Windows Update stuck on "Checking for updates"

Benjamin123 · 08 Mar 2016

Hi everybody,

I am running in to a problem where the Windows Update is stuck on checking for updates, now I have freshly upgraded a Windows 7 machine from Enterprise to Professional with a new product key - which it did work, activated as a Genuine. But it might not be just the Windows Update, any other software would be doing the same thing as for Windows Update - checking for updates, so I am just wondering if there is a one way click to solve this problem?

Everything else works except from the Windows Update, what is doing is just checking for updates and it hangs on checking for hours and hours - so I had enough and I want to find a best solution that would work.

Now, I am not quite sure if the Windows Update is taking time to get all the updates gathered in or it might be stuck. But I don't know, I can't really tell on what the computer is doing in the background process.

During the research for finding this solution, and I have came up with different solutions, but I don't want to risk too much on registry or doing manual servicing including in with deleting a few files from the C: drive, downloading a few tweakers/fixers applications such as Microsoft FixIt - but none of this solved the problem, apart from being patient and wait.

The only thing I haven't done is doing a sfc /scannow check, disk clean up or reinstall Windows 7 Professional and doing a disk check before startup.

I just want the Windows Update to work, so that the computer is ready to receive updates before June and it can be ready to process and upgrade to Windows 10 if possible.

This picture below shows the same problem to what is happening right now.

Thank you for reading!

Best Regards,
Ben

Scottyboy99 · 08 Mar 2016

Mines doing this too tonight. Can take a while but tonight's patches is the worst - it took over an hour to find and pull them in. But now it's just stuck on 0% downloading for last twenty mins. Good old MS !

Layback Bear · 08 Mar 2016

All the updates needed after a clean install is some where over 200.
With your system it could take 8 hours to 24 + hours.
Just leave your computer running without doing anything else on the computer until it is done.
(No sleep or hibernation)

Benjamin123 · 09 Mar 2016

Hi Layback Bear,

I have kept the computer on with no sleep or hibernation and I kept it on through the night. Suddenly, I realized in the morning - it finished downloading the updates and it began installing just after logging off, but there were quite a few updates failed, but I am sure the computer would get over with this.

But thanks for telling me what to do, your solution works. :)

Benjamin123 · 09 Mar 2016

This is what I did today:

I set the computer from sleep to no sleep and the computer stayed on all night, but it took ages to find and receive all updates (slow having to receive updates is nothing to do with your internet connection).

Keep coming down to check on the computer frequently to check if its doing okay, and it still looking for updates. So, I decided to leave it for a little bit longer until the morning.

In the morning, I turned the monitor on - but the PC was crashed, because I realized the PC power light was switched off from the tower.

After I turned the tower on, showed a black screen message saying that the PC has been crashed and continued to use Windows after pressing Enter, which is fine.

Windows starts to load up, but the updates have failed as shown on the logon screen, so the updates were reverted. (After that, I had to go out from 9am to 3pm).

When I have returned to home, I have logged on to the computer and checked why they have failed, but I felt in to a surprise that the message has popped up on right hand bottom corner that it needed to be restarted to complete the updates (it was counting down before it automatically restarts).

So, I clicked on restart and it started the updates right away. :)

I got to that far today, but I will check on the computer later and I will give you the updates of what the computer is doing. :)

artmaker43 · 09 Mar 2016

I am having the same problem. I use my Laptop at Starbucks. BEFORE you can go online to check for updates, you have to click on a Starbucks WiFi link that states "I Accept" (the rules of use) which is in my web browser, Chrome. Then when you try to check for updates, Microsoft chews you out like a teenager with a message "Always check for updates, blah, blah, blah"). By the way, I have chosen the option to check for updates but let me decide which ones to install. My reason is that Microsoft has lost my confidence due to their aggressive push to install Windows 10 - which I do NOT want. Unlike Obamacare, I have the ability to reject their unwelcome advances, which remind me of the coarseness of the long gone Steve Ballmer and Donald Trump.

Then, when you check for updates, it just churns and churns and churns for hours as if to punish you for now being a "team player".

Layback Bear · 09 Mar 2016

Benjamin123 said:

Hi Layback Bear,

I have kept the computer on with no sleep or hibernation and I kept it on through the night. Suddenly, I realized in the morning - it finished downloading the updates and it began installing just after logging off, but there were quite a few updates failed, but I am sure the computer would get over with this.

But thanks for telling me what to do, your solution works. :)

You are very welcome. That is what we do on this forum. Help the best we can.