Removing Pending Updates on Windows 10 and Windows 11

Windows updates can sometimes cause issues, especially when they force restarts or interfere with applications. This guide will show you how to remove pending updates to prevent Windows from installing them. These steps apply to both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Step 1: Stop Windows Update Services

Before removing pending updates, you need to stop the Windows Update service.

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc

Step 2: Delete Pending Updates

Once the services are stopped, delete the update files stored in SoftwareDistribution and WinSxS.

Command Prompt Method:

del /f /s /q C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\* 
del /f /s /q C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\* 
del /f /s /q C:\Windows\WinSxS\pending.xml

PowerShell Method:

Remove-Item -Path "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\*" -Force -Recurse
Remove-Item -Path "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\*" -Force -Recurse
Remove-Item -Path "C:\Windows\WinSxS\pending.xml" -Force

If access is denied to pending.xml, take ownership and modify permissions first:

takeown /f C:\Windows\WinSxS\pending.xml /A
icacls C:\Windows\WinSxS\pending.xml /grant Administrators:F

Then, retry deleting the file.

Step 3: Restart Windows Update Services

Once files are deleted, restart the Windows Update services:

net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start cryptsvc

Windows 11 Extra Step

On Windows 11, Tamper Protection in Windows Security may prevent modification of update files. If you encounter issues:

1. Open Windows Security
2. Navigate to Virus & Threat Protection > Manage Settings
3. Disable Tamper Protection temporarily
4. Follow the steps above and re-enable it after removal.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively remove pending Windows updates, preventing them from being installed. This is particularly useful for IT professionals managing production-critical systems.