Wait at least 1–2 hours if the drive light flickers or the percentage moves occasionally. If nothing changes for several hours, hold the power button to turn off, start again, and let Windows roll back. Then use Safe Mode or Uninstall Updates in recovery and re-run updates.

Why this happens

The “Updates are underway” and “Working on updates” screens appear while Windows installs files that can’t be replaced while it’s running. Slow hard drives, large feature updates and low free space can make this take a long time, and the percentage often jumps rather than moving smoothly.

Turning off too early can leave updates half-installed, but Windows is designed to roll back automatically in most cases. A forced restart is the right move once it’s clearly frozen.

How it shows up

  • “Updates are underway. Please keep your computer on.” for hours.
  • “Working on updates 30% complete. Don’t turn off your computer” not moving.
  • Spinning dots continue but nothing else changes.

Common causes

  • Slow HDD or nearly full system drive.
  • Large feature update with many steps.
  • A driver or device blocking the update during boot.
  • Corrupted update files.

How to fix it, step by step

  1. Wait long enoughGive it 1–2 hours (longer on old hard drives). Drive activity or fan changes mean it's still working.
  2. Force restart if frozenIf nothing changes for 3+ hours, hold the power button for 10 seconds, then turn the PC back on. Windows usually resumes or rolls back.
  3. Disconnect USB devicesUnplug external drives, docks and printers before restarting.
  4. Use recovery if it loopsIf it gets stuck again, interrupt startup three times to open Windows Recovery, then Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Uninstall Updates → Uninstall latest quality update.
  5. Repair after you're back inRun DISM and SFC (commands below), free up disk space, then check for updates again.

Command

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Run after Windows has started normally, in an elevated Command Prompt.

How to tell it worked: Windows starts to the desktop and Update history shows the update installed (or ready to retry).

Keeping it from coming back

Keep 20 GB+ free on C:, use an SSD if possible, and install updates when you can leave the PC alone.