Fix We could not complete the install because an update service was shutting down
#1. Reboot Your Computer
In order to install pending windows updates, most of the time, you need to reboot your system. It is the requirement of the system to validate the update services of windows.
Fix We could not complete the install because an update service was shutting down #1. Reboot Your Computer #2. Run Troubleshooter #3. Make Sure Windows Update Service is Running #4. Uninstall Third-Party Antivirus Software #5. Disable Windows Defender Service #6. Fix Corrupted Windows Update Database #7. Repair Windows Files using DISM #8. Reset Windows 10
As for the errors, you must have solved many problems by just rebooting your computer. Miraculously, it happens to work most of the time. Therefore, here you just need to reboot your system to fix the windows error. Press Alt+F4 or straight go to start options to reboot your computer. If that doesn’t work, we have other ways mentioned to help you out.
#2. Run Troubleshooter
If the reboot does not work, the next best option is troubleshooting. You can fix your error by using windows troubleshoot by following the given steps:
Press Windows Key +I to open Settings then click on Update &security options.
On the left, you’ll find the Troubleshoot option. Click on it.
Here, you need to click on the Additional troubleshooters.
Now, in this additional troubleshooting section, click on the Windows Update option.
And in the last step, select Run the troubleshooter option.
That’s it. You only need to follow the above steps, and windows will automatically repair the system and fix the error. Windows Troubleshoot feature is meant to solve such irregular errors.
#3. Make Sure Windows Update Service is Running
Windows services. msc is an MMC (Microsoft Management Console) that is meant to keep a check on Windows Services. It allows users the permission to start or stop running services on the computer. Now follow along to fix your problem:
Press Windows Key + R to open Run window then type services.msc in the box and click OK.
Now, a window Services Snap-will show up. Check there for the Windows Update option in the Name section.
The Windows Update service should be set to automatic, but if it is set to Manual in the Startup Type, double click on it. Now, go to the Startup Type dropdown menu and change it to Automatic and press Enter.
Click Apply followed by OK button. As for the final step, try again to reinstall the system updates which are pending. This method has worked for many and must work for you too. Usually, the given problem is because of Updates being set to manual. Since you have turned it back to automatic, your problem should get solved.
#4. Uninstall Third-Party Antivirus Software
Sometimes these third party antivirus applications also block your system from installing the updates. They disable the service of installing the updates on your system because of the potential threat they sense. As it seems completely senseless, you can fix the error by uninstalling these third-party applications from your system. Follow the given steps to uninstall the third-party apps:
First of all, search for the Control Panel in Windows Search and open it.
Under the Programs section in Control Panel, go for the ‘Uninstall a program’ option.
Another window will pop-up. Now search for the third-party application you want to uninstall.
Now right-click on it and select Uninstall. After uninstalling the third-party apps, reboot your device. This will apply the changes that occurred after the uninstalls. Now try to update your Windows again. If it worked and you have installed the pending updates, you can reinstall the antivirus.
#5. Disable Windows Defender Service
You can also fix the ‘We could not complete the install because an update service was shutting down’ error by disabling the Windows Defender Service from the Services window. Here is how you can do it:
Press Windows Key + R to open Run window then type services.msc and hit the Enter button or click OK.
Now, in the Services window, search for the Windows Defender Service in the Name column.
If it is not set to Disabled the Startup Type column, double-click on it.
From the Startup Type dropdown menu, select Disabled, and press Enter.
#6. Fix Corrupted Windows Update Database
Maybe your Windows Update Database has got corrupted or damaged. Therefore, it will not allow installing any updates on the system. Here you may need to fix the Windows Update Database. To fix this problem, go through the given list of steps correctly:
Open Command Prompt with administrative right.
Now type the following commands to stop Windows Update Services and then hit Enter after each one: net stop wuauserv net stop cryptSvc net stop bits net stop msiserver
Next, type the following command to rename SoftwareDistribution Folder and then hit Enter: ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
Finally, type the following command to start Windows Update Services and hit Enter after each one: net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver
Once you have completed these steps, Windows 10 will automatically create a folder and download the necessary elements for running Windows Update services.
#7. Repair Windows Files using DISM
You can try to fix the Windows corrupted files first. You will need the DISM as well as System File Checker Tool. Don’t worry about the jargon here. Follow the steps to fix this issue and update your system:
- Search for Command Prompt in the Windows search bar, right-click on the search result, and select Run As Administrator.
You will receive a User Account Control pop-up requesting your permission to allow Command Prompt to make changes to your system. Click on Yes to grant permission. 2. Once the Command Prompt window opens up, carefully type the following command and press enter to execute. sfc /scannow
- The scanning process will take some time so sit back and let the Command Prompt do its thing. If the scan didn’t find any corrupt system files, then you will see the following text: Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
- Execute the below command (to repair Windows 10 image) if your computer continues to run slow even after running an SFC scan. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Now reboot your system to check whether the error is fixed or not. Your problem must have been solved by now. But, in case you are still struggling, we have one last trick up our sleeve. Also Read: Why are Windows 10 Updates Extremely Slow?
#8. Reset Windows 10
Note: If you can’t access your PC then restart your PC a few times until you start Automatic Repair or use this guide to access Advanced Startup options. Then navigate to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Remove everything.
Press Windows Key + I to open Settings then click on Update & Security icon.
From the left-hand menu select Recovery.
Under Reset this PC click on the “Get Started” button.
Select the option to Keep my files.
For the next step you might be asked to insert Windows 10 installation media, so ensure you have it ready.
Now, select your version of Windows and click on only the drive where Windows is installed > Just remove my files.
Click on the Reset button.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the reset. If nothing works then you can directly download the Windows 10 ISO using the Media Creation Tool. Once you have downloaded the ISO then right-click on the ISO file and select Mount option. Next, navigate to the mounted ISO and double-click on the setup.exe file to start the in-place upgrade process. Recommended:
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Now as we have discussed eight different methods to fix the problem, “We Could Not Complete The Install Because An Update Service Was Shutting Down”. We are sure that you will find your potential solution here in this article. Still, if you face any problem, let us know in the comment box. We’d also appreciate it if you comment down your saviour step so that we can see which one of our methods proved to be better than the others. Have a happy Windows Update!