Windows 11 Update Taking Too Long For Hours! Fix it Now!

User case: Why are my Windows updates taking so long?

Keeping your system updated is important for security, performance, and getting new features. However, sometimes a Windows 11 update can take longer than expected, which can be frustrating, just like the user from Microsoft Community:

How long does Windows update take? On average, the process usually takes between 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the process last for hours, there may be some problems about the update. Waiting for the update to complete can be tiresome, and many may wonder why it's taking so long or how to speed things up. 

Why are my Windows updates taking so long?

Update Size and Complexity: Large updates, like new feature releases or cumulative updates, often take more time to download and install.

Insufficient Disk Space: Windows 11 needs enough free space to download and install updates. Without enough storage, the process can slow down or even fail.

Slow Internet Connection: A poor or slow internet connection can delay the download of updates, especially large ones.

Background Processes: If other programs or background tasks are using system resources, it can slow down the update process.

Software Conflicts: Some applications or security software may interfere with the update, causing delays or failures.

Competing Updates: If there are other updates or downloads happening at the same time, they can compete for system resources and slow down the Windows 11 update.

Corrupted System Files: Damaged or missing system files can cause Windows to take extra time fixing them during the update.

How to fix Windows 11 update taking too long?

If you Windows 11 update taking too long, the 6 solutions can help you effectively fix the issue. 

Fix 1. Check your Internet connection

Make sure your PC has a stable internet connection to download the Windows 11 update files from Microsoft servers. If you experience connectivity issues, try restarting your wireless router or modem to resolve the problem. Check your WiFi signal strength, and move your laptop closer to the router if needed. Verify that your Ethernet cable is connected securely.

Additionally, you can reset your network adapter to resolve any network-related issues:

Step 1. Go to "Settings" and select "Network and Internet."

Step 2. Click on "Advanced network settings." Select "Network reset" and then click on the "Reset now" button. Confirm by clicking "Yes."

Fix 2. Free up disk space

A lack of storage space is a common problem that can prevent Windows update taking too long. If your system drive doesn’t have enough available space, you may run into errors while trying to update to Windows 11. To fix this, you’ll need to free up some space on your hard drive.

One effective way to do this is by using AOMEI Partition Assistant. This tool allows you to easily extend your system drive by utilizing unallocated space from another drive. It also lets you resize, move, and merge partitions without risking data loss. Additionally, you can use its disk scanning feature to remove unnecessary files and free up more space. To explore more options to free up disk space, you can click to go this part.

With its straightforward interface, AOMEI Partition Assistant makes it simple to manage your disk partitions and ensure you have enough space for your Windows 11 update.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. The fresh interface displays the conditions of the physical disk.

Step 2. As we can see from the graphic view, there is enough unused space on D drive, so we’d like to allocate free space from D drive to C drive. Right-click D drive and select "Allocate Free Space".

Step 3. In the pop-up window, we could specify the free space to be allocated, and the destination partition that the free space will be added to.

Step 4. View "Pending Operations" on the sidebar in case of corrections and then click "Apply" on the toolbar to execute pending operations.

Besides helping you extend your system drive, AOMEI Partition Assistant offers several other helpful features. These include the features that move installed apps to free up space on your C drive, clone your disk to upgrade without reinstalling the system, and transfer your operating system to a new drive. These tools are designed to optimize your disk space and enhance overall system performance.

Fix 3. Repair system files

Corrupted system files on your computer can cause Windows Update to fail. Running the SFC and DISM commands can help detect and fix any damaged files on your PC.

Step 1. Press the Windows key, type cmd in the search bar, and click it to run as administrator,

Step 2. Run the DISM restore health command DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth

Step 3. After completing 100% scan command execution, run the System File Checker command sfc /scannow. Restart your PC when done, and try installing the Windows 11 update again.

Fix 4. Clean boot the Windows 11

Starting Windows 11 in clean boot mode eliminates any potential conflicts between startup software and services, ensuring a smooth update process.

Step 1. Press the Windows key + R, enter "msconfig," and click OK. Then, open the Services tab in the System Configuration window.

Step 2. Choose the box next to Hide all Microsoft services and click the Disable All button.

Step 3. Then, navigate to the Startup option and click on Task Manager.

Step 4. In the Startup tab, go through each entry and disable them one by one. Afterward, close Task Manager, go back to the Startup tab in the System Configuration window, and click OK.

Fix 5. Perform Windows update troubleshooter

If you encounter issues Windows 11 stuck with the Windows 11 KB5026446 update error code, a simple restart can resolve temporary glitches and refresh the operating system, potentially fixing common problems. After restarting, check for updates again.

Step 1. Press the Windows key + X and select "Settings."

Step 2. Click on "System," then choose "Troubleshooting" from the right panel. Go to "Additional Troubleshooters" and find "Windows Update." Click "Run" to start the troubleshooter, which will automatically identify and fix any update-related problems on your computer.

Fix 6. Restart the Windows Update Service

Make sure that the Windows Update service and its related services are functioning correctly. If the update service fails to start or stops unexpectedly, it could lead to problems like updates are underway and Windows 11 stuck when trying to install Windows 11 updates.

Step 1. Press the Windows + R, and type services.msc in the Run box. To launch the Windows Services console, click OK.

Step 2. Locate the Windows Update service, right-click it, and select Restart.

Step 3. If the service isn't running, double-click the Windows Update service to open its properties. In the startup type section, select "Automatic," then click "Start." To save the changes, click "Apply," followed by "OK."

Further reading: More options to free up disk space to fix Windows 11 update stuck issue

The installation can also be affected by whether your PC needs to download large update files or if your system is running older hardware. However, if you can start the process, it generally means your hardware meets the Windows 11 update requirements. That said, it's more likely that your disk space is low. If you're upgrading from Windows 10, the update might be larger, especially if it's a major one.

Luckily, AOMEI Partition Assistant offers many options to free up disk space in addition to the Allocate Free Space function. You can follow one that suits your needs most to fix the Windows 11 update taking too long issue.

Option 1. Move installed apps to another drive

To free up disk space for better fixing Windows 11 update stuck, you can move the installed apps to another drive without any reinstalling.  

Step 1. Open AOMEI Partition Assistant, click "Free up" in the top panel, then click "App Mover".

Step 2. Click "App Mover" in the ejected window.

Step 3. Select one partition you want to free up (Here we select C drive) and click "Next". And then select the target program (Here we use Microsoft Office as an example) and the target location, then click "Move".

Step 4. Make sure that you have closed the programs that you will move, then click "OK". Then click "Finish" after the progress bar becomes 100%.

Option 2. Merge partitions

AOMEI Partition Assistant can merge partitions on Windows without losing any data. It allows you to merge partitions effortlessly, even if the unallocated space isn't next to the partition, or combine two partitions without deleting any data. You can download it for free and follow the guide below to learn how to merge partitions on Windows 11, 10, 8/8.1, 7 without any data loss.

Step 1. Open AOMEI Partition Assistant, right-click the partition you want to merge and select "Advanced" > "Merge Partitions".

Step 2. Then select the adjacent partition or unallocated space, and click “OK”.

Step 3. Back to the main interface, and click “Apply” to merge partitions.

Option 3. Remove duplicate files

Duplicate files can accumulate unnoticed and take up valuable space, causing your computer to slow down and potentially leading to issues like Windows 11 update taking too long.

Step 1. Click the "Free up" on the main tab and select "Duplicate Files Finder".

Step 2. In this interface, you can see all the computer's partitions. Click on "Scan" to start the scanning process. Even if a partition is locked, the program will still scan it and reveal duplicate files on that partition. However, please note that it cannot remove duplicate files from locked drives.

Step 3. Once the process is completed, all duplicate files meeting your specified criteria will be shown. You can select "Preview" to view the duplicate files.

Step 4. You can select the duplicate files you want to delete. Or, click "Smart Select" to automatically select duplicate files. Then, click "Move to folder".

In addition to these, AOMEI Partition Assistant also supports deleting large files, regularly cleaning PC, defragging your hard drive, etc., to keep your PC performance.

Conclusion

Windows 11 update taking too long can be caused by a variety of factors, including large update sizes, insufficient disk space, slow internet connections, and corrupted system files. Fortunately, there are several effective solutions to speed up the process, such as checking your internet connection, freeing up disk space, repairing system files, and performing a clean boot. Using tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant can also help manage disk space efficiently by merging partitions, removing duplicate files, and moving installed apps to another drive. By following these steps, you can ensure a smoother and faster update experience on your Windows 11 device.