Sometimes Windows update gets itself stuck. Here's how to fix it if it encounters an error due to the PC turning off.

It is essential to install updates on your Windows, but sometimes you may experience update errors that cause the system to malfunction. One such error that leaves most users perplexed is the 'We couldn’t install some updates because the PC was turned off' error.

Unlike other Windows update errors, this pops up when something like a third-party antivirus program or a background app prevents the system from installing the updates successfully. In this guide, we will have a look at five effective troubleshooting methods that you can try if your system displays this error. Hopefully, these fixes will allow you to resume the update process in no time.

One of the most common reasons behind issues like the one at hand is the overly-protective antivirus programs that interfere with the legitimate processes of your operating system.

Sometimes, the security program installed on your PC falsely considers ongoing operations like updates and app installations as threats and blocks them completely. The solution, in this case, is quite simple, as all that you need to do is disable the antivirus program, install the updates, and then enable the security service back again.

Below, we have listed the steps of doing so using Avast antivirus as an example. The steps of disabling other programs temporarily might vary, but the ones mentioned below should give you a basic idea of how to proceed:

Once done, you can try installing the pending updates to check if disabling the antivirus made any difference. While you are at it, you can also try disabling the Windows Defender Firewall temporarily. However, make sure you enable it right after the updates are installed since keeping it disabled for a long time can expose your computer to unwanted risks.

Another effective solution for fixing issues regarding Windows updates is running the Windows Update troubleshooter.

This utility will scan the update-related system files for inconsistencies, identify the potential problems, and suggest relevant fixes accordingly. You can use it via Windows Settings.

Here is what you need to do:

Windows also has other similar utilities that can look for issues within the system and fix them without much user input. If the troubleshooter fails to find issues, you can try running the System File Checker. This tool will replace the unhealthy files with their healthy counterparts, hopefully fixing the issue for you.

Several users reported that they were facing the error code under discussion because there were quite a few updates running simultaneously on their operating system, which led to them interfering with each other’s processes.

This typically happens when the applications installed on your computer are trying to update themselves while the system updates are running. The application updates prevent the system updates from installing and completing, hence the error.

This is why we suggest that you check if other updates are in process while you try to install the system updates. If they are, pause, cancel or complete them, and then attempt to install the system updates.

Here is how you can do that:

This is not really a troubleshooting method, but an alternative way to install the required update. Microsoft Update Catalog includes all the Windows updates that are launched by Microsoft. In cases where the system cannot install the update automatically, you can head over to the catalog and get it manually.

You just need the KB number of the update for this method.

Here is how you can use it:

Finally, if none of the methods above did the trick for you, then the issue might not be related to the update but to the system itself.

The best way to fix system-related issues is by performing a clean installation of Windows. Usually, the easiest way of doing so is by using the Media Creation Tool. In case you are a Windows 10 user, this might be a good time to upgrade your operating system to Windows 11.

Installing the latest updates is necessary for a lot of reasons—they offer the latest features, and come with bug fixes as well as security patches that help keep your system secure. That said, update errors can be a pain, especially when the error code does not provide much information about what might be causing the issue.

Luckily, fixing these errors does not require advanced technical knowledge most of the time, and you should be able to get the update service back on track with the methods above.

Zainab is a tech content writer based in Pakistan. When not toiling away at her desk writing about all things tech, she can be found in her small library reading business and productivity books. Expertise: Windows, Android, Browsers.

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