Tech Help Please - Win 7 won't update

me | 8/2/2016 | The Louiswu

[The Louiswu]

I have done a fresh install of Win 7 OS but I can't get the windows updates. It's been a few days and I am getting nothing from MS - I've tried several "fixes" suggested on different OS forums, but still nothing. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

[Mr. K]

yes I have no problem with that...

[butlerweave]

You kidding me? Im getting TOO MANY W7 UPDATES I cant filter which ones are upgrades to W10.

Shhh ,the win 10 ones were installed long long ago

[mwilli20]

This is from a transcript of Laporte/Gibson’s Security Now podcast (https://www.grc.com/sn/sn-549.htm)

“What’s happened is Windows Update has changed a lot since the last service pack of Win7. So when you’re installing a new Windows 7 system, you’re installing Windows 7 with Service Pack 1. The problem is, even that is so old that it gets confused when you tell it to use Windows Update to bring the 250 things that have been updated since.
...
The secret is go and get the update to Windows Update manually off of Microsoft’s site. You can just - you can download it. ... So I got that after another fresh install of Windows 7. Oh, and you have to take it off the Internet. Don’t let it touch the Internet because it’ll start trying to sniff Windows Update and get confused. So after it first boots, with it off the Internet, you manually install the update to Windows Update. That then brings it current, and then you can let it run from there. So just a little tip, for those of us creaky old farts who refuse to go forward because, gee, Windows 7 works just fine.”

[snarkpup]

I install Windows 7 updates monthly, manually, at times of my choosing. At the beginning of each update, the machine will sit for long periods of time, apparently doing absolutely nothing. Last year the wait time was about 15 minutes and steadily worsening. It's now up to over five hours. I have heard this is a known Windows problem that has something to do with analyzing interactions with superceded updates.

[TomGuy]

I have wondows 10 and see no reason not to update if while it is still free.

I put a copy of 10 on an extra hd and tried it for a short time.

I have several old utilities that do not have modern equivalents. Some I actually had to jerry-rig to work with 7. They will not work with later versions. To me, those utilities are more essential than Win10 is.

Win10 also dumped several former 'built ins'. Media Center is gone, but I have some programs that require Media Center. IE is almost gone and I have some utility programs that require pre-11 IE.

When I went from Win98 to XP, I lost several software programs because they would no longer work, and several peripherals -- printer, scanner, DVD-RW.

Similar when I went from XP to Win7. I lost a nice little desktop laser b/w printer. No drivers for 64-bit Win7, not from the manufacturer, not from MS and not from secondary sources.

I do have reasons not to update.

[Navy Patriot]

This never finishing updates and high CPU usage is a Win 7 flaw that was caused (deliberately or not) by MS push to force you to Win 10.

It can be repaired, but not by Automatic Windows Update, only by selecting the proper standalone updates from MS website.

The standalones use MS Trusted Installer to install just the one update you choose (usually by KB number).

You can also save the downloads to a USB flash drive, and use them to quickly get Win 7 up and running should you have to do another clean install again.

Always check the KB update number for the 32 or 64 bit system you have, some are for both, not all.

[paratus]

I fought the WinX upgrade threatware for a year, declining, and finally resorting to killing the Windows update process every time it started up, because it would run continually for days (I’m not exaggerating), never finishing and taking 99% of the CPU while it ran.

I stumbled upon a article about the service rollups, and did a clean install, then applied “SP2”. It’s been fairly stable since then — although Windows Update continues to turn itself back on after I disable it.

If you’re savvy, this technique might give you relief; it’s just sad I had to resort to it. My next computer will run LINUX. You’ve lost me as a customer, Microsoft, hear?

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/05/windows-7-now-has-a-service-pack-2-but-dont-call-it-that/

[DJ Frisat]

Navy Patriot's reply looks pretty good, but here's a link to an article that should also be helpful.

Windows 7 update fix

You'll note from the date on the article that it's pretty recent. This problem goes back many months, and it's finally been addressed. I will confess that I haven't actually tried it, because I ran into this problem and fixed it up 'the hard way' before this fix was announced.

It's crucial that Service Pack 1 is installed before trying to get the rest of the updates. If that's not installed, you will run into more of the same problems that you've already experienced.

You can check to see if you have SP-1 by simultaneously pressing the Windows key and Pause to see information about your system. It should show near the top, under 'Windows Edition'...

I went through this a couple of months ago, with a laptop that was restored to a Windows 7 pre-Service Pack 1 factory image.

[CatOwner]

There are issues you may not “see” with Win10. For example, they collect all kinds of data on what you use on your computer and transmit it to Microsoft without bothering to ask you for permission. They collect so much info, in fact, that French courts have basically declared Win10 in violation of their anti-spyware laws and banned it from that country until Microsoft remedies the issue.

I figure to keep my Windows 7 PCs/laptops indefinitely after the January 2020 end-of-life date for the operating system. Keep them offline and use them for various functions (no longer need to keep up with my work PC environment).

For browsing purposes, I am starting to look at a LINUX based PC. Not sure how user-friendly that would be, but I've used UNIX enough in the past to get by.

[Enlightened1]

What year did you by your PC?

I think the oldest PCs with Windows 7, around 2009, are getting hit with no more updates?

My install software just recently vanished.

I always kept my computer up, and never had any serious trouble until now.

Microsoft kept trying to get me to update to Windows 10, and I kept saying no, and right before July 29th (about a week or so) the installs just stopped working.

I found out my installer vanished. I bet 10 to 1 Microsoft did that to force me to upgrade to Windows 10. I can’t prove it, but the timing seems remarkable.

[Weirdad]

Try This:

Click the Start Menu and RIGHT click on “Computer” probably in the upper right.

A screen will come up with details about your computer, “SYSTEM.” (I think there is a “System” in control panel also if you wish to get there that way.)

At the bottom is “Windows Activation.” When enough things have changed on your system, you will lose activation (or so it seems), and it needs to re-activate, or else it thinks you are a pirate and it will not let you update most things.

If yours is already activated, then probably this will not have helped you, but it might indicate you are not activated, and if that it the case you can click the link to activate, or even just wait on that screen, and once your system activates and reads “Windows is activated” then Windows Update may work again.

I hope this works for you — I have to perform this sometimes to get Windows Update to not just sit there forever.

[Joe Brower]

Sorry to be late to the party with this advice, but I figured this very same problem out for myself just yesterday. Had two PCs that suddenly could not update -- scary red icons and "service not started".

But run services.msc and everything is running. Typical Microsoft with it's erroneous error messages -- that wasn't the problem at all.

Turns out something or other was corrupted in C:\windows\SoftwareDistribution.

I just stopped the service (wuauserv), deleted this directory, turned the service back on, and let 'er rip.

Good luck.

[Navy Patriot]

I really like Windows 7 compared to the other MS op systems, and I just finished building five new desktops running 7 Pro (mostly Sixth Generation).

I got all the critical stuff on a USB drive, so it takes me only a day to bring a clean install up to date, including putting 7 on an Intel 100 series chip.

Still like XP on a couple of older machines, too.

[upchuck]

Support ended in 2015

You're quite right. Mainstream support ended on 1/13/15. But Extended Support (which includes updates) does not end until 1/14/20.

Personally, I've got Win 7 updates turned completely off. Easier to do that than continue for fight with Microsoft over "upgrading" to Win 10.

[max americana]

There are no coincidences FRiend. My other laptop is a lenovo I bought on Craigslist and have others which are W7. The Lenovo installs the critical ones but I programmed it to stop the non critical ones. One Freeper got me thr GWX app to stop the W10 upgrades which worked like a charm.

[Allen In Texas Hill Country]

#NEVERTEN

[BornToBeAmerican]

This is typical. I have no idea why. From experience and advice of many posts....... Start the update and just leave it alone for a day or so (meaning, don’t stop the “Checking for Updates....”)

After a day or so, you should “Restart” the computer. If like me, you will see almost 200 pending updates waiting to be installed. All while “Checking for Updates....”

Takes a couple of hours to install them and everything works as it should after that. Happens every time.

[The Louiswu]

Thanks for all the help - I am reading all of this even though I’m not responding to everyone. I just want to let you know that I really appreciate the help. Once again, the good folks of FR are there, ready to help. God Bless.

[TexasRepublic]

Linux is user-friendly and will run great on (former) Window 7 hardware. Microsoft customers remind me of battered wives; why live with that abuse? Apples are great, but Linux and its apps are free and very satisfactory for most people’s needs. Try Linux Mint “Mate” or Ubuntu “Mate” desktop versions. I dumped Vista in 2009.

[The Louiswu]

” Start the update and just leave it alone for a day or so ...” Done this..still nothing...Thanks