Fix Windows Update Service Could Not be Stopped

Windows is a go-to Operating System for many people. It works smoothly with many applications and gets regular updates from Microsoft. Every update of Windows makes it more efficient and error free. However, sometimes some issues can come up here and there. One such issue is encountered by many when they are trying to stop Windows updates using Command Prompt. When running the command to stop Windows update on Command Prompt, they get a message saying Windows Update service could not be stopped. It can be annoying if you want to stop updates as they may change your System settings, add new features you don’t want etc. In that case, the command net stop wuauserv not working could cause a huge problem as you will be forced to update your PC. If you are also dealing with the same problem, you are at the right place. We bring to you a perfect guide that will help you fix Windows update won’t stop issue.

How to Fix Windows Update Service Could Not be Stopped

There can be many reasons behind why you see command net stop wuauserv not working in Windows 10. Here are a few of them.

• Insufficient Administrator Privileges
• Corrupt or damaged Windows System

After understanding why Windows update won’t stop, let us check out some methods to fix Windows Update service could not be stopped issue. First, we recommend you Restart your PC, if the issue persists then follow the methods below.

Method 1: End Windows Update Service Process

In some cases, Windows Update Service or wuauserv may not be stopping because you lack proper admin privileges to execute net stop wuauserv command. This problem can be resolved by opening Command Prompt as an Administrator and stopping wuauserv using PID information. It might fix Windows Update service could not be stopped issue. Follow the steps below to do the same.

Note: If you want to restart Windows Update service again, you will be required to use Services tool.

1. Press the Windows + R keys simultaneously to open Run dialog box.

2. Type taskmgr and hit the Enter key to open Task Manager. Click on Yes, if User Access Control prompt pops up.

3. In Task Manager, switch to Services tab.

4. Now locate wuauserv process under Name column and note down number written next to it under PID column.

5. Hit the Windows key, type command prompt and click on Run as administrator.

6. Type following command in Command Prompt and replace X with wuauserv PID number you noted in Step 4. Press the Enter key to execute command.

Taskkill /f /pid X

7. If command is executed correctly, you will see following message where X will be wuauserv PID number.

SUCCESS: The process with PID X has been terminated

If you are unable to execute command then Windows Update might be running with some other program. To check for that, follow these steps

8. Open the Run dialog box and type services.msc and click on OK to open Services window.

9. In Services, find Windows Update, then right click on it and select Properties.

10. In Windows Update Properties window, go to Dependencies tab.

11. Check if any service is present under The following system components depend on this service box.

12. If Yes, then end that service by following steps 1 to 8 and try this method again.

Also Read: Fix Windows 10 Update Error 0x80070103

Method 2: Clear Update Folder

Another way to stop Windows Update service is by deleting all the content present in Update folder. Without appropriate update files, Windows won’t update. It might fix Windows Update service could not be stopped issue. To do that, follow the steps below.

1. Press the Windows key, type command prompt and click on Run as administrator.

2. Type following commands and press the Enter key after each command.

net stop wuauserv 
net stop bits 

3. After that press the Window + E keys simultaneously to open the File Explorer.

4. Go to following location path in the File Explorer.

C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution

5. In the Software Distribution folder, press Ctrl + A keys together to select all files, then select the Delete option. It will delete all files in the folder.

Note: If you want to restart Windows Update service then execute following commands in Command Prompt.

net start wuauserv 
net start bits

Also Read: How to Fix Windows Update Error 80072ee2

Method 3: Perform Repair Installation

If above methods don’t work for you then this is the last option. Repair Installation is used to repair system files without removing any data. It will fix any issues in current Windows OS instead of updating it. It might resolve net stop wuauserv not working issue and you can do that by following our guide on How to Repair Install Windows 10 Easily.

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We hope that this guide was helpful and you were able to fix Windows Update service could not be stopped issue. Let us know which method worked for you the best. If you have any queries or suggestions then feel free to drop them in the comments section.