A user reports that their Windows 10 laptop is failing to install the latest security updates. A technician confirms the laptop has a stable internet connection and more than 100 GB of free disk space. Despite multiple reboots, the update process consistently fails. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
The correct answer is that the Windows Update service is not running. The Windows Update service is a background process responsible for downloading and installing updates. If this service is stopped or disabled, updates will fail to install, even if the system has internet access and sufficient disk space. Restarting the laptop will not resolve the issue if the service is set to 'Disabled'. Lack of internet connectivity and insufficient disk space were ruled out in the scenario. While administrative privileges can be a factor in some software installations, standard users are typically able to initiate and install Windows updates, making a service failure the more probable cause in this situation.
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