1803 update fails again. How do I kill it?

bru said:

Because I don't feel confident. I don't even know how to do it. And I have a working computer. What if I try a clean install and it fails?

I know exactly what you mean as I remember my roots. You could create a system image backup.
--- In addition save your data also separately.
You could also got to WD Device Performance and Health & go to Fresh Start, it will provide a list of what apps will not be kept. Then you could get out knowing what apps you have to account for.
And in your case I'd still go back to Bree's recommendation.

bru said:

Because I don't feel confident. I don't even know how to do it. And I have a working computer. What if I try a clean install and it fails?

A clean install is far easier than you may think. Three important steps to follow and it will be a simple process that will only take a couple of hours, if that:

1. Make sure your install media works, such as testing the flash drive to make sure you can boot from it.
2. Backup anything important from the computer, or disconnect any "data" drives, such as a second hard drive.
3. Download your most crucial drivers, such as network, video, etc and have them on the same flash drive (or a different one).

Ran the command suggested earlier in the thread, don't think it did anything. But tried to update through the Update Assistant and it froze at 92%. Tried the Sleep trick I Googled to get it to complete and it only got to 93%. wth this is really messed.

Running the update trouble shooter I skipped check for pending updates since I think it will just redownload 1803. But I do get an error that Windows could not automatically detect this networks proxy settings. No idea what this means. I do not run a proxy. Use a proxy server for your LAN is unchecked. Computer connects fine to the internet. Doubt this is related to 1803 not installing but just another problem. geesh

"Ran the command suggested earlier in the thread, don't think it did anything."
--- It would be good to let us know what that command is so the author or one of us could respond to it

"But tried to update through the Update Assistant and it froze at 92%."
--- I've seen quite a few times in which a frozen situation eventually comes through but took many hours to do so including running overnight.
--- Even though it was only a one-time extreme one of my friends told me his took 23-hours. He had called me up when it had been running about 3 hours and I told him do not stop it.
On the "Tried the Sleep trick I Googled to get it to complete and it only got to 93%." I wouldn't have followed through on that as I would have stayed with what was running at the time.

"Running the update trouble shooter I skipped check for pending updates since I think it will just redownload 1803. But I do get an error that Windows could not automatically detect this networks proxy settings."
--- It would have been a good idea to let it run it's course on running what it's designed to do without skipping anything.
--- On the networks proxy settings, it's been a long time since I've seen that but I don't think it means you are running a proxy, it means it can't determine the networks proxy settings: in my mind for whatever reason.

Anyway please consider, when running a process, let us know what it is, let it do it's thing even if it takes a long time.
--- At the end you might get success, maybe an error message instead.
BTW, do you have a fresh or reliable system backup in case it's needed?