Windows 7: Windows Update downloading after install

I seem to have an issue that is the reverse of what most people experience. I have seen this before in Windows Vista too. Here in South Africa bandwidth is expensive, so most of you guys overseas won't have noticed this probably:

I asked Windows 7 to 'check for updates' and it reported a KB971092 which is an update to Visual Studio 2008 installed on my PC. I saw that the KB was 350MB so instead of letting Windows Update download it for me, I decided to download it from the Microsoft Download Centre, so I could keep it in case I reinstalled my PC and wanted to use it again without downloading it over and over again, 350MB being huge.

The KB downloading fine and installed fine. It appears in the 'Installed Updates' window. After going online again, I used the 'check for updates' again, and the KB disappeared from the list of items I still needed to download. So far so good.

But my connection kept on being very busy, downloading heavily from the internet. I installed NetLimiter to check what application was so busy downloading, and an IP was returned to me, it being Microsoft's Windows Update server's IP. No other application was doing anything on the net, just Windows Update STILL downloading KB971092! I am sure what will happen is, it will download all 350MB again and only then check and see it is installed, and then ignore it, but this is wasting valuable bandwidth!

Is there a way that I can check which updates are currently being downloading in some folder or log somewhere or even in the registry, or is there a way I can stop or delete the entry that is telling Windows to still get this update?



I have seen this before in Vista and even XP, Windows Update sees and logs that an update is needed, then when you install it manually, the Update application STILL finishes it's download, even if it doesn't USE the download afterwards.

Any help will be greatful!

In Vista and in Windows 7 you can choose to Hide that update so Windows Update will not download it or install it... This information came from Microsoft Support..


You can hide the update, and then Windows Update won't offer it to you again unless you choose to restore it. Here's how to hide an update:

1. Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button . In the search box, type Update, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update.
2. Do one of the following:
   • Click the link that tells you important updates are available if you have important updates to hide.
   • Click the link that tells you optional updates are available if you have optional updates to hide.
3. Select any update that you want to hide, right-click it, and then click Hide update. Do this for each update you want to hide.
4. Click OK.

Thanks for the reply Ryan, but I did hide the update in question as well, and after I did the 'offline installation' of the KB, it disappeared from the hidden list, as it should. It's not so much a question of Windows downloading a hidden (or not) update, it just looks like when an update has started to download, it seems that Windows WILL continue with the download, whether you've told it to stop or not.

I don't stay online permanently, is bandwidth is costly, so the same thing happens when I go offline while Windows Update is busy with a download. ME going offline isn't always by choice, since my 3G connection sometimes drops too. Windows will attempt to continue with it's download when I go online again (a good thing), but it seems it's just very stubborn when it comes to an Update I don't want anymore :-)

Adriaan

So let make sure I have everything,

1. You did the KB install with out Windows update right...
2. But Windows update will not stop downloading it even after you did the install of it.. right..

So you installed the update it is working fine but Windows update still wants it downloaded.. and you don't correct??

Hi again Ryan

Yes, in short this is what happened:

- Windows Update stated I needed the KB and started downloading.
- I saw that the KB was big so I went offline so Windows would stop the download.
- I then downloaded the KB myself, at work (where bandwidth is free ) and installed it while staying offline
- I then went online again and asked Windows Update which updates I still needed (if any). It told me nope, I am totally updated
- Then I looked at my connection and there were still lots of MBs being downloaded to my PC. I used NetLimiter to see which app was doing this. The app was 'svchost', the PID belonged to Windows Update and the IP pointed to Microsoft, so I am assuming it's Windows Update still downloading.
- Now, every time I go online (like I am now), tons are still being downloaded to me, from that same IP.
- While replying here, as an indication, I have already downloading 50MBs.

At this point in the game, I am just going to let Windows do the download and chew away at my 3g Cap. Serves me right for living in ol' Africa, right? :-)

Adriaan

Just curious, but if you're on a limited bandwidth connection, have you changed Windows Update to "check for updates, but let me choose what to download"?

Windows Update Settings - Change

Hello Stormy

Yes I do, after the initial download of updates, just after do a clean install I usually check for updates, then install them all, then switch over to 'check for updates, but let me choose what to install' option. Not there yet, since I did a clean install on Friday.

The download has stopped at 170MB. I think it did the download and saw that it is already in stalled and discarded the file(s).

Once you get them all, make note of them and see if you can find them all as an individual download, then download them all at work for the next time (hopefully it isn't a clean install too often).