Phenquestions
When I tried to run Windows Update on an old laptop that had not been updated for a long time, for one of the updates I received the following error message. I did wait for a day, restarted the PC and tried again, but it did not help:
An update is being prepared for your device, but it's not quite ready yet. We'll keep trying, or you can try again now.
There was also a Retry button, which did not really help me. In this post, we will share how you can fix the problem and update Windows.
An update is being prepared for your device, but it's not quite ready yet
While using the Windows 10 Update Assistant helped me, you may try the following suggestions to fix this Windows Update error:
- Use Windows 10 Update Assistant
- Clear SoftwareDistribution folder & Catroot2 folder
- Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
- Delete this Registry key
1] Use Windows 10 Update Assistant
Microsoft is known to put updates on devices that are not compatible with the feature updates. However, if you believe it a false positive, we strongly recommend you use the Windows 10 Update Assistant to download or install these updates. You may face the issue later if there's a compatibility issue, and you will have to resolve them manually by updating software and drivers.
2] Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
Windows 10 offers an official troubleshooter for Windows Update. Based on past experiences, Microsoft has designed such troubleshooters. The Update Troubleshooter can resolve many issues by restarting services, setting them to default, and turn on features that were turned off. To run the troubleshooter, follow these steps:
- Open Windows 10 Settings (Win + I)
- Navigate to Update and Security > Troubleshoot
- Select Windows Update, and then click on Run the troubleshooter button
Followed by this will be a wizard that will automatically fix a few things, to resolve the problem. Make sure to check for the update after the troubleshooter finishes its work.
3] Clear SoftwareDistribution folder & Catroot2 folder
Windows Update downloads all update files into dedicated folders, and if something is wrong with the files, it can cause trouble. Windows Update might try to fix it internally but gets stuck again. If that's the case, follow our in-depth guide to delete all the content from the SoftwareDistribution folders and CatRoot2 folder and restart the download again.
4] Delete this Registry key
One registry key has been known to have worked for many, as reported in Microsoft Forums. The key is located in the WindowsUpdate > Auto Update > RequestedAppCategories and has been the same for many versions. We would recommend you to delete it but only after creating a system restore point.
Open Registry Editor and navigate to-
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update\RequestedAppCategories
Find the key 8B24B027-1DEE-BABB-9A95-3517DFB9C552.
Right-click on it, and delete it.
Restart the computer, and check for the update again.
I hope the post was easy to follow, and you were able to resolve the update issue related to the message “An update is being prepared for your device, but it's not quite ready yet.”
