Windows Update – Waiting for Install – Just Hangs [SOLVED]

by Howard B. Richman

When Windows update is triggered manually or automatically, sometimes it just sits there forever and you get a little progress indication that says “Waiting for Install” but nothing happens. I want to propose a solution that I haven’t seen anywhere else. This is not complicated and does not require any file replacements or fancy programming. This has worked in my case. It may not work in every case because I’m sure there are many causes of this error.

In my cases, when I have seen this, I have noticed that I had to shut the computer down incorrectly in a prior session. So, meaning that instead of doing a proper “shutdown” that I just powered off. As you know, sometimes this is necessary if the computer has frozen. But anyway, of course, THEN you get the “windows update” notification and then you activated it and it is not working. THAT is when you see “Waiting for Install.”

Solution:

Just restart your computer and THEN re-attempt your windows install and usually it will work!!!

Usually in the prior bad shutdown process, there was something that needed to be completed that did not get completed which is interfering with the windows update.