Windows 10 20H2 Update Fails: Why Does It Keep Happening?

Windows 10
1

I'm having trouble updating my laptop to Windows 10 20H2. Despite multiple attempts, the installation keeps failing. I've searched online for solutions, but so far, nothing has worked.

2

Sorry to hear that you’re having trouble with the 20H2 update. I’ve been there too, and it can be frustrating. Let’s try to troubleshoot the issue together.

First, let’s cover the basics. Have you checked the Windows Update logs to see what’s causing the failure? You can do this by following these steps:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type eventvwr and press Enter to open the Event Viewer.
  3. In the Event Viewer, navigate to the Windows Logs section and click on Setup.
  4. Look for errors with a timestamp around the time of the failed update. Take note of the error code and description.

This should give us a better idea of what’s going wrong.

In the meantime, here are some common fixes that might help:

Try resetting the Windows Update components:

  1. Press the Windows key + X and select Command Prompt (Admin).
  2. Run the following commands one by one:
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits

This will reset the Windows Update components and clear out any corrupted files.

If that doesn’t work, try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter:

  1. Download the Windows Update Troubleshooter from the Microsoft website.
  2. Run the troubleshooter and follow the prompts.

Finally, if all else fails, you can try doing a clean boot to isolate the issue:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type msconfig and press Enter to open the System Configuration utility.
  3. Go to the Services tab and check the box that says “Hide all Microsoft services”.
  4. Click Disable all to disable all non-essential services.
  5. Restart your laptop and try updating again.

If none of these steps work, please provide more details about the error code and description you found in the Event Viewer, and I’ll do my best to help you further.