update & Security** as described above.
- Select **Troubleshoot** from the left sidebar.
- Click on **Additional troubleshooters**.
- Select **Windows Update**, and then click **Run the troubleshooter**.
- This tool will automatically detect and attempt to fix any issues that might be preventing the updates from installing.
### 4. **Manually Install the Pending Updates**
If a specific update is stuck, you can manually install it:
- **Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog**:
Go to the [Microsoft Update Catalog](catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx).
- **Search for the Update**:
You’ll need the **KB number** of the update that’s pending. You can find this number by going to **Settings - Update & Security - Windows Update** and clicking on **View update history**.
- **Download and Install**:
Search for the update on the Update Catalog site, download the correct version for your system, and then manually install it by double-clicking the downloaded file.
### 5. **Clear the Windows Update Cache (Reset Windows Update Components), with the Reset Windows Update Tool.**
### 6. **Use System Restore (If Necessary)**
If updates are still failing and causing issues, you may want to consider using **System Restore** to roll back to a previous state where updates were working properly:
- **Open Control Panel**:
Search for **Control Panel** in the Start menu.
- **Navigate to System**:
Click on **System** **System Protection**.
- **Restore Your System**:
Under the **System Protection** tab, click **System Restore** and follow the prompts to restore to a previous restore point.
### 7. **Check for Driver or Software Conflicts**
Sometimes, a specific driver or third-party software might be causing issues with Windows Update:
- **Update Drivers**:
Check for updates to your drivers through **Device Manager** or use a driver update tool.
- **Uninstall Recently Installed Software**:
If you’ve recently installed new software, try uninstalling it to see if that resolves the issue.
### 8. **Perform a Clean Boot**
If you suspect that background processes or software conflicts are preventing updates from installing:
- **Press `Windows + R`** to open the Run dialog.
- Type `msconfig` and press **Enter**.
- In the **System Configuration** window, go to the **Services** tab.
- Check **Hide all Microsoft services** and then click **Disable all**.
- Go to the **Startup** tab and click **Open Task Manager**.
- Disable all non-essential startup items.
- Restart your computer and check for updates again.
### 9. **Consider an In-Place Upgrade (Repair Install)**
If nothing else works and Windows Update still won’t install the updates, consider performing an **in-place upgrade** using the **Windows 10 Media Creation Tool**:
- Go to the [Microsoft Download page](microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10).
- Download the **Media Creation Tool** and run it.
- Choose **Upgrade this PC now**.
- This will reinstall Windows without affecting your personal files, but it will fix update issues and system corruption.
This vid helps get started w/ Windows updates.
i. When you see the message **"Windows Updates Pending Install"**, it means that updates have been downloaded but are waiting to be installed. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as the system needing a restart to complete the installation or conflicts with other tasks running on the computer.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to resolve the issue and get those updates installed:
### 1. **Check for Pending Updates**
- **Go to Settings**:
Open **Settings** by pressing `Windows + I` or by clicking on the **Start menu** and selecting the **gear icon**.
- **Navigate to Update & Security**:
Click on **Update & Security**.
- **Check for Updates**:
Click **Windows Update** on the left sidebar, and then click **Check for updates**. Windows will search for any pending updates and attempt to install them.
If there are updates available, Windows will attempt to install them. If the message persists, follow the additional steps below.
### 2. **Restart Your Computer**
- Many updates require a restart to complete the installation process.
- Simply click on **Restart now** if you see that option, or go to **Start - Power - Restart**.
- After restarting, check if the updates have finished installing.
### 3. **Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter**
- **Go to Settings - Update & Security** as described above.
- Select **Troubleshoot** from the left sidebar.
- Click on **Additional troubleshooters**.
- Select **Windows Update**, and then click **Run the troubleshooter**.
- This tool will automatically detect and attempt to fix any issues that might be preventing the updates from installing.
### 4. **Manually Install the Pending Updates**
If a specific update is stuck, you can manually install it:
- **Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog**:
Go to the [Microsoft Update Catalog](catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx).
- **Search for the Update**:
You’ll need the **KB number** of the update that’s pending. You can find this number by going to **Settings - Update & Security - Windows Update** and clicking on **View update history**.
- **Download and Install**:
Search for the update on the Update Catalog site, download the correct version for your system, and then manually install it by double-clicking the downloaded file.
### 5. **Clear the Windows Update Cache (Reset Windows Update Components), with the Reset Windows Update Tool.**
### 6. **Use System Restore (If Necessary)**
If updates are still failing and causing issues, you may want to consider using **System Restore** to roll back to a previous state where updates were working properly:
- **Open Control Panel**:
Search for **Control Panel** in the Start menu.
- **Navigate to System**:
Click on **System** **System Protection**.
- **Restore Your System**:
Under the **System Protection** tab, click **System Restore** and follow the prompts to restore to a previous restore point.
### 7. **Check for Driver or Software Conflicts**
Sometimes, a specific driver or third-party software might be causing issues with Windows Update:
- **Update Drivers**:
Check for updates to your drivers through **Device Manager** or use a driver update tool.
- **Uninstall Recently Installed Software**:
If you’ve recently installed new software, try uninstalling it to see if that resolves the issue.
### 8. **Perform a Clean Boot**
If you suspect that background processes or software conflicts are preventing updates from installing:
- **Press `Windows + R`** to open the Run dialog.
- Type `msconfig` and press **Enter**.
- In the **System Configuration** window, go to the **Services** tab.
- Check **Hide all Microsoft services** and then click **Disable all**.
- Go to the **Startup** tab and click **Open Task Manager**.
- Disable all non-essential startup items.
- Restart your computer and check for updates again.
### 9. **Consider an In-Place Upgrade (Repair Install)**
If nothing else works and Windows Update still won’t install the updates, consider performing an **in-place upgrade** using the **Windows 10 Media Creation Tool**:
- Go to the [Microsoft Download page](microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10).
- Download the **Media Creation Tool** and run it.
- Choose **Upgrade this PC now**.
- This will reinstall Windows without affecting your personal files, but it will fix update issues and system corruption.
