How to Fix Couldn’t Install Update Date & Time Problem on Windows 11

Are you experiencing the error Couldn’t install update date & time problem on Windows 11?

For an optimum and smooth user experience, Microsoft releases updates to their software versions frequently. Though these releases are supposed to be automatically downloaded and installed on your system, the process isn’t always as direct as one might expect.

Many users experience different kinds of Windows Update errors with the basic know-how of fixing them. One such error is the Couldn’t install update date & time problem on Windows 11. 

Now, it’s important to know that incorrect date and time is not always the cause behind this error. Other reasons include misconfigured settings, wrong active hours, expired IIS or root certificates, third-party antivirus interference, and so on. 

So let’s take a look at how to resolve this error.

1. Ensure the Date & Time Is Correct.

Since the error states your system is encountering an issue with date & time, let’s first make sure they are correct. The time you set on your computer must sync with the Microsoft time server and your region. 

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Start by right-clicking on the date and time present at the bottom-right corner of the taskbar. 
   
2. Choose Adjust Date & Time.

3. Once on the Date & Time settings screen, ensure that the toggle for Set time automatically is turned on. If not, switch it on.  
   
4. From the Time Zone section, click on the drop-down menu and select your local time.

5. Under Additional Settings, click on the Sync now button.

6. Once done, install the date & time update to see if it works or not. 
   
   

2. Set Active Hours to Automatic.

The Active Hours feature lets you decide when your system should install the update so that the reboot doesn’t interfere with your work and force-closes all tasks midway. You can set the setting to automatic, which lets your computer calculate your daily activity to determine your work hours. 

We recommend you set the Active Hours option to automatic so that no application or service gets in the way of correct update installation. 

Here’s how to do it:

1. Click on the Start menu and select Settings. 

2. From the left pane, choose Windows Update. 
   
3. Now, from your screen’s right side, click on Advanced options. 
   
4. Choose Active hours. 
   
5. From the options that appear, choose Automatically. 

6. Lastly, reboot your device and check if you can install the updates now. 
   
   

3. Pause Other Updates.

If several updates are running on your system, they might interfere with and hinder each other’s functionality. This mainly happens when installed applications automatically update themselves and prevent system updates from completing. 

Therefore, if other updates are running side-by-side, you must pause, cancel, or complete their installation before proceeding with the Windows update.

Follow the steps below to do it:

1. Go to Microsoft Store and click on Library from the left pane. 

2. Under Updates & download section, click on the three horizontal dots next to an update being installed and select Cancel download. 

3. Perform the same steps for all the updates. 
   
4. Now, go to Windows Settings and install the pending updates from there. 
   
   

4. Temporarily Disable Third-Party Antivirus Program.

Some third-party antivirus programs are extremely overprotective and even prevent default processes like Windows Update from running on your system. Therefore, if you think the Couldn’t install update date & time problem on Windows 11 results from third-party antivirus program interference, temporarily disable it to see if that resolves the issue. 

Here’s how to do it:

1. Begin by going to the taskbar and right-clicking on the Show hidden icon. 
   
2. After that, right-click on the Antivirus icon and click on Shield control.
   
3. From the options that appear, select Disable until computer is restarted. 

Afterward, try installing the updates and check if this method fixed your issue. 

5. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter.

As the name suggests, Windows Update Troubleshooter scans your computer for any potential causes behind Windows Update errors. Then, it provides you with instructions to follow that will help you resolve the issue.

Follow the steps below to run the specified troubleshooter: 

1. Go to the Start menu and choose Settings. Alternatively, press the Win + i keys from your keyboard to open Windows Settings. 
   
2. From the System tab, click on Troubleshoot. 
   
3. Now, click on Other troubleshooters. 

4. Look for Windows Update and select the Run button next to it. 

5. Wait for the troubleshooter to scan your computer and detect and fix the problem. 

After the process is complete, try installing the updates again. 

6. Install Update Via Microsoft Update Catalog.

An alternative method to install the troublesome Windows update is to do it manually through the Microsoft Update Catalog. It is a dedicated website for all Microsoft releases. Before proceeding, you need to note down the Knowledge Base reference for the update giving you an error.

Afterward, follow the steps below:

1. Head to the Microsoft Update Catalog.
   
2. Enter the KB reference number in the search bar given at the top and click on Search. You can find this number next to the update failed error under the Windows Update settings. 

3. From the results screen that appears, click on the Download button next to the update you want to install. 

4. A new window will show up. Click on the link to continue. 
   
5. After that, select where you want to download the update file and click on Save. 
   
6. Once the file is downloaded, click on it to install it on your computer. If the file format is .cab, you must extract it first. To do so, open the file by double-clicking on it. 
   
7. Choose the entire content by pressing Ctrl + A keys from your keyboard and right-click on them. 
   
8. A Windows Security prompt will appear. Click on OK to continue. 
   
9. Now, select Extract and select where you want the extracted files to be saved.

10. Once the files are extracted, go to the location where you saved them and double-click on the setup.exe file. 
    
11. Lastly, follow the on-screen prompts to finish installing the update. 
    
    

7. Run DISM & SFC Scan.

Corrupted, damaged, or missing system files lead to all sorts of errors, including the Couldn’t install update date & time problem on Windows 11. This mostly gets resolved by running a DISM followed by an SFC scan on your computer.

Follow the steps below to perform this method: 

1. Open the Start menu and type in ‘cmd’ in the Search bar. 
   
2. Click on Run as administrator from the right side of the screen. 
   
3. Enter the following command and hit Enter:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

4. Now, perform an SFC scan by entering this command: 

sfc/scannow

8. Clean Install Windows.

If the Couldn’t install update date & time problem on Windows 11 persists, the issue might be related to your system rather than the update. In this situation, the best option you have is to clean install Windows. This will declutter your system, discarding all kinds of errors from your computer.

Since this method deletes everything from your PC, we advise you to create a backup of your important data beforehand.

This ends our guide on how to fix Couldn’t install update date & time problem on Windows 11. We hope you’ve successfully eliminated the root cause and resolved the issue. For more questions, head over to the comment section.

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