- If it says Don't turn off your computer, don't. Wait at least one to two hours. A blinking disk light means the update is still working.
- If after 3 hours nothing moves and there's no activity, hold the power button for 10 seconds and turn it back on. Windows usually continues or rolls back.
- If the update keeps failing: Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Windows Update → Run.
- Free up disk space. A big update needs at least 20 GB free.
- Pause updates for a week under Windows Update → Pause updates, restart, then resume updates and try again.
MacOn a Mac: a macOS update can show a stuck progress bar for a long time. Wait at least an hour. If nothing changes, hold the power button until it shuts off, and turn it on again.
Important: Forcing the computer off during an update is the last resort, not the first. In rare cases it can stop the computer from starting. If you have important files without a backup, it's better to wait longer.
Quick questions
How long should a Windows update take?
A regular update usually takes a few minutes to half an hour. A big version update can take an hour or more, especially on a computer with an older hard drive.
Can I just turn updates off?
You can pause them for a while, but it's not a good idea to turn them off completely. Updates close security holes.
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