cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Win 7 refuses to update.

penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
Thanks: 25
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Win 7 refuses to update.

Sorry about this.... Seem to be having loads of problems at the min, that I cant seem to suss out, despite endless fruitless attempts at trying.
With respect to my previous post regards Windows 7 not installing, I now have issues with this system not updating.....
Activiation went OK, the system however refuses to install any updates. It just sits there on checking for updates, and does nothing else. I have researched this, and run the Windows troubleshooter, and also the windows update fix it tool (microsoft fix it 50202) still it refuses to work.  I am using a wired connection, direct to the router.
The only things installed are Windows, and security essentials. Security essentials updates fine. The standard windows firewall is on, and I have not yet installed a browser but IE8 that installed with Win7 accesses the internet fine.
Once I start the update process, the HDD light flashes quite alot, for the first 10mins or so, and I can see activity on the router, suggesting its communicating with the update servers, but after 10-15mins all activity appears to cease, and nothing happens apart from the windows saying searching for updates. I have the most recent windows update client, as the first time I tried windows update, it said this needed to be installed.
I have seen that windows memory useage is at around 2.7Gb (of 4Gb installed), and the CPU appears to be doing something, as CPU useage varies betwwen 50 and 80%.
I am at a loss, and run all solutions I can find, and I would welcome any advice you could give, on solving the issues.
14 REPLIES 14
Strat
Community Veteran
Posts: 31,320
Thanks: 1,609
Fixes: 565
Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

I had the same problems with a recent re-install of W7.
I tried all the 'fixes' I could find without success.
Eventually I decided just to leave it on checking for updates overnight and sometime during the following day it started downloading stuff.
Windows 10 Firefox 109.0 (64-bit)
To argue with someone who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead - Thomas Paine
penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
Thanks: 25
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

Thanks strat. Will give that a try and just leave it doing its thing
alanf
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 1,931
Thanks: 78
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎17-10-2007

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

Message removed.  I skim read the first post a bit too fast and was about to suggest something that had already been tried.
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

This web site might be worth a look http://www.wsusoffline.net/docs/ .  You can create offline update media for different Windows versions, very useful if you have to re-install Windows repeatedly.
Another tip, don't let your computer install all 200 odd updates at once because one failure could scupper the rest.
MartyPop
Rising Star
Posts: 137
Thanks: 13
Registered: ‎01-10-2014

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

Quote from: Strat
I had the same problems with a recent re-install of W7.
I tried all the 'fixes' I could find without success.
Eventually I decided just to leave it on checking for updates overnight and sometime during the following day it started downloading stuff.

I also had the same problem with my last two fresh installs of Win7 and I found if I just left Windows "Checking for updates", it did eventually start downloading them. From memory, I think I had to wait something like 30 minutes for it to get going.
St3
Aspiring Champion
Posts: 2,614
Thanks: 502
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

im actully downloading win 10 now onto my parents pc, just a shame i got to wait ages as they only have 1.5meg connection so its dragging as it is. I started last night ans noticed that it was stuck for ages on checking updates this morning i had to force the program to close so i could reboot as this often can fix an issue if programs get stuck/crash.
Looks like its now downloading the updates again but this time its showing up in my updates section and it seams to be working too. Just need to wait another 5 days to download it on this crappy connection, no offence to plusnet as its not their fault..... bt need to get fibre here soon ...
SpendLessTime
Hero
Posts: 3,000
Thanks: 928
Fixes: 86
Registered: ‎21-09-2009

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

If you wish to increase the speed of Windows Update, a little used fix is to ensure that the networking MTU value in the PC matches that set on the router.
http://support.zen.co.uk/kb/Knowledgebase/Changing-the-MTU-size-in-Windows-Vista-7-or-8
Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
St3
Aspiring Champion
Posts: 2,614
Thanks: 502
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

cheers for that il have a look if i run into anymore problems
penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
Thanks: 25
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

Thanks for the advice.  Will just wait and see.  Searched the Windows 7 forums, and this does not appear to be an isolated incident, many Win 7 installs are doing this, mainly after installing the windows update agent, that it does, the first time update is run.  Last night I gave up after an hour.
@Reedrichards....  Will take a look at that site thanks..
penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
Thanks: 25
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

@reedrichards
Very useful site that....  I have downloaded all the updates for win7, and will use this to install all updates, and then see if updates work again.  There was a good gig of downloads, glad I have a 40meg connection  Cheesy
How do you stop it installing all the 200ish updates at once.?
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

I'm not quite sure if you do an off line install.  What I tend to find is that Windows spends ages installing 100+ updates as it shuts down, one of them goes wrong and it spends ages undoing them all.
penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
Thanks: 25
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

From what I can tell it appears to be offline.  Theres a good tutorial linked too on the site, that I had a read of...  http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/wsus-offline-update/
Anyhow will give it a go tomorrow.  Just transferring over 2.5gig to a stick.  This is without office updates..  gave up with office ages ago.  Use Libre office now, just as good in my view  Crazy
penfold
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 2,280
Thanks: 25
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

Typical..... tried to update using the link reedrichards gave. My working win7 created the updates ok. The new install installed .net, silverlight and updates to remote client. It got to installing windows updates and hung at checking for updates needing to be installed. Left it for over an hour but nothing, and again after a while hdd activity ceased. I did put the client folder in the root of the c drive, but I noticed there was a folder with random numbers and letters superimposed by a padlock, containing some kb files. I assume these are from when I tried to update via internet. I have reinstalled 7 and this folder is not there anymore. Will try again but if it isn't work then I am resigned to trying the 20odd hour wait.  Why oh why did Microsoft not produce a 2nd service pack.......  is there any way of making a slipstream win7 sp1 disk with all current updates,  much like nlite for xp.
nanotm
Pro
Posts: 5,756
Thanks: 156
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-02-2013

Re: Win 7 refuses to update.

your best option is to select all the important updates and ignore the lower priority or option al stuff, every 10>15 minutes force the system to reboot, and it will download around 30 updates the first time which it will install during the reboot cycle, then each time rather than loosing or gaining every single update you only loose a couple of them, it would be useful if windows update listed them all in the date order so you could manually select them all no more than 10 at a time for the install process, iirc a couple of the important updates wont install until after some of the optional updates are done and its a neat trick to figure out which is dependant on which
also the update thing gets faster the more updates it does because one of them fixes the bit stream being fixed at less than 100kbps for update downloads .....
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you