Before we move on to the solutions, it is strongly recommended that you restart your computer, as this might resolve the issue without needing to follow the methods below. Restarting the computer restarts the essential services, including the Windows update services, which might get stuck or stopped, resulting in this issue.
1. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Running the Windows Update Troubleshooter is specifically designed to fix common problems that can interfere with the Windows update process. This utility scans the system for issues related to the Windows update and attempts to fix them by doing common troubleshooting, such as restarting the Windows update services, repairing the corrupted files, and fixing the misconfigured settings.
2. Change Your Network Profile to Private
When you set your Network Profile to Private, network discovery and file sharing will be enabled, which will be required for the Windows update services to work properly. However, if your Network Profile is set to Public, it might prevent the services and ports that rely on Windows update services.
3. Reset Windows Update Components
By resetting the Windows update components, you will clear the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders, which are the temporary storage locations for Windows update files. Sometimes, the files in these folders become corrupted, preventing the Windows update utility from functioning properly. Plus, this process restarts the necessary Windows update services that might get stopped, resulting in this issue. Follow the steps to reset the Windows update component.
4. Turn off the Third-Party Antivirus Software
If you are still experiencing the issue, consider disabling third-party antivirus software if you use it. It can interfere with the Windows update utility and prevent it from loading properly. Since none of the methods worked, it could be the third-party antivirus software causing the issue. Therefore, try disabling it temporarily. If the problem is still not resolved, you can consider using the System Restore utility if you have a restore point created before you encountered this issue. Otherwise, you can proceed with resetting Windows without losing your data.
