Essential Steps to Troubleshoot Windows 11 Update and Restart Issues

Step 1: Utilize the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Start by opening the Settings app:

1. Press Windows + I to launch the Settings window.
2. Select System from the sidebar and then navigate to Troubleshoot.
3. Click on Other troubleshooters.
4. Locate Windows Update and click on the Run button to initiate the troubleshooter.

Step 2: Restart the Windows Update Service

If you still face issues, restart the update service:

1. Hit Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type services.msc and hit Enter.
3. Find the Windows Update service, right-click it, and select Properties.
4. In the General tab, set the Startup type to Automatic and click Start.
5. Click Apply then OK.

Pro Tip: You may want to clear the update cache to prevent service disruptions.

Step 3: Execute DISM and SFC Commands

These commands can fix corruption issues:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator by searching for cmd in the start menu.
2. In the Command Prompt, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth and press Enter.
3. After completion, run sfc /scannow by typing it in the same window and pressing Enter.
4. Restart your computer after the commands have executed.

Step 4: Reset Windows Update Components

If the above doesn’t work, consider resetting the update components:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Enter the following commands one by one, hitting Enter after each: net stop bits net stop wuauserv net stop appidsvc net stop cryptsvc Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\*.*" rmdir %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution /S /Q rmdir %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 /S /Q regsvr32.exe /s atl.dll regsvr32.exe /s urlmon.dll regsvr32.exe /s mshtml.dll netsh winsock reset netsh winsock reset proxy net start bits net start wuauserv net start appidsvc net start cryptsvc

Step 5: Reset Your PC

If problems persist, consider resetting your PC:

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows key.
2. Select System from the left sidebar, then click on Recovery.
3. Click on Reset PC.
4. Choose if you want to keep your files or remove everything.
5. Select to reinstall Windows via Cloud download or Local reinstall.
6. Click Next and then press the Reset button.

Step 6: Manually Update Windows

Lastly, you might want to try a manual update:

1. Open your web browser and visit Microsoft Update Catalog.
2. Search for the specific update or select the latest one and click on Download.
3. Locate the downloaded update file and run it as administrator.

What should I do if my PC is stuck in a restart loop after an update?

Is it safe to reset my PC?