Downloading Windows Updates stuck at 0%

[desbest]

Hello
I have a working internet connection and when I try to download Windows updates the progress bar is stuck at 0% for hours. This happens even if I disable my antivirus and firewall.

Please help

 

[Slavic]

Hello, desbest!

If you have never updated Windows yet (after fresh installation), look at this thread:
Win Updates runs for hours, finds nothing
There are two links to update KB3138615 which needs to be installed manually, for x32 and x64 systems (in different posts).

Otherwise, if you have successfully installed MS updates before, but cannot download them right now, it may be a problem with your Internet connection or on your ISP side. First, look at the end of the file WindowsUpdate.log in the Windows directory, it may have some kind of error message. Then check whether you have an access to MS update server.
Look in the browser Microsoft Update Catalog

Many other points are mentioned here: Windows Update troubleshooting
You can also try to trace the route to MS update service using the command line, like:

tracert -4 sls.update.microsoft.com
tracert -6 sls.update.microsoft.com

While you may not reach the destination, at least you should be able to see some replies from msn.net, like *.ntwk.msn.net.
If you, for example, can trace by IPv4, but cannot by IPv6, temporarily disable IPv6 protocol in you network settings.

 

[desbest]

I did a traceroute over ipv4, it did 30 hops, and 19 of them timed out. I tried to over ipv6 and it failed so I'm disabling that.
Then I'll see if it works.
Also the link you gave me only applies to Windows 10 computers and the instructions there don't apply to me as I'm not receiving any error messages stated there. In fact I receive no error messages.

Here's my error log for WindowsUpdate.log

Windows Update Error Log 23/09/20 ($2018297) · Snippets · GitLab

GitLab.com

gitlab.com

 

[Slavic]

Apparently you missed an option to look at the last lines of WindowsUpdate.log, they may give some info about failure... As for a link, well, it's about Windows 10 problems, but the list of update-related URLs is common.

Anyway, let's assume that your network connection works well, at least IPv4. Then I can suggest to install the last version of Servicing Stack KB4566425 manually: Microsoft Update Catalog
Download it, disconnect from network (or temporary disable a corresponding network adapter), restart Windows Update service in the list of Services and double-click the downloaded file, then wait for installation. When it finishes, restart PC, connect to network and try to check for updates again.

P.S. Also check the time and time zone in your OS: wrong time may be another source of problem.
P.P.S. Sorry, I wrote not the last version of stack, it's fixed now.

 

[desbest]

Apparently you missed an option to look at the last lines of WindowsUpdate.log

I was meaning to show my WindowsUpdate.log but my laptop is very slow due to an overheating problem. Until I buy a new one which I will, I'm stuck with this one.

I've updated the above post with my WindowsUpdate.log
I've decided to only show fatal errors that happened today.

Here it is again.

Also the update you gave me is already installed on my computer.

Windows Update Error Log 23/09/20 ($2018297) · Snippets · GitLab

GitLab.com

gitlab.com

 

[Slavic]

I see the extracts from WU log, maybe you filtered out too many lines and omitted some warnings... Anyway, the error is linked to CBS call (component-based servicing stack), 0x80073712 (you can search for this error code). Something in the Servicing Stack doesn't works properly. The common suggestions in such case are to reinstall this component (KB4566425) or scan the OS for errors using the SFC and DISM tools. SFC /scannow is the first operation which can help or at least show the possible error in the system files.
SFC /SCANNOW Command - Run in Windows 8
Component Store Corruption - Fix with DISM in Windows 8