How to fix Language Pack download stuck in Windows?

A language pack that stays at a percentage, pending or initializing in Settings is a download from Windows Update that cannot finish. The usual causes are a metered or blocked connection, updates waiting for a restart, or a damaged update cache. Restart, turn off the metered connection and try again with only the language pack ticked.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What a stuck language pack download means

When you select Add a language in Settings, Windows does not have the language files on the PC. Microsoft's support page describes the steps: choose the language, pick the features under Install language features, then select Install. Windows then downloads the parts from Windows Update and installs them in the background.

A stuck download means one of those parts never arrives or never finishes installing. Settings rarely shows an error for it. Readers describe three states that do not change for hours: a percentage that stops (often near the end), pending, and initializing. All three have the same causes and the same fixes.

Why the language pack download gets stuck

The causes are ordered from the most likely to the least likely. The error codes come from Windows OS Hub, which tested them on Windows 10 and 11. The order comes from what each cause needs to happen.

How to fix a stuck language pack download in Windows

Fix 1 to Fix 3 solve it for most home PCs and take minutes. Fix 4 resets the update cache. Fix 5 is for work and school PCs. Fix 6 and Fix 7 repair Windows itself and are for the rare case where other features fail too.

Fix 1. Restart, turn off the metered connection and add the language again

5 to 15 minutesNo riskEvery reader, first. Especially on Wi-Fi, a phone hotspot or a slow line.

Windows holds back optional downloads on a metered connection. Windows OS Hub names the metered setting as the first check for codes 0x800F0908 and 0x800F0954. A restart also ends a download that hung, which a reader cannot cancel in Settings.

1. Restart the PC with Start > Power > Restart, not Shut down.
2. Open Settings > Network & internet, select Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then your network.
3. Turn off Metered connection. On Windows 10 the switch is Set as metered connection.
4. Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region. If the stuck language is listed, select ... next to it and Remove.
5. Select Add a language, pick the language and select Next. Under Install language features tick only Language pack and select Install.
6. Leave the PC on and plugged in until the language shows no progress text. Add Basic typing, Handwriting and Speech later in Language options.

Fix 2. Install waiting Windows updates first

10 to 40 minutesNo riskWindows Update shows Restart required, pending downloads or a failed update.

Language packs come from the same Windows Update service as the monthly updates. While an update waits for a restart or is half installed, the language download waits behind it and shows pending.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
2. Install everything that is offered, including optional quality updates.
3. Restart when asked. Restart again if Windows Update still says Restart required.
4. Go back to Settings > Time & language > Language & region and add the language again as in Fix 1.

Fix 3. Install the language with PowerShell to see the real error

5 to 20 minutesNo riskSettings shows no code at all, only a bar, pending or initializing.

Microsoft's Install-Language command downloads and installs the same language components as Settings. It either finishes or stops with an error code, so you learn which fix applies instead of waiting on a bar.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin). On Windows 10 select Windows PowerShell (Admin). Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Type the command with the tag of your language and press Enter. This example adds Japanese:

   Install-Language ja-JP

3. If the full language hangs, install only the language pack without its optional features:

   Install-Language ja-JP -ExcludeFeatures

4. Wait until the prompt returns. The command shows a progress line while it downloads.
5. Restart the PC or sign out and in. Microsoft says the change only takes effect after that.
6. Choose the new language in Settings > Time & language > Language & region > Windows display language.

Fix 4. Reset the Windows Update cache

10 minutesLow riskThe download stops at the same point every time, or the codes 0x800F0908 or 0x800F0954 appear.

Windows keeps the half-downloaded language files in the update cache and reuses them at every retry. Windows OS Hub lists clearing this cache as the fix for 0x800F0908 and 0x800F0954. Renaming the folders makes Windows download the language from zero.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Stop the update services. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. If Windows says that other services depend on Cryptographic Services, it stops them too. A message that a service is not started is fine.

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits
   net stop cryptsvc

3. Delete the download queue files. This clears the list of downloads that the Background Intelligent Transfer Service keeps. If Windows says it cannot find the files, continue.

   del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"

4. Rename the update cache folders. Renaming keeps a copy in case you need it; Windows creates new, empty folders when the services start again. If you get Access is denied, a service is still running: repeat the previous step.

   ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   ren %systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

5. Start the services again. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. The requested service has already been started is fine: Windows started it on its own.

   net start cryptsvc
   net start bits
   net start wuauserv

6. Restart and check for updates. Restart the PC. Then select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. The first check can take longer than usual because everything is downloaded again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset Windows Update components

Fix 5. Let a work or school PC download languages from Windows Update

10 minutesRead the warningA PC managed by an organization that gets updates from WSUS, with the codes 0x80073D01, 0x800F0950 or 0x8024500C.

Windows OS Hub explains that a PC set to take updates from an internal WSUS server cannot get language packs from it. A Group Policy setting lets Windows fetch optional features, language packs included, directly from Windows Update.

1. Open the Run box. Press Windows key + R.
2. Start the editor. Type the command below and select OK. Select Yes if Windows asks for permission.

   gpedit.msc

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10, Pro, Enterprise and Education (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Open the Local Group Policy Editor

1. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System.
2. Double-click Specify settings for optional component installation and component repair.
3. Select Enabled and tick Download repair content and optional features directly from Windows Update instead of Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). Select OK.
4. Open Terminal (Admin) and apply the policy, then restart the update service:

   gpupdate /force
   net stop wuauserv
   net start wuauserv

5. Add the language again in Settings or with Fix 3.

Fix 6. Repair the component store with DISM and SFC

15 to 40 minutesNo riskThe language still fails after Fix 1 to Fix 4, and other optional features fail as well.

A language pack is installed into the same component store as updates and optional features. When that store is damaged, every new package fails. DISM repairs it from Windows Update and SFC then repairs the system files.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.

   

2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Fix 7. Reinstall Windows over itself and keep your apps and files

1 to 2 hoursLow riskNothing above helped and languages, updates and features keep failing.

A repair reinstall puts a clean copy of the same Windows version over the old one, with a new component store and update stack. Apps, files and settings stay.

1. Open Recovery in Settings. Open Settings > System > Recovery. Next to Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now. This keeps your apps, files and settings.

   

2. Start the reinstall. Choose whether the PC may restart on its own 15 minutes after the installation, then select OK.
3. Wait and restart. Windows Update downloads and installs a repair copy of your current Windows version. Keep the PC plugged in and online, and restart it when asked.

These steps were written for Windows 11 22H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reinstall Windows without losing files

If the language pack download is still stuck

Before you reset Windows, find the error code. It decides what helps, and it is what support or an administrator will ask for.

1. Run Install-Language from Fix 3 once more and copy the ErrorCode line.
2. Press Win + R, type %windir%\Logs\CBS and press Enter.
3. Copy CBS.log to the Desktop and open the copy in Notepad.
4. Press Ctrl + F and search for LanguagePack or the error code. The lines around the last hit name the package that failed.

How to keep language downloads from getting stuck

Frequently asked questions

Why is my Windows language pack stuck downloading?

Because the download from Windows Update cannot finish. The most common reasons are a metered or unstable connection, Windows updates waiting for a restart, and a damaged update cache. On work and school PCs that get updates from WSUS, language packs are often not available at all. Restart, turn off the metered connection and add the language again with only the language pack ticked. If it still hangs, run Install-Language in PowerShell to see the error code.

What does language pack pending or initializing mean on Windows 11?

It means Windows queued the language but has not started the download. Pending usually waits for something else that uses Windows Update: an update that needs a restart, a half-installed update, or a stopped update service. Restart the PC, finish the updates in Settings > Windows Update and add the language again. If it stays pending after that, reset the update cache as in Fix 4.

How long does it take to download a language pack on Windows?

Usually minutes on a normal connection, but there is no fixed time. Microsoft does not publish one, and the size depends on the language and the features you tick. A bar that has not moved for an hour is not going to finish. Restart and try again with only the language pack ticked, then add Basic typing, Handwriting and Speech later.

Why can't I download the Basic typing feature on Windows 11?

Basic typing is a separate download from the language pack, so it can stall while the language itself is installed. The causes are the same: the connection, waiting updates or the update cache. Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region, select the three dots next to the language, then Language options, and try the feature again after a restart. If it still hangs, use Fix 4 to reset the update cache.

What does We can't download the required language files right now mean?

It means Windows could not reach the download for the language. Check that the PC is online, that the connection is not set as metered and that Windows Update works. On a work or school PC the message usually means the PC takes updates from WSUS, which does not offer the language. Fix 5 explains the Group Policy setting the administrator can change to let Windows download it from Windows Update.

How do I fix language pack error 0x80073D01?

Windows OS Hub ties this code to PCs that get updates from an internal WSUS server instead of Windows Update. Enable the Group Policy setting Specify settings for optional component installation and component repair and tick the option to download optional features directly from Windows Update. Then run gpupdate /force and restart the update service. On a managed PC ask the administrator first, as Fix 5 says.

What does The language cannot be installed on this computer mean?

We could not confirm the exact wording of this message in a Microsoft source. In practice, check three things. The account must be an administrator, as Microsoft requires for adding a language pack. The edition must allow more than one display language, which the Single Language edition of Windows Home does not. And on a work PC, the organization may block language downloads by policy.

Can I install a Windows language pack offline?

On a running PC, the supported ways are Add a language in Settings and Install-Language in PowerShell, and both download from Windows Update. Administrators can add languages from Microsoft's Features on Demand and language media for their edition. Do not download .cab files from unofficial sites, because they cannot be checked and may not match your Windows build.

Does this fix work when the Premiere Pro language pack download is stuck?

No. This page is about Windows language packs. The message about a language pack download in Premiere Pro comes from Adobe's own installer and Creative Cloud, which have their own downloads and settings. Check the Creative Cloud app and Adobe's help pages for that problem. The connection checks in Fix 1 can still help, because a metered or unstable connection slows every large download.

Is Disk Cleanup stuck on Language Resource Files the same problem?

No. Language Resource Files in Disk Cleanup are unused language files that Windows can remove, and cleaning them is a separate task. If Disk Cleanup stays on that item for a long time, let it run and restart if it never ends. A language download that is stuck at the same time can leave files in use, so finish or remove the stuck language first.