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Software Center Stuck on Loading Screen

Is Software Center showing a loading screen that never finishes? This guide provides proven solutions to get it working again.

First Thing to Try

Wait 3-5 minutes first - Software Center sometimes needs extra time on slow networks or after system startup.

Quick Fixes (Try These First)

1

Wait and Check Network

⏱️ 2-5 minutes

Sometimes it just needs more time on slow networks

  1. Wait 3-5 minutes to see if it loads
  2. Check your network connection
  3. Try refreshing by closing and reopening
2

Restart Software Center

⏱️ 1-2 minutes

Close completely and reopen the application

  1. Close Software Center completely
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager
  3. End any 'Software Center' or 'SoftwareCenter' processes
  4. Reopen Software Center from Start Menu
3

Restart SCCM Services

⏱️ 3-5 minutes

Restart the background services that power Software Center

  1. Press Windows + R, type 'services.msc'
  2. Find 'SMS Agent Host' service
  3. Right-click and select 'Restart'
  4. Wait 2-3 minutes, then try Software Center again

Why Software Center Gets Stuck Loading

Network Connectivity Issues

Poor connection to SCCM server or slow network

Common indicators:
  • • Other network apps are slow
  • • VPN connection issues
  • • Recent network changes
High Likelihood

Corrupted Cache Files

Damaged or outdated cached data in Software Center

Common indicators:
  • • Software Center was working before
  • • Recent failed installation
  • • Computer hasn't been restarted lately
High Likelihood

SCCM Service Problems

SMS Agent Host service is stuck or not responding

Common indicators:
  • • Task Manager shows high CPU usage
  • • Other SCCM functions not working
  • • Recent Windows updates
Medium Likelihood

Policy Processing Issues

Client policies are corrupted or outdated

Common indicators:
  • • Applications disappeared from Software Center
  • • Recent domain changes
  • • Computer moved to different network
Medium Likelihood

Detailed Solutions

1

Clear Software Center Cache

Remove cached data that might be causing loading issues

Intermediate⏱️ 5-10 minutes
  1. Press Windows + R and type 'control smscfgrc'
  2. Click on the 'Cache' tab
  3. Select all items in the list
  4. Click 'Delete Files' to clear the cache
  5. Restart Software Center

Warning: This will remove all cached installation files and force re-download

2

Reset WMI Repository

Fix corrupted WMI data that SCCM depends on

Advanced⏱️ 10-15 minutes
  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
  2. Type: net stop winmgmt /y
  3. Type: cd %windir%\system32\wbem
  4. Type: for /f %s in ('dir /b *.dll') do regsvr32 /s %s
  5. Type: wmiprvse /regserver
  6. Type: net start winmgmt
  7. Restart your computer

Warning: Advanced solution - contact IT if you're not comfortable with command line

3

Run SCCM Client Actions

Force refresh of client policies and connections

Intermediate⏱️ 5-8 minutes
  1. Press Windows + R and type 'control smscfgrc'
  2. Go to the 'Actions' tab
  3. Select 'Machine Policy Retrieval & Evaluation Cycle'
  4. Click 'Run Now' and wait for completion
  5. Run 'Application Deployment Evaluation Cycle'
  6. Close the control panel and try Software Center

Warning: May take several minutes to complete all policy updates

Command Line Force Restart

If Software Center is completely frozen, use these commands to force restart:

# Kill Software Center processes

taskkill /f /im SoftwareCenter.exe

taskkill /f /im SCClient.exe

# Restart SCCM services

net stop ccmexec

net start ccmexec

Run these in Command Prompt as Administrator, then wait 2-3 minutes before opening Software Center.

When to Contact IT Support

Contact your IT department if:

  • Software Center has been stuck loading for more than 30 minutes
  • All solutions above haven't resolved the issue
  • Multiple users are experiencing the same problem
  • You need to install critical software for work

Prevention Tips

Regular Maintenance:

  • • Restart your computer weekly
  • • Keep Windows updates current
  • • Don't force-close Software Center during installations
  • • Ensure stable network connection

Warning Signs:

  • • Software Center takes longer than usual to open
  • • Applications disappear from the list
  • • Frequent "connection lost" messages
  • • High CPU usage by SCCM processes

Quick Reference Summary

Try This Order:

  1. Wait 3-5 minutes (network delay)
  2. Close and restart Software Center
  3. Restart SCCM services
  4. Clear Software Center cache
  5. Contact IT if nothing works

Most Common Causes:

  • Slow network connection
  • Corrupted cache files
  • SCCM service issues
  • Outdated client policies

Related Solutions

Software Center Not Opening

Fix Software Center that won't start at all.

Software Center Not Showing Apps

Resolve empty or blank Software Center.

Software Center Cannot Be Loaded

Fix "cannot be loaded" error messages.

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