FN-GM Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 Hi, Brand new clean install of Windows 7 inc SP1, and when checking for Windows updates its stuck on the initial "Checking for updates". It never gets past this point. I have had this on 3 brand new installations on 3 seperate devices on 3 seperate internet connections and 3 seperate versions of Windows 7. Does anyone know whats causing this please? Its being a right pain! Thanks
LukeC Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 i'm getting this too rather irritating. I don't have a solution though.
Steve21 Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 I'd try KB947821 manually if you can, find a lot of the time it's borked for some stupid reason on manual installs. Steve
6Foot2 Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 I get some machines [freshly built] that eventually, after a long wait, give an error on their first Windows update. When this happens I have found that deleting browsing history usually gives them the kick they need and they apply most of the updates on the next attempt.
FN-GM Posted September 26, 2015 Author Posted September 26, 2015 I'd try KB947821 manually if you can, find a lot of the time it's borked for some stupid reason on manual installs. Steve I get some machines [freshly built] that eventually, after a long wait, give an error on their first Windows update. When this happens I have found that deleting browsing history usually gives them the kick they need and they apply most of the updates on the next attempt. Just tried these 2 suggestions and it still doesn't work
6Foot2 Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 Will this help: Link: Automatically reset Windows Update components [Microsoft Support]
Cache Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 I've had this recently with a few computers I've rebuilt. The first one eventually completed after several hours of checking for updates and a couple of reboots, the next couple I installed one of the later version of the Windows Update Agent (I've been using June, but September has just been released): https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3050265 or https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3083324 but what I'm testing on the latest laptop is using wsusoffline to download and install most of the updates but I've not tested properly to see whether it has helped the Windows Update speed issue: WSUS Offline Update - Update Microsoft Windows and Office without an Internet connection
mrwoberts Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 (edited) @FN-GM As par for the course, I manually install the following updates, post-install, to get Windows 7 on the right path... The following links are for 32-bit version!! KB971033 KB982018 WUClient-SelfUpdate-ActiveX-x86.cab WUClient-SelfUpdate-Aux-TopLevel-x86.cab WUClient-SelfUpdate-Core-TopLevel-x86.cab KB2670838 KB2841134 For the MSU files wusa D:\updates\Windows6.1-KB971033-x86.msu /quiet /norestart wusa D:\updates\Windows6.1-KB982018-v3-x86.msu /quiet /norestart wusa D:\updates\Windows6.1-KB2670838-x86.msu /quiet /norestart For the CAB files DISM /online /norestart /add-package /packagepath:D:\updates\WUClient-SelfUpdate-ActiveX-x86.cab DISM /online /norestart /add-package /packagepath:D:\updates\WUClient-SelfUpdate-Aux-TopLevel-x86.cab DISM /online /norestart /add-package /packagepath:D:\updates\WUClient-SelfUpdate-Core-TopLevel-x86.cab DISM /online /norestart /add-package /packagepath:D:\updates\IE11-Windows6.1-KB2841134-x86.cab IE11 must be installed last! Followed by a REBOOT. Edited September 26, 2015 by mrwoberts
mrwoberts Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 +1 for WSUSoffline (invaluable bit of software, but doesn't it won't satisy Windows Update, which I can workaround)
free780 Posted September 26, 2015 Posted September 26, 2015 Stop the win upd service delete software distribution folder. The start service. Check for updates. I think the ms mentality is just upgrade to windows 10. In the real world its not that simple.
FN-GM Posted September 27, 2015 Author Posted September 27, 2015 Will have a play with the suggestions. Its just pretty annoying, I shouldn't have to be doing this!
computer_expert Posted September 27, 2015 Posted September 27, 2015 I left a VM running at the 'Checking for updates' stage overnight and it still hadn't finished in the morning. I bumped the ram up from 2GB to 4GB in the VM settings and it did it pretty much instantly (after binning the existing SoftwareDistribution folder)
FN-GM Posted September 27, 2015 Author Posted September 27, 2015 Hi, I have tried everything on this post and its still broken. I haven't tried WSUS offline as this is a workaround, i could do with Windows update working. Thanks to those who posted. This is really annoying me!
FN-GM Posted September 27, 2015 Author Posted September 27, 2015 No idea whats gone on here, it will automatically download and install updates but not via the application. Will check on the log tomorrow.
caffrey Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Weird, I thought it was just me - same thing happened to me last week on a few new builds using the same image I've used for a while. Windows update no longer works but it still picks up the updates from WSUS with automatic updates.
LukeC Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 My issue has resolved. My time was wrong and this seems to have solved the issue still took around 1hr to check though.
JasonNVSD Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Same here. If you google the problem, you will find many people with the same issue: new installation, stuck at checking for updates. There are dozens of different "solutions" out there, but for many people like myself, nothing works. And yes, the date and time is correct. So after spending hours at it, analyzing windowsupdate.log over and over, I found a solution that works every time: do nothing. Just restart the computer and let it idle for 3+ hours (your may need to turn off sleep for this). Every time I do a new installation, and try to run Windows Update immediately after, I see this problem, and this solution works every time.
FN-GM Posted September 28, 2015 Author Posted September 28, 2015 Same here. If you google the problem, you will find many people with the same issue: new installation, stuck at checking for updates. There are dozens of different "solutions" out there, but for many people like myself, nothing works. And yes, the date and time is correct. So after spending hours at it, analyzing windowsupdate.log over and over, I found a solution that works every time: do nothing. Just restart the computer and let it idle for 3+ hours (your may need to turn off sleep for this). Every time I do a new installation, and try to run Windows Update immediately after, I see this problem, and this solution works every time. I think that what happened with me. I got fedup and left the laptop on and went out. I came back and nearly 200 updates had downloaded.
mrwoberts Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 (edited) @FN-GM Things may well have changed as a result of the further update to 'updating client' in anticipation of a Windows 10 upgrade - KB3083324, I think. Anyways, glad you got this sorted. Are you planning on future clean-builds?? If so, you could integrate the latest (200+) updates into a clean image before you install. This is what I've come to do, it saves a lot of time. Edited September 28, 2015 by mrwoberts
JasonNVSD Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 @FN-GM Things may well have changed as a result of the further update to 'updating agent' in anticipation of a Windows 10 upgrade - KB3035583, I think. Anyways, glad you got this sorted. Are you planning on future clean-builds?? If so, you could integrate the latest (200+) updates into a clean image before you install. This is what I've come to do, it saves a lot of time. I hope you don't mind me replying as well. This problem has been around for a few years, with various versions of the update agent. At work we use WSUS so it's not an issue there. Where I do see it is when I'm at home or helping out someone out with a personal device.
mrwoberts Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 I certainly used to have this problem, a while back, but since the penny dropped and I learned to integrate the updates, build times have significantly reduced. I used to use WSUSoffline, but again, integrating offline has kind of removed the need. How do you guys go about a new build?
FN-GM Posted September 28, 2015 Author Posted September 28, 2015 @FN-GM Things may well have changed as a result of the further update to 'updating client' in anticipation of a Windows 10 upgrade - KB3083324, I think. Anyways, glad you got this sorted. Are you planning on future clean-builds?? If so, you could integrate the latest (200+) updates into a clean image before you install. This is what I've come to do, it saves a lot of time. Its not for the school network, Windows 7 is getting axed here. We are restoring the original OS on laptops removed from service, there is such a mix of operating systems I can't really keep an image for each.
mrwoberts Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Ok, just wanted to save you the time Just out of curiosity, what does your environment look like exactly? Aside from different bit-versions.
FN-GM Posted September 28, 2015 Author Posted September 28, 2015 Ok, just wanted to save you the time Just out of curiosity, what does your environment look like exactly? Aside from different bit-versions. Yer no worries wasn't knocking you How do you mean exactly please?
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now