Most of the time, Windows Update does its job without us paying any attention to it.

While we do occasionally manually check for and install updates, most Windows 11/10 computers are configured to apply important updates automatically, while older versions like Windows 8 and 7 typically apply these fixes on the evening of Patch Tuesday.

Sometimes, when the patch, or maybe even service pack, is being installed during shutdown or startup, the update installation gets stuck: freezes, hangs, stops, hangs, clocks, whatever you want to call it. Windows Update takes forever and it is clear that something needs to be done.

Follow these steps in the order given to try the simpler solutions first.