I'm trying to update to the latest version of Windows 11 and it keeps freezing in the middle of the process. I've already tried restarting my PC like 3 times, but it keeps giving an error at the same percentage. Does anyone know what to do?
I've been through this and what worked for me was freeing up disk space (you need at least 20GB free), disabling third-party antivirus during the update and then trying again. If it keeps freezing at the same spot, try downloading the Windows Media Creation Tool directly from Microsoft's website and update from there, sometimes that fixes it when Windows Update gets buggy.
That's really annoying, and it usually means something's blocking the update. First, what's the exact error you're getting? Because if you can get that information it makes it way easier to figure out what's going on. In the meantime, try this: disable your antivirus before you start the update again, sometimes they get in the way and freeze everything. If you use Windows Defender, try disabling it temporarily. Also free up space on your drive - you need quite a bit of free space, like at least 10-20 GB, otherwise the update gets stuck.
Another thing that fixes it a lot is doing the update through Windows Update, but in a more "manual" way. Go to Settings > System > About and click on "Check for updates", let it do everything properly without messing with your PC. Some people manage to get it working by disabling unnecessary stuff running in the background - it's annoying, but it works. If it still doesn't work, you can try downloading the official update tool straight from Microsoft's website and running the installer file, sometimes that's more stable. Did you manage to see an error code anywhere? Because if you tell me what it is, I can give you a more direct answer.
That's annoying as hell. First try putting your PC in safe mode and doing the update from there, sometimes that fixes it.
If that doesn't work, go to Settings > System > Recovery and try the option to reset Windows while keeping your files, then update.
If it keeps freezing at the same percentage, it could be a corrupted file in the installation, so it's worth downloading the update file again or even using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool to reinstall from scratch, but that's more drastic.
When Windows gets stuck at the same percentage, it's usually because something's blocking the process from writing new files to the disk. The first thing you should do is check if you actually have enough free space - you need at least 20-30GB free, not just taking up space but actually available. Go to Settings > System > Storage and see how much you've got free. If you're low, delete some temporary files, empty the trash, and even uninstall programs you don't use. There's that CCleaner software that helps clean up temporary stuff, but the basics usually do the trick.
After that, disable third-party antivirus programs (like Avast, AVG, Kaspersky) during the update. Some people don't believe it, but those programs really do go through checking file by file while Windows is trying to install, and that causes freezing. You can leave Windows Defender on, but actually shut down the others. Also, sign out of any Microsoft accounts you have connected, remove unnecessary USB peripherals (wireless mouse and keyboard sometimes cause problems), and keep your PC plugged in throughout the whole process. If it still keeps freezing, try booting into Safe Mode (press F8 on the boot screen) and try the update from there - with fewer programs running, it usually works better.
If none of that fixes it, go to Settings > System > Recovery and choose the option that says something like "Reset this PC" and check the box to keep your files. This basically reinstalls Windows but without losing your documents and photos. It's kind of the last resort because it takes a while, but it usually clears out any junk that's in the way.
Most freezes at this point happen because your PC can't write the update's temporary files. Besides what's already been said (free space, antivirus disabled), try this: go to Settings > Storage > Temporary files and clear out all the cache you can find (old downloads, temp files), then also run Disk Cleanup and check the box for "System files". After that restart and try the update again, but this time don't touch your PC while it's processing - just let it work in peace.
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