Solved Delay for displaying installed updates + update schedule

[Clairvaux]

Two basic questions while I'm building a zero-day, fully-updated Windows system with nothing else on it for imaging.

1. After reinstall, I noticed that populating Installed Updates took forever, while you had to wait for the dreaded green line moving rightwards. Is this normal ? I don't remember having to wait under my previous install.

2. After reading about the great Microsoft debacle of trying to push Windows 10 down everybody's throat through Windows Updates, I'm seriousy considering switching off Updates altogether and checking manually. When do Updates occur ? Is it still Patch Tuesday ?

 

[Layback Bear]

Microsoft has shifted to patch as needed. You may get some updates on various days. It all depends on Microsoft.
I check manually every few days. Some times it takes a long time to download them. All depends if you hit a Microsoft server that isn't busy.

 

[Clairvaux]

Thanks, Layback Bear.

 

[Clairvaux]

Does anybody experience the same problem as me : checking what updates are installed, and having to wait a while till they all appear in the window ?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Well on the bottom of the windows update settings page the Note part,
You may take notice that M$ may install updates when checking for update = update it's self.

I personally never manually check for updates
There's really no need the system will push the updates the updates to you/ me eventually
But yes a lot of people have said checking for updates takes an eternity

As far as win-10 goes yes again
But if you have your update settings set correctly most will be in the Optional section which I rarely download and install unless they are specific to my usage
View attachment 374072

 

[Clairvaux]

Thanks, ThrashZone, that's also my current option for Windows Updates.

I have, like many others, experienced the huge time it takes these days to download updates. Another by-product of Microsoft trying to force Windows 10 on everyone, I suppose.

But my question was different. It was about the time it takes to display those updates that are already installed. I remember (maybe wrongly ?) that when you clicked on Installed Updates, the list was displayed immediately. Now, I have to wait for the green progress bar which you see in Windows Explorer when you do a search in an unindexed location.

Either something is wrong with my system, or it's a stupid bug. After all, Windows Updates should "know" in advance that you're likely to ask for that list some day, and be able to retrieve it immediately.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Oh okay yep that is normal or at least I see it too,
How fast I suppose depends on the system
7 is getting a bit large in the updates but if there was a sp2 (which I'm glad there isn't) because all of the now win-10 stuff
My new build it doesn't take more than 10-15 seconds to load them all
My Acer might take a few seconds longer :/

 

[Layback Bear]

Completing this tutorial by Brink might be helpful.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/818-disk-cleanup-open-use.html

 

[Clairvaux]

Hi,
Oh okay yep that is normal or at least I see it too,
How fast I suppose depends on the system
7 is getting a bit large in the updates but if there was a sp2 (which I'm glad there isn't) because all of the now win-10 stuff
My new build it doesn't take more than 10-15 seconds to load them all
My Acer might take a few seconds longer :/

Mine takes 20 seconds (although .NET Framework updates appear immediately). I also read somewhere that this was normal behaviour (although I'd swear it was not that way before I reinstalled). So I guess it's a bug of Windows'. I thought maybe it was because I blocked several updates to Windows Update Client, and it couldn't keep track of where it put things.

Completing this tutorial by Brink might be helpful.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/818-disk-cleanup-open-use.html

Thanks, but not yet ! Right now I have nothing on my PC : no data, almost no application software, I haven't even finished reinstalling. It's only Windows updates which slow down the beast. And boy -- do they slow down things.

I remember how my setup was snappy and reactive when I first discovered Windows 7 five years ago. Now it only has Firefox portable, Avast, Macrium and those blasted updates -- and I get the dreaded green rotating ring on my desktop at startup. Windows is looking more and more like a piece of malware by itself.

 

[Layback Bear]

Some how I was under the impression that you have installed all your needed updates.

You are correct you don't want to use Disk Cleanup until your updates are done.

 

[Clairvaux]

You don't want to use Disk Cleanup until your updates are done.

Do you mean Disk Cleanup might make more responsive a computer just freshly installed ? Is it advisable to run it after installation updates ?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I usually would after making sure no more updates are available
Some updates might return after using disk cleanup/ updates cleanup but it's only 1 or 2 but usually the updates cleanup will show several 2-3gb of outdated updates.

Also if you use More options and you can get rid of all of the new restore points from updating and only keep the very last.

 

[Clairvaux]

Thanks, ThrashZone. I did find around 2 Gb down there, mainly from backups of updated updates. However, after due thought, I'm not erasing them just now, and I certainly keep all the restore points I can. As a matter of fact, I've just increased my restore allowance to 20 % of my available space (I think).

Space is free once you've bought your disk, and there's still practically nothing on this particular PC's two 500 Gb disks. I can understand there may be some speed issues when you're close to a full disk, but that's certainly not my case.

I really don't think those 2 Gb safety leftovers can be the reason why different things that used to be immediate with my previous, old and otherwise clunky install, now take several seconds or tens of seconds.

By the way, I've just discovered how badly designed that disk cleaning tool is. I almost fell for it, so here is a tip : when you open the Properties dialog box of your disk, then click on Disk Cleanup, Windows looks for obsolete files, and opens a Disk Cleanup box with a list of files and two buttons : View Files and Clean up System Files. View Files opens the location of the selected file under Windows Explorer, but what will happen if you click on Clean up System Files, which has a big UAC warning logo on it ? It will wipe the selected files on the list above, right ? With no further warning ? Wrong !

Clean up System Files does not clean anything : it just does a further search... for more files... which are deemed to be "system files". So even if you don't want to clean up the files you're looking at, you absolutely need to click on that mystery button... because Windows might find more files (the big Windows Updates leftovers are only detected at that later stage). Even if you do want to clean the files you're presented with at that first stage, don't click on the OK button now, because you will have done only half the job.

Also, suppose you guess correctly that Clean up System Files does a further search, and you want to erase this first batch of files Windows is showing you, and you select them to that effect, will clicking on Clean up System Files erase the first batch, and look for more ? Or will it just look for more ? There's no way of knowing.

Well, actually it leaves them alone for the time being, and the files found in the first stage will be shown together with those found in the second stage (if any), allowing you finally to make the informed decision that you should have been able to make right from the start.

Stellar GUI job, Microsoft ! And don't get me started on the customization of the Start Menu, which I have just thoroughly experimented...

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Approving the uac does nothing but allow windows to search for the files,
The final approval is after both searches and you check what ever boxes you want to remove then Okay on the bottom.
Otherwise click on cancel.

 

[Layback Bear]

Clairvaux I'm not understanding your post #13.

Once you start Windows 7 Disk Cleanup all it does is checks things and gives you a list of recommended things that can be removed safely.

At that time you can pick and choose what you want to remove if anything.

If you don't want to remove anything, just close the program.
That's it. Done.

Using Disk Cleanup was just a recommendation. If you don't want to do it, don't it is your computer.

 

[Clairvaux]

Clairvaux I'm not understanding your post #13. Using Disk Cleanup was just a recommendation. If you don't want to do it, don't it is your computer.

Nothing against you, Layback Bear. It was just an anti-Microsoft rant, because I think their GUI on Disk cleanup is rotten. Also, I thought that sharing my mistake, and what I learned from it, might benefit others.

Thank you for your recommendation.