Windows 11 Updates Stuck on “Pending Download” on Multiple PCs

Question

Windows 11 Updates Stuck on “Pending Download” on Multiple PCs

Harindu Jayatilleke 0

Hi everyone,

We’re currently experiencing an issue on multiple Windows 11 computers where Windows Update detects available updates, but they remain stuck on “Pending download” and do not proceed.

So far, I have tried the following troubleshooting steps:

Restarted Windows Update-related services, including Windows Update (wuauserv) and BITS.
Confirmed the main Windows Update services are running correctly.
Stopped the Windows Update service, removed/renamed the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder, and rebooted to allow Windows to rebuild the update cache.
Ran DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth successfully.
Ran sfc /scannow, which completed without finding integrity violations.
Rebooted and checked for updates again, but the updates still remain on Pending download.

The same behaviour is occurring on more than one computer, which makes me wonder whether this could be related to a recent Windows 11 update rather than an isolated issue with one machine.

Has anyone else recently experienced Windows 11 updates getting stuck on Pending download across multiple PCs?

If so, is there a particular recent KB/update known to cause this, or are there any additional Windows Update components you would recommend checking/resetting?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

Thank you for the detailed information about your environment and the troubleshooting you have already performed.

Based on your description, since the updates remain Pending download on multiple PCs even after restarting the Windows Update and BITS services, rebuilding the SoftwareDistribution folder, and successfully completing DISM and SFC, I would recommend looking beyond the local Windows Update cache.

Since multiple devices are affected, it would be helpful to check whether they share the same Windows Update source, policy, or network configuration.

1. Check whether the PCs are managed by WSUS, Group Policy, or MDM/Intune

If these are organization-managed devices, verify which update source they are configured to use. Windows Update policies can affect update behavior or direct devices to an internal WSUS server.

On an affected PC, you can review:

Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Configured update policies

If possible, compare the configured policies with a Windows 11 device that is downloading updates normally.

If WSUS is being used, also verify that the affected updates are approved and available on the WSUS server and that the clients can communicate with the server successfully.

2. Review the Windows Update log

Since Windows detects the updates but does not begin downloading them, reviewing the Windows Update log may provide more useful information than resetting the SoftwareDistribution folder again.

Open an elevated PowerShell window and run:

Get-WindowsUpdateLog

Then review the generated WindowsUpdate.log for errors around the time the download was attempted. This may help identify whether the problem is related to connectivity, DNS, proxy, firewall, or another Windows Update component.

3. Check the proxy, firewall, VPN, and network configuration

Because the same behavior is occurring on several PCs, check whether the affected devices share the same corporate network, VPN, proxy, firewall, or security configuration.

If permitted by your organization's security policies, one useful isolation test is to connect one affected device through a different network path without the corporate VPN or proxy and check Windows Update again.

If the updates begin downloading normally, this will indicate that the shared network path or configuration should be investigated further.

4. Check for a Windows Update error code

In addition to WindowsUpdate.log, I recommend checking:

Event Viewer > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > WindowsUpdateClient > Operational

Look for warnings or errors generated when you check for updates or when Windows attempts to start the download.

If an error code is recorded, it can help narrow down the cause of the issue considerably.

At this stage, I would not assume that a particular recent KB is responsible unless all affected devices are failing to download the same KB and there is a documented known issue associated with that update.

References:

Deploy updates using Windows Server Update Services | Microsoft Learn

Configure Windows Update client policies via Group Policy | Microsoft Learn

Configure Windows Update client policies | Microsoft Learn

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Answer 2

Since DISM, SFC, service restarts, and rebuilding SoftwareDistribution were already completed on multiple devices, the next supported checks are:

Run the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter on one affected Windows 11 device:
Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Windows Update > Run.
This is the recommended first diagnostic path for Windows 11.

Reset the Windows Update component folders again using the full supported sequence from an elevated Command Prompt, then restart:

   net stop bits
   net stop wuauserv
   ren %systemroot%\softwaredistribution softwaredistribution.bak
   ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak
   net start bits
   net start wuauserv

Then restart the PC and check Windows Update again.

Check for third-party security software on the affected PCs. Microsoft notes that third-party antivirus or security software can interfere with updating Windows 11. If present, temporarily uninstall it, update the PC, and then reinstall it.
Perform a clean restart of Windows on one affected device and test Windows Update again. A clean restart starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs and helps identify software conflicts affecting update installation.
If the issue started after specific recent Windows 11 updates, there are documented cases where update behavior was affected by known issues and mitigated through Known Issue Rollback (KIR). For enterprise-managed devices, IT administrators can deploy the applicable KIR Group Policy and then restart devices to apply it. For consumer and non-managed business devices, restarting can help the mitigation apply faster.
If the devices are on Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2 and the problem matches the documented May 2026 issue, installing an update released May 26, 2026 (KB5089573) or later removes the need for the workaround. For devices still affected before that update, Microsoft documents a registry workaround:
```
   reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Bfsvc" /v EspPaddingPercent /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
```
Then restart and retry the update. Warning: editing the registry incorrectly can cause system issues. Back up the registry first.
If the issue remains across multiple PCs after those steps, use the Windows recovery option on one failing device:
Settings > System > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update > Reinstall now.

About a specific KB causing “Pending download”: the available context does not identify a general Windows 11 issue specifically described as updates being stuck at Pending download across multiple PCs. It does show that some update failures have been tied to known Windows 11 release issues, so checking whether the affected devices align to a documented 24H2/25H2 known issue is the most relevant next step.