Is your Windows update stuck at 0% and you are prompted with a message ‘Windows malicious software removal tool stuck’? This issue can be quite a headache for many. Plenty of Windows users have mentioned getting such errors. The solution is pretty simple and here’s how to solve this issue.
Solution 1: Checking Windows Update Service
Step 1: Stop Windows update service
The first step is to stop the Windows update service. Follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Click on the start button and open the Run application.
- Type in services.msc in the Run. Click OK to open the services tab.
- Find Windows update inside the services tab and right-click on it.
- Then select the Start button.
That will solve the problem. But when you right-click on it and it shows as already running. Then you’ll have to follow a few more steps to take care of the issue. Leave the services tab open meanwhile.
Step 2: Clear the Software distribution folder
- Click on the start button and open the Run application.
- Type in the command %WinDir%\SoftwareDistribution. Click on the OK button.
- Then Select the entire Software Distribution folder and delete the content.
- That will resolve the issue.
- Try reinstalling the updates on your computer.
Solution 2: Reinstall Windows malicious software removal tool
If the above solution doesn’t work then follow this procedure.
- Download the Malicious Software Removal Tool from Microsoft’s download page.
- Then temporarily disable a) S*PERAntiSpyware real-time protection. If you also have ZoneAlarm installed then disable that too.
- Re-enable the Windows Firewall.
- Double click on the file setup file you’ve downloaded from Microsoft’s download page. Run the program to install it.
- Then open the application and click on Quick Scan. This will take around 30 minutes and find any malware tools to remove.
- When Quick Scan is completed, do a Full Scan once again. This will take around an hour to complete.
- This will show all the malware tools in your system. Click on them to remove them.
- The last step will be to open the log (C:\WINDOWS\]Debug\MRT.TXT). Browse to the bottom of it. If you find the entries of the Quick Scan and Full Scan there then your work has been successfully done.
- That will take care of the issue and it won’t prop up again.
