Microsoft Update isn't Working for me Anymore

InsideTheParker

persists in error
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
40,371
Pioneer Valley
When I get notification of available updates and choose the ones I want to download, they just don't download anymore. It says "downloading updates," but the wheel just goes round and round, and after many hours, nothing has happened. I tried shutting the computer off and on again, no difference. I thought that maybe Update is a program that needs to be uninstalled and reinstalled, but I can't find it in my list of programs. What to do/try?
TIA!
 

YouKantBeSerious

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 15, 2011
48
By chance are you running Windows 7? If so Microsoft crippled Windows 7 updates in order to push their Windows 10 OS.

I was able to manually install the below list of Windows Updates, reboot and windows update was able to pull up a list of updates in minutes.

For Windows 7 64-bit (x64) edition:
o Direct Download Link of KB3050265 Update (64-bit or x64) https://download.microsoft.com/download/E/9/7/E97EFDD9-053D-4C5B-96F4-F4928818C9A4/Windows6.1-KB3050265-x64.msu

o Direct Download Link of KB3065987 Update (64-bit or x64) https://download.microsoft.com/download/F/6/7/F678BB18-7D81-4BBA-8FED-6388FF7968AD/Windows6.1-KB3065987-v2-x64.msu

o Direct Download Link of KB3102810 Update (64-bit or x64) https://download.microsoft.com/download/F/A/A/FAABD5C2-4600-45F8-96F1-B25B137E3C87/Windows6.1-KB3102810-x64.msu

o Direct Download Link of KB3135445 Update (64-bit or x64) https://download.microsoft.com/download/9/C/8/9C855F85-08B1-47B4-97DF-B6A7D187F0B7/Windows6.1-KB3135445-x64.msu
o Direct Download Link of KB3138612 Update (64-bit or x64) https://download.microsoft.com/download/B/7/C/B7CD3A70-1EA7-486A-9585-F6814663F1A9/Windows6.1-KB3138612-x64.msu

o Direct Download Link of KB3161664 Update (64-bit or x64) https://download.microsoft.com/download/5/7/3/57362720-7B19-4CBB-97A1-BF8608449C85/Windows6.1-KB3161664-x64.msu

o Direct Download Link of KB3020369 Update (64-bit or x64) https://download.microsoft.com/download/5/D/0/5D0821EB-A92D-4CA2-9020-EC41D56B074F/Windows6.1-KB3020369-x64.msu

o Direct Download Link of KB3172605 Update (64-bit or x64) https://download.microsoft.com/download/5/6/0/560504D4-F91A-4DEB-867F-C713F7821374/Windows6.1-KB3172605-x64.msu

You still need to kill Windows update service between each of these installs but this saved me a half a day

http://www.askvg.com/fix-windows-7-keeps-checking-for-updates-for-hours/
 

Couperin47

Member
SoSH Member
There are updates available that restore access to the Updates for Win 7. The issue is fairly complex, Woody Leonhard covers these issue every day at his site:

https://www.askwoody.com/.

For many/most having KB3020369 and KB 3172605 installed allow Win 7 to actually access the file servers. Whether you actually want anything but the Security updates and how you get to just those with the new Rollup Update process they are introducing are entirely different matters...
 

InsideTheParker

persists in error
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
40,371
Pioneer Valley
Thanks. It turns out that by leaving it going all day, I was able to get the Malicious Software Removal Tool. The other important updates that still won't load are all for Office 2007 or Excel, except for the Security Monthly Roll-up. I don't understand what on earth a problem with those Office/Excel updates would have to do with my resisting Win10, unless I am being punished somehow! Anyway, I guess I'll do without them, and when I get the time I'll study Woody Leonhard. This stuff is hard for me. JimBoSox9, your idea is good, but doesn't account for folks being cheapskates like me!
 

InsideTheParker

persists in error
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
40,371
Pioneer Valley
Eddie Collins, I am eager to try your solution, b/c it doesn't require that I understand it, I only have to follow directions! However, I have a question. At the end, it directs you to change your settings to Install Updates automatically, which I am not inclined to do. That shouldn't be necessary for this solution to work, should it?
TIA.
 

EddieCollins

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32
Western MA
No that is not necessary in my experience. It's just setting that back to Microsofts default and they wrote the instructions.

You can manually force the update process. Which will achieve the same thing the auto update does. So once the patch is applied click on the text that says search for updates or something like that. Not in front of a computer so can't verify exact text.
 

Couperin47

Member
SoSH Member
Try this fix
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3200747

At work we would leave computers updating over night. Then that stopped working and updates would clock forever. This patched works for us and is very simple.

Good luck.
You might note that the instructions in the fix you provide are exactly the same 2 updates I suggested in my post #3 in this thread....the problem is you may have trouble trying to just install these 2:

You download them directly, you try to run the first...it starts by saying it's 'searching' and then sits there and searches forever....same with the 2nd.

Should this happen, the fix is slightly complicated:

1. Take the 2 downloaded KB files and open them with Winrar or some other unzip utilitity and extract the major *.cab file inside (this is the actual patch). Now you need to run this directly in an Elevated Command Box (a command box where you have Admin status) using the following syntax:

dism /online /add-package /packagepath:G:\1g\windows6.1-kb3172605-x64.cab

The above being the exact syntax for the 2nd patch, if you happen to have it extracted to a folder named 1g on your G drive, otherwise, you would change this to match the location of the extracted cab file, of course.
 
Last edited:

EddieCollins

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32
Western MA
Sorry I didn't remember the KB numbers. And the instructions aren't as clear cut as the Microsoft link (imo). Microsoft link is more focused on slow update speeds.
 

InsideTheParker

persists in error
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
40,371
Pioneer Valley
OK, here's what's happened so far. My computer said that it had the first of the two (KB3020369) even though I had searched for both before I started and found neither, but not the second (KB3172605), so I got the second, restarted the computer, changed update instructions to check for updates but let me choose, etc., and when asked to check for updates (which I know are out there somewhere) it just turned and turned and didn't find them. So then I changed instructions to download but let me check if I want to install. Now, it's working, but this is not a good setting, in my opinion, because unless you are at the computer paying attention, and click "stop installation," you have surrendered control. Still, the situation is better than before, and I guess I can change to the other setting and see what happens in the future. Thank you all for your efforts!
 

EddieCollins

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32
Western MA
After I run the patch whether I remember to put auto update back on or not I always do manual updates and am then able to hide ones I don't want. Then I select install manually. This is even when updates are set to auto which is pushed out with company group policy.

Is there a specific update you don't want that you can hide then have auto updates on?
 

Couperin47

Member
SoSH Member
I have my Win 7 Ultimate x64 set to check for updates, but let me choose to download and install and after installing those 2 Kb I have no problem downloading updates, albeit sometimes the process is rather slow. You most definitely DO NOT have to surrender more control.
 

InsideTheParker

persists in error
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
40,371
Pioneer Valley
After I run the patch whether I remember to put auto update back on or not I always do manual updates and am then able to hide ones I don't want. Then I select install manually. This is even when updates are set to auto which is pushed out with company group policy.

Is there a specific update you don't want that you can hide then have auto updates on?
Well, Coup and others made me scared of getting some Win10 stuff, but they are not pushing that on us anymore, so perhaps that's silly at this point. I have a bunch of updates hidden; nothing lately has worried me, except the monthly quality rollup, which I downloaded today. The only reason that bothers me is that Woody guy, who always warns us to "wait and see." I also don't see the point of adding the correct time for Latvia, etc., since it's irrelevant to me.
I have reset my update preferences to full "choice." We'll see how that works.
 

Couperin47

Member
SoSH Member
Woody provides a general updated strategy on MS patches for Win 7 and 8.1 in a new Infoworld article:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3136173/microsoft-windows/how-to-cautiously-update-windows-7-and-81-machines.html

This is predicated on the fact that the revised MS Security Rollup strategy has blurred the lines between 'security' patches and all others, which now are often focused on introducing the highly intrusive 'telemetry' features (read: monitoring and calling home to MS with all sorts of information on what you have installed on your 'puter and what you are doing with it, all supposedly anonymous, but, in fact, readily identified as to the exact machine). The 'rollups' definitely include considerable amounts of the latter. Woody identifies 2 strategies: Group A - I give up, I'll install all these rollups and, at least, I'm not getting snooped on or monitored any more than the average Win 10 user. Group B - How do I just find and install the legit security patches and avoid all this 'telemetry' crap, which they have made deliberately difficult.