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A Step-By-Step Process for How to Solve Windows 11 Update Troubles: 7 Helpful Tips to Ease Your Use
The recent launch of Windows 11 has been pretty rocky. While the new operating system offers some interesting improvements, there have been a lot of issues reported with getting the thing installed.
We're talking about 11 different update patches in all, with many big-name users ending up with non-working Windows installs for days. Sure, this is an extreme case of buggy updates, but most of us are running on consumer-level hardware that just can't handle all that OS reliability on its own. Luckily, there are quite a few helpful tips you can use to solve your Windows 11 update troubles.
Tip #1 Try restarting your computer.
One of the first things to try when you're having trouble updating your Windows 11 operating system is to restart your computer. Pressing the power button can do a lot to clear up minor issues. If the update process seems to get hung up on a specific file or if the computer freezes while you're downloading one of the patches, a restart can clear those problems right up. While this is a simple fix, it's often overlooked because we expect big problems to have big solutions.
Tip #2 Check for updates that aren't installed.
In some cases, an update may not install correctly, causing you to see error messages such as "Error 0x80070002: Windows Update encountered an unknown error." In this case, the easiest solution is to try downloading the update again. To do this, open Settings and go to Update & security>Windows Update. Click "See if your downloads are available."
Tip #3 Check to make sure your computer has been updated to the latest Windows version.
If it hasn't been updated yet, then there may be some compatibility issues with newer software programs and hardware devices. You can check this by opening File Explorer (Windows Key + E) and going to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\. If this folder doesn't exist, you need to download the latest version of Windows from Microsoft's website and install it manually.
Tip #4 Download and install the stand-alone update package from Microsoft's website.
If you have no other options, this could be a lifesaver. The company has created a web page to download individual updates, so long as you know the KB number.
To find this, head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Click View update history to see a log of all updates applied to your system. Find the update that failed to install and note its KB number. It should look something like KB4519338.
Head over to Microsoft's Update Catalog website and search for the KB number. Next is to click the Download button on any associated files (usually just one). Once the download is complete, run the file and let it install.
Once it's done downloading, run the executable file and follow any prompts that appear on the screen. You may see one or two other updates available—these are normal and safe to install. Once everything is installed, restart your PC and check if any problems remain.
Tip #5 Run a System File Checker scan to scan your system files and repair missing or corrupted data.
If you have a system-wide problem after downloading a Windows update, try running a System File Checker scan to see if there are any corrupted files on your hard drive. This can sometimes fix the problem by giving Windows access to the resources it needs. This may take several minutes, so please be patient while it runs. You can also run SFC from an elevated command prompt (right-click Start menu > Command Prompt (Admin) > click Yes when prompted by UAC).
A System File Checker scan checks underlying system files for errors and corruption. It may take several minutes to complete, so please be patient while it runs. If you still aren't sure what the problem is after running the System File Checker scan, rerun Windows Update to see if it corrects anything.
Tip #6 Update your drivers.
If you're having trouble updating because of driver issues, there's no reason to panic. It's a pretty common thing for a driver to become outdated—your laptop may have been built before the most recent version of Microsoft's operating system was released—and there are ways you can fix this issue yourself.
First, your drivers need updating by changing one setting and seeing what happens. (You may have already done this; if so, skip down to "Installing New Drivers." Otherwise, read on.)
To change this setting: Type "Window Settings" in the search box at the bottom left of the Start menu and click Change PC settings under the Window heading. Click the Update and Security tab at the top of the screen. Under the Windows Update category, click Advanced options. At the bottom right corner of this window, click Set time for updates. On the next screen, choose Anytime from the drop-down menu and select between Next week or 30 days from this week at random from the drop-down menu below it. Click Save Changes at the bottom of this window to apply these settings.
After making these changes (or after you've finished reading this article), go back into Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. You should see an option for installing important updates without automatically restarting when they're ready for download—this is what we want! You can also check specifically for driver updates and schedule regular checks.
If the drivers are already up-to-date, try reinstalling them: open Device Manager, right-click (or press and hold) the device's name, and select Uninstall. Restart your PC, and Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver. If that doesn't work, try downloading the appropriate driver from your hardware manufacturer's website and installing it that way.
Tip #7 Create a new user account to solve Windows 11 Update Troubles with an existing account on your device.
Suppose you're upgrading from an older version of Windows, such as Windows 7. In that case, it's recommended that you create a new user account before upgrading via Settings > Accounts > Family & Other People > Add Someone Else To This PC.
Setting up a new user account and upgrading to Windows 11 is a new feature that does not require a restart, so it's possible to run updates from within your user session on your device without logging out and back in again.
After you've created your new user account, sign out of your old one and log into the new one (this will be displayed as the first account in the list).
Once you're signed in, you'll be able to run updates without ever having to restart. This can be especially helpful if you're running an older version of Windows that doesn't support Windows 11 or if you want to install apps from the Windows Store on a PC that's using a different Microsoft account than your own.
So, how do you fix Windows 11 update troubles? If you follow the above tips, you'll be able to resolve update problems quickly and easily. With some patience, this process should work for any issue that you encounter while upgrading your Windows 11.
