Computer stuck on update

I don't use automatic updates, but when I turned my computer off last night, it displayed "configuring Windows update". It took only a few seconds and then shut down. This morning I turned it on and it came up with "configuring Windows updates, 100% complete and "don't turn off your computer". I let it run for quite a while but nothing happened. I finally shut it off with the power button, it displayed the not shut down correctly message and then went to the blue configuring Windows message, but at 35%. Tried shutting down again with the power button, but no change.

******I just waited a while longer and the update screen disappeared and I was able to start Windows normally. I checked update history but nothing had been installed in last month. I am wondering what happened and if anyone has any idea.

If you don't use automatic updates, you may have gotten a huge bunch of updates that were trying to download. If one of the recent 3 GB updates was trying to install, by doing a forced shut down, you interrupted it. Although I certainly do forced shut downs if absolutely necessary, it's really never a good idea... especially if Windows is trying to do an update. You are lucky you didn't brick your computer! If this update tries to install again, this time, let it. Sometimes they take a long time... This last one DID sit at 100% for at least 5 minutes when I did the update on our American Legion computer.

If you're using Windows 10, you're getting automatic updates whether you want them or not.
I'm guessing you messed up the update it had downloaded in the background and was trying to install -- and Windows managed to go back to the previous configuration (before it started its failed update) when you turned it back on.

If you have Windows 10, it will continue to download and attempt to install updates until it completes them to its satisfaction.

Jenny, I have Windows 7 and the setting is to let me know updates are available but I will download and install them manually.

Drac, I agree about not doing a forced shutdown and will let it run till done, though there was no indication that anything was happening and I let it run for 30 min. I've never seen a 3 GB update. I only had the December updates (6), which amounted to 470 MB. This usually takes less than 10 min. I did not download and install them, it just started up automatically.

I just checked the update history and the last updates were installed on Nov 30.

Windows users have reported that some updates (updates Microsoft thinks are especially "critical") will install automatically even when you have Windows Update set to "let me know updates are available but I will download and install them manually."

If you really don't want anything downloading and installing automatically, you have to configure Windows to never install updates.

Since you know there are some updates which may be important, you should probably check Windows Update to see what they are. If they're as important as Microsoft thinks, plan to install them soon.

Yeah, 30 minutes is certainly excessive. I'd probably have chanced the hard shutdown myself at that point.

Like Jenny says, I'd definitely suggest checking for that update. I have a feeling it was the critical update for Internet Explorer which is what Windows 7 still uses. There was a huge security hole discovered last month.

https://www.acacompliancegroup.com/news/...r-security-hole

I was able to successfully install updates this morning, including an IE update. I don't know what the update I got yesterday was. There was no record of any installed and no restore point established. I did read of many others having the identical problem and recommendation to do a hard shutdown after 3 hrs if not completed by then.

Glad you got the IE update installed... from what I read, it was a pretty bad security hole.