What occurs if you shut down your computer while Windows is updating?
Errors are likely to occur during the installation of Windows 10 updates, and one of the most frequent problems is a stuck update. When Windows Update becomes stuck, it either fails to install at all or installs very slowly.
If Windows Update gets stuck, your first instinct is to shut down your computer and try again. But Windows explicitly warns against shutting down your computer while an update is installing. So, should you shut down your computer if Windows Update gets stuck or what? Follow along.
What happens when you turn off your computer during an update?
Let's say your computer is being updated and it crashes. Contrary to the warning, you decide to shut down your computer to update it later. Now, the next time you start your computer, one of the following two things might happen:
1. CBS does its job, and Windows starts up regularly.
2. Windows crashes and won't start, or you find yourself face to face with a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).
In the first case, CBS rolls back the update and makes your computer as it was before, and Windows starts up normally. In the second case, CBS fails to roll back the update for several reasons, and Windows fails to start up. In theory, CBS should register your operating system during an unexpected power outage, but this doesn’t always work. Windows needs essential operating system files to function properly.
If these files are missing or corrupted while installing the update, CBS can’t help you because CBS also needs the same essential Windows files to run.
Hence, this is why Windows warns you not to turn off your computer while installing an update because you never know when its essential files will be updated.
Therefore, it is advised that you never shut down your computer while Windows is installing updates. This can result in losing essential files and Windows failing to start up. In case you get a blank screen where Windows does nothing after an update fails, you can also recover your personal data, but the process will take some time.
What if I get a blank screen and nothing happens?
As mentioned above, if the updates are not installed properly, you may get a blue screen or a blank screen. While the latter is relatively easy to troubleshoot, the latter requires you to remove your hard drive to recover your data, so if you are experiencing a blank screen with nothing showing on the screen, remove your storage drive, connect it to another computer as an external drive, and copy your data to that computer.
What to do if Windows Update is blocked?
First, don’t panic. Simply restart your computer. Once CBS rolls back all the changes and Windows starts, make sure to clear out the old Windows update files. Clearing out the old update cache ensures that all the faulty update files are no longer on your computer and you can safely try updating again.
You can shut down your computer during the update, but you shouldn't.
Windows displays the “Do not turn off your computer” warning message for a reason, whether it’s corrupting important operating system files or sabotaging the update process. However, if Windows Update is stuck or taking too long to install, restarting your computer is a good idea. Often times, CBS will roll back the update and revert to the previous version of Windows. In this case, you can always try updating again.
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