Windows Update stuck at 0% (Win8)

So I just got my new tablet (description) and as usual I like to update everything. But when I go to system -> update, I start the update, and it just hangs at 0%, timelessly. I've tried all fixes on MS's help database, their Fixit and whatnot, and still doesn't help. Although their tool to fix Win Update says that there are some files corrupted and they can't be repaired, so it might be it. But I've already tried everything else and still it doesn't want to update. Any thoughts?

 

My surface pro did that the first time. Just let it sit for like an hour and it will eventually do it's thing. The corrupt files are the downloads that started and then you stopped it prematurely. The update will hang at 0% even if its downloading on some machines, especially when there are a ton of updates; just a Win 8 hiccup. If there really is a problem, I would suggest the TabletPCReview forums for more knowledgeable assistance.

 

Cheers, but I found my own workaround : I put it to download at 0%, as you said, and then cancel it after some time. I install and reboot, and then only x is left. And I am repeating the process until all the updates are done.

 

Just be patient man, the atom Z2760 isn't exactly a powerhouse, it will jump from 0 to 90-something % eventually. You aren't the only seeing this behavior.

 

True. Everything's fixed tho, that way managed to get the updates through!

It may not be a powerhouse, but damn it got some really nice wifi range. Detected a wifi network ~500m away

 

Lol, yeah atom tablets aren't powerhouses, but they do the basic stuff just fine, don't go nuts with the browser tabs though. Expect progress for any Windows Update to jump from 0 to a high number by the way, that's the kind of behavior I am seeing on my Thinkpad Tablet 2. Patching Windows 8 when I set it up took forever, especially for a guy used to rigs with SSDs.

 

I've been doing my own tests, and so far, it's performing them absolutely perfectly. The only thing that is a bit glitchy is the updated Facebook, everything else including YouTube is absolutely great.

One question tho, do you have any idea how to change the default search engine in Win8 and in the Metro IE10 app?

The only thing I notice is that sometimes some animations seem to skip, but that's all really. Also, is overclocking safe?

 

For IE10, changing it for the desktop version will likely change it for the metro version too, I haven't bothered changing it, but that is where I'd start, proxy settings for metro and desktop IE are both set in Internet options, I'd bet it's the same for the default search engine.

 

This is due to a problem with the Windows Update Cache and clearing the cache will solve the problem of the download total and completion percent remaining at zero. The command string for doing so can be found by googling the command line for clearing the update cache.

However, it is a misconception that simply because it shows 0% it means it's doing nothing and nothing is being downloaded. If a problem has occurred within the cache folders, while the gui may list a frozen 0% downloaded, in reality, Windows Update is functioning normally and is in the middle of downloading updates.

If you do experience this problem, DO NOT perform a dirty power down (holding the power button down until the device turns off), and if you wish to restart, it is highly advisable to use the charms bar and select restart from there. If you do not, you risk critical system file corruption which will cause more problems than it's worth. While it appears as a simple process to the end user, running windows update from a system point of view is a highly complex process that doesn't actually complete until the system has not only been shutdown properly, but restarted properly (properly being defined as selecting "restart" from the power options, allowing the system to shutdown and restart on it's own without user interference). It is not until the system restarts and the user is logged back in that the windows update process becomes complete and all commands are finalized and completed.