updating to win11, stuck at ‘getting updates'

Hi, good day!

At 46% after 7 hours, it’s probably stuck, not just slow. If there’s no disk or CPU activity, go ahead and cancel and retry.

If this still doesn't work, I recommend performing an In-place upgrade using the Windows 11 ISO.

Few things to check on the PC

• Unplug all external peripherals except for the Mouse, Keyboard, and LAN cable before starting
• Disable or uninstall any third-party Antivirus program to prevent it from interfering with the upgrade

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4252110/how-to-run-in-place-upgrade-in-windows-11?forum=windows-all&referrer=answers

I look forward to your update and am happy to continue working with you until the issue is resolved. If you find the answer helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and consider upvoting it. Otherwise, please keep me posted by clicking "Add comment" below instead of selecting Yes or No.

Use the built‑in Windows Update path first, then move to repair steps if the Windows 11 setup keeps hanging at “Getting updates”.

1. Confirm Windows 11 is offered via Windows Update
   1. On the Windows 10 device, select Start → Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update.
   2. Select Check for updates.
   3. If Windows 11 is ready, Windows Update will show a banner that Windows 11 is available with a Download and install button. Use this path instead of a standalone installer if possible.
2. Make sure Windows 10 is fully updated
   • If Windows Update shows pending updates for Windows 10, install them, restart, then check again for the Windows 11 offer. The Windows 11 upgrade may not appear or may stall until all current Windows 10 updates are installed.
3. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter (Windows 11/10)
   • On the device, run the automated Windows Update troubleshooter in the Get Help app using the Run the troubleshooter in Get Help entry. It will attempt to detect and fix common update issues that can cause hangs at “Getting updates”.
4. General repair steps before retrying the upgrade Follow these steps on Windows 10, then retry the Windows 11 upgrade via Windows Update: a. Repair system files
   1. In the taskbar search box, type command prompt.
   2. Right‑click Command Prompt → Run as administrator.
   3. Run:

            DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
      

      Wait for “The restore operation completed successfully”.
   4. Then run:

            sfc /scannow
      

      Wait until verification reaches 100%, then close Command Prompt.
   5. Try Windows Update/Windows 11 setup again.
   b. Rename SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 (advanced)
   1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
   2. Run these commands one by one, pressing Enter after each and waiting for completion:

            net stop bits
            net stop wuauserv
            ren %systemroot%\softwaredistribution softwaredistribution.bak
            ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak
            net start bits
            net start wuauserv
      

   3. Restart the PC and retry the Windows 11 upgrade.
5. Perform a clean restart and retry setup
   • Perform a clean restart (minimal drivers and startup programs) to avoid third‑party conflicts, then run the Windows 11 upgrade again. See Perform a clean restart into Windows in the troubleshooting article for the detailed steps.
6. If it still hangs, use a clean installation of Windows 11
   • Back up personal files first (to external drive or cloud).
   • Go to the software download page for Windows 11 and select Download tool now to create installation media and perform a clean installation of Windows 11. This bypasses many in‑place upgrade issues but will require reinstalling apps and re‑configuring settings.

If errors appear during the process, use the Get help with Windows upgrade and installation errors article referenced from the Windows 11 upgrade page to match the error code and follow the specific fix.

References:

• Troubleshoot problems updating Windows
• Getting ready for the Windows 11 upgrade