Guide to Fix "Failure Configuring Windows Updates" Problem in Windows 7 and 8

Windows automatically downloads and installs updates if the automatic option is turned ON for Windows Updates. Microsoft regularly releases updates for its Windows OS to fix the bugs/errors reported by users and addressing the security concerns to cope with latest threats.

During Windows update installation, one of the most common problem users face is “Failure Configuring Windows Updates, Reverting Changes, Do not Turn off your computer”. This error is faced by users of Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

Majority of the updates are installed with user’s permission but there are few crucial security updates that Windows installs itself. Regardless of which case it is, there are times when users face the above error message and their computer gets stuck in a loop where they can’t do anything, not even able to turn of their computer because the error message says not to.

Fixes for Failure Configuring Windows Updates problem in Windows 7 and Windows 8

Following are few of the fixes that worked for many Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. Try these before moving onto the more detailed solutions to this problem.

• Leave your PC for 15-20 minutes – Ideally wait 30 minutes before trying anything else. This fixes the issue sometimes because Windows is trying to rollback the updates that were corrupted or not installed properly and in doing so can take time depending on the speed of the hard drive on which Windows is installed.
• Restart your system – Sometimes, all you need to do is just restart your computer and if you are lucky, you will get out of this error loop. After you successfully reach your desktop screen, try re-installing the updates again.
• Installing updates 1 by 1 – When you check for updates, usually there are more than 1 updates ready to be installed. In this case, try to install each one of them individually to pinpoint the one that is causing the issue. Leave that update and install the rest.
• Disable antivirus – Sometimes, your antivirus flags a Windows update as malicious and do not allow the system to install it. Disabling your antivirus for a short period of time while you install Windows update can also help solve the issue.
• Unplug USB devices – Unplug any USB devices from your PC before installing updates. Sometimes, these external devices cause hindrance in installing updates because they might be using using a specific Windows service or component that requires to be updated.

If you are still facing the Failure Configuring Windows Updates error, follow the fixes below:

Fix # 01: Using Windows Update Troubleshooter

1. Open Start menu and go to Control Panel.
2. Under System and Security, select Find and fix problems.
3. On the next window, under System and Security, look for Fix problems with Windows Update and select it.
4. Click on Advance button to enable options.
5. On the new visible option, check Apply repairs automatically and click on Next button.
6. Wait for the process to complete. It will list down the problems that were found and solved.

Fix # 02: Deleting Windows Update Cache

1. Press Windows + R keys to open Run utility.
2. Type in services.msc.
3. A new window will open showing the list of services. Scroll down till you find Windows Update service.
4. Right click on Windows Update service and select Stop.
5. Now scroll back up to find Background Intelligent Transfer service. Stop it as well following Step 4.
6. Now go to the drive where you installed Windows. We are referring the C drive here. Go to this path – C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\
7. Delete everything from inside the DataStore and Download folder.
8. After this, start the Windows Update and Background Intelligent Transfer services again.

I hope it helps.

M Qasim

Muhammad Qasim is a long time contributor at Geekspie.com. Muhammad has years of experience writing about tech, including tutorials to resolve common problems users experience with Windows and Mac computers, iOS and and android devices, and software of all kinds. He can be reached through the contact us form.