This error means the app’s last update has not finished or is stuck, so Windows blocks launches until you let the update complete or reset the app.
Seeing the message “application cannot be started because it is currently updating” is confusing, especially when nothing obvious seems to be downloading. The wording sounds simple, yet the cause can sit in several places: a stuck Microsoft Store update, an Office repair in progress, or a background platform such as WSL that has half-installed files.
This article walks through clear checks and fixes you can apply on a normal Windows desktop or laptop without risky tweaks. You will learn how to confirm whether an update is actually running, how to push a stalled app update to finish, how to reset common apps such as Photos or Word, and what to do when the updating message never clears.
What This Updating Error Actually Means
Windows tries to protect your data by blocking an application while its files are changing. When an installer, repair task, or store update is writing files, the launcher can refuse to start and shows a short updating message instead. The goal is to avoid running mixed versions of the same program at once.
In a normal case you would only see this message for a short moment while an update bar runs and the app returns to normal soon after. When the message keeps appearing for minutes or hours, it usually means one of three things: the update task is frozen, the app store lost track of its own progress, or a previous repair crashed and left file locks behind.
Many Windows components rely on the Microsoft Store, including Photos, the new Media Player, some inbox tools, and even developer features such as WSL. That is why the same wording can appear when you open a picture, launch a game, or run a terminal command. The root pattern is the same: the platform thinks the app is still in the middle of an update cycle.
Application Cannot Be Started Because It Is Currently Updating Error Fixes And Prevention
Before you start any app-specific repair tools, run a short sequence of quick checks. These steps catch the most common triggers for this updating error, especially when it only affects one or two apps.
- Restart The Device Once — A single clean restart clears temporary locks or queued file operations from a previous session that might hold the app in an “updating” state.
- Check For A Visible Update Banner — Open the Start menu and look for a thin progress bar under the app tile or name. If you see one, launch the app from there and allow it to finish its update when prompted.
- Confirm Date, Time, And Region — Open Windows settings and make sure time, date, and region are correct. Wrong values can confuse store update services and keep an install in limbo.
- Test With A Different File — If the message appears when opening a picture or document, try a different file type or another user account. This shows whether the block sits in the app itself or in the file association.
If the error still appears after these quick checks, it is time to work through updates and repairs for the main app families that trigger this message most often: store apps such as Photos, desktop apps like Office, and platform components such as WSL.
Fixing Microsoft Store And Photos Apps Stuck Updating
When the error only appears with Photos, Media Player, or another Microsoft Store app, the problem usually sits with a half-finished store update. The app icon can show a progress bar that never moves, while every attempt to open a picture or video repeats the same updating warning.
- Look For A Stalled Store Update — Open the Start menu, scroll to the app, and check for a progress bar under its name. If you see one, click the app and accept any prompt to finish installing. Once that update succeeds, the updating message often disappears.
- Force The Store To Refresh Its Queue — Open the Microsoft Store, go to the Library page, and choose to get updates. This pushes the store to re-check all app versions and complete any stuck downloads or installs.
- Reset The Store Cache — Press the Windows logo button on your keyboard, type wsreset, and run it. A blank window opens, then the store launches again. This simple reset can remove corrupt cache entries that block store app updates.
- Repair The Photos App — Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps. Find Photos, open its advanced options, and pick Repair. Windows will keep your data but replace missing or damaged files that keep Photos on a fake updating loop.
- Try An Alternate Viewer — As a temporary workaround, set a different picture viewer as the default so you can open images while you continue to repair the main Photos install.
| App Type | Where Updates Are Managed | Typical Fix For Updating Error |
|---|---|---|
| Store apps such as Photos or Media Player | Microsoft Store > Library > Updates | Complete pending updates, clear store cache, then repair the app. |
| Office desktop apps such as Word or Excel | Office account page and installer | Run a repair, remove older builds, then reinstall from your account portal if needed. |
| Platform features such as WSL or inbox tools | Microsoft Store and Windows Update | Finish system updates, refresh the platform package, and repeat the launch test. |
These steps resolve the most common version of this error where every attempt to open a PNG or JPEG triggers the warning and nothing appears. Once the store task completes and the Photos app repairs its files, images should open normally again without the updating notice.
Repairing Office And Desktop Apps With The Updating Message
Sometimes the application cannot be started because it is currently updating text appears when you launch Word, Excel, or another desktop program. In that case the problem usually involves an Office update or repair process that did not finish cleanly, or damaged installation files that cause every launch to think an update is pending.
- Check Office Account And Update Status — Open another Office app that still works, such as Excel or PowerPoint, and look at the account and update area. If an update is still marked as running, let it complete before closing the app.
- Run A Quick Repair — Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps. Locate Microsoft 365 or Office, open change options, and start a Quick Repair. This scan fixes common issues without re-downloading the entire suite.
- Use Online Repair If Needed — If the message keeps returning, repeat the process and choose Online Repair, which replaces more files and resets licensing data. This step takes longer but frequently clears broken update states.
- Confirm You Only Have One Office Build — Running two overlapping editions, such as an old Home and Student copy plus Microsoft 365, can confuse updates. Remove older versions so only one edition remains on the device.
- Reinstall From Your Account Portal — As a last resort, sign in to your Microsoft 365 portal, remove the current install from the device list, and download a fresh installer. This gives you a clean baseline with a known good update level.
If your Office apps still complain that the same updating line appears even after these repairs, check whether a third party antivirus tool is scanning or blocking the Office folders. Pausing deep scans during the repair window can prevent new file locks from forming.
Handling Wsl And Developer Tools That Will Not Start
Developer focused tools such as WSL can also display this message when the platform package is still updating in the background. When that happens, every wsl command in PowerShell returns the same line and even version checks fail. The underlying pattern is similar to store apps, but the fixes focus on the WSL package and related components.
- Check Wsl Status In The Store — Open the Microsoft Store, search for Windows Subsystem for Linux, and see whether an update is in progress. If the store lists a pending install, let it finish before trying any commands.
- Apply All Pending Windows Updates — Open Settings and run Windows Update. A partially applied system update can leave WSL files mismatched with the current kernel and keep the subsystem in an “updating” state.
- Repair Or Reinstall Wsl — Once updates complete, open an admin terminal and run the standard WSL update or reinstall commands as described in Microsoft’s WSL documentation. This refreshes binaries that might have broken during a previous install.
- Watch For Security Tools Blocking The Install — Endpoint protection suites and strict folder control rules can silently block writes to system locations. Temporarily relaxing those rules during a manual WSL reinstall can let the install complete.
If you still see the same updating warning after a full WSL reinstall, check application and system logs for error entries around the time of each launch. Those entries can point you or your administrator toward a more specific failing component.
When To Reinstall Or Contact The App Vendor
Most of the time this updating message comes from a straightforward store glitch or repair process and clears with the steps above. On a small number of devices it keeps returning across sessions and only affects one particular game, line-of-business app, or specialist tool. That is the point where a full reinstall or direct help from the vendor makes sense.
- Back Up Any Local Data — Before removing an app, export in-app content or license codes and copy any local data folders so you can restore them to a fresh install.
- Uninstall The Problem App Cleanly — Use the normal uninstall path in Settings or Programs and Features, then restart the device. Removing the app clears its update records and scheduled tasks.
- Reinstall From A Fresh Download — Download the latest installer straight from the vendor’s official site or store listing. Avoid third party mirrors so you know the files match the latest release.
- Collect Screenshots And Logs — If reinstalling still leaves you stuck with the same updating warning, capture a screenshot and gather basic logs from the Windows Event Viewer.
- Open A Ticket With The Vendor — Send those details through the vendor’s help channel so their engineers can match your issue to known bugs or push a fix in a later update.
Once you reach this stage you have cleared the usual Windows level causes and given the app a fresh baseline. From here, only the app maker can fully diagnose deeper coding issues inside their own updater. Keeping your notes from these steps makes that conversation faster and avoids repeating the same quick fixes.