Immediate Fix: Use AMD Cleanup Utility
The most effective solution for an AMD Radeon Software update stuck at 0% is to bypass the standard installer’s logic entirely. Often, the installer hangs because it cannot overwrite existing files or is blocked by a background process.
To fix this, download the official AMD Cleanup Utility. This tool removes previously installed driver files, registry keys, and driver stores. After running the utility, reboot your PC and perform a fresh installation of the latest Adrenalin software.
Ensure you download the full “Offline Installer” from the AMD website rather than using the “Auto-Detect” tool, as the latter is more prone to network-related hangs at the 0% mark.
Technical Explanation: Why It Fails
When the installation progress sits at 0%, the software is usually stuck in the “Pre-extraction” phase. This happens when the installer attempts to verify the integrity of the downloaded package or create a temporary directory in C:\AMD.
Another common technical bottleneck is a conflict with Windows Update. If Windows is simultaneously attempting to push a generic display driver in the background, it locks the driver store. The AMD installer cannot gain “Exclusive Access” to the hardware, resulting in an indefinite hang without an error code.
Finally, corrupted local cache files in the AppData folder can trick the installer into thinking a process is already running, preventing the new installation from initializing.
Alternative Methods
Method 1: Flush Installation Temporary Files
If you prefer not to use the cleanup utility, you can manually clear the installation environment. Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator and execute the following commands to wipe the AMD cache:
taskkill /f /im RadeonSoftware.exe
rd /s /q C:\AMD
del /q /f /s %temp%\*Method 2: Disable Windows Driver Search
Preventing Windows from interfering with the installation process can often unstick the 0% progress bar. You can temporarily toggle the hardware update service to ensure the AMD installer has full priority.
Comparison of Troubleshooting Steps
| Fix Method | Primary Target | Recommended For |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Cleanup Utility | Registry & File System | Total Installer Hangs |
| Safe Mode Install | Background Conflicts | Driver Signature Errors |
| Manual Directory Purge | Corrupt Cache | Extraction Failures |
Method 3: Clean Boot Installation
Perform a “Clean Boot” by disabling all non-Microsoft services in msconfig. This ensures that third-party antivirus or overlay software (like Steam or Discord) does not hook into the GPU driver during the update process.