Hi I cannot install Craft CMS updates. I have version 3.1.18 and I'm trying to update to 3.7.50

I have updated Composer successfully. I did however have a platform PHP 7 issue listed in composer.json which was overriding the server version required for the update. I wish I had just manually removed the line from the file to see if that would have fixed it but instead followed an instruction on github to use command: `composer config platform --unset` this didn't work when I then tried to update but I had noticed terminal that the response from the --unset request was that some plugins were skipped and that I should use command `composer update --no-plugins` which I tried.

From now on when I try to run the Craft update I get the error: 

`Composer was unable to install the updates. Error: Unknown package has no name defined` then proceeds to list the plugins. I cannot uninstall any plugins either to see if that would help. I have followed the advice on this post:


https://craftcms.stackexchange.com/questions/36605/error-unknown-package-has-no-name-defined-when-updating-craft-3

I couldn't delete the vendor folder as suggested in that post as access is denied for some reason but I could rename it. It still doesn't work though and I still get the same error when trying to update Craft.

I have searched other solutions but have now arrived at a dead end.

What am I missing please?