Persistent Windows Update Issues on Windows Server 2016

Question

Dear Microsoft Support,

We are facing persistent issues with Windows Update on Windows Server 2016. The message "Update Available" constantly appears, but the updates are not applied even after multiple restarts. Additionally, accessing Settings > Update results in no action, preventing the use of the troubleshooting tool.

We have already attempted the following actions without success:

• Restarting Windows Update-related services (wuauserv, cryptsvc, etc.), including renaming the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folders, as per the instructions at https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-update-stuck-in-stopping-state/a993b3d8-1b78-43eb-8e80-6c4339b9fc0f.
• Running the commands sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, following the same guidelines.
• Attempting to pause or stop the Windows Update service, which remains stuck in the "Stopping" status.

Additional information is provided in the screenshots below.

We appreciate your analysis and look forward to receiving guidance to resolve this problem.

Regards,

Answer 1

Hello

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

Here are a few additional steps you can try to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Although you mentioned that accessing Settings > Update results in no action, you can try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter from the Control Panel.
2. Ensure that there are no Group Policy settings that might be interfering with Windows Update.
3. Ensure that there is enough free disk space on the system drive. Low disk space can sometimes cause update issues.
4. If the issue persists, you might consider performing an in-place upgrade to repair the system without losing data.
5. Check the Windows Update logs for any specific error messages that might provide more insight into the issue. The logs can be found in the C:\Windows\Logs\WindowsUpdate directory.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou

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Answer 2

Dear Microsoft Support,

Thank you for your response and suggestions.

We have followed the additional troubleshooting steps you provided, including:

• Running the Windows Update Troubleshooter from the Control Panel. (Image 1)
• Reviewing the Windows Update logs, but we could not identify any clear error messages pointing to a solution. Actually, there are only 'Information' messages reporting that updates are found (Image 1)
  
• Checking for any Group Policy settings that could interfere with Windows Update.
• Ensuring there is sufficient free space on the system drive.

I'm unable to perform the in-place upgrade because this is a production VM that cannot be taken offline for an indeterminate period. Additionally, the setup.exe used in the in-place upgrade, as suggested in https://learn.microsoft.com/pt-br/windows-server/get-started/perform-in-place-upgrade, is customized to include the setup of other services related to the server provisioning at HostGator. Running it again is not an option, as it could lead to the loss of customer data.

I'm attaching below the logs from the in-place upgrade process suggest in the guide.
https://pastecry.pt/Dci6vM#MezPey2HeeVet2Nek3Puq8Ruu1Ped

Despite these efforts, the issue persists. The Windows Update service remains stuck in the "Stopping" state, and updates are not applied even after multiple restarts.

Could you provide further guidance on how to resolve this problem?

Best regards,