Solved How does one find out the latest version of the Windows Update Client?

[xali]

Reading around, it seems the state of things at Microsoft has changed drastically since W10 was announced.

Most frighteningly they changed the name of the updater and left this article to depreciate
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/949104
"Note The latest version of the Windows Update Agent for Windows 8.1 is 7.9.9600.16422. The latest version of the Windows Update Agent for Windows 8 is 7.8.9200.16693. The latest version of the Windows Update Agent for Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP is 7.6.7600.256."

Horrifyingly that is still the top result for Windows Update Client because everything sucks.

Anyways so from my understanding, it seems that reinstalling windows 7 will result in the updater trying to update to 7.6.7600.320 which is a horrible update that eats memory and takes three times longer to update.

So one should manually update the updater to the latest version before doing anything on a fresh install of windows 7. But where is one to go to find the latest version? Microsoft seemingly helps with this but does not, and instead deceives as I have explained above.

Anyways, is there a better way than using google to search these forums to find out? https://www.google.ca/#q=latest+client+site:sevenforums.com/windows-updates-activation/&tbs=qdr:m

 

[torchwood]

WU agent

Not quite correct,
There are two current W7 update agents.
One each for W7 & W7 SP1 and they are version specific.

I did pick up on a thread somewhere, accredited to an MS employee, that the W7 servers , for want of a better desciption, have been relegated to a lower priority.

MS did produce KB3102810, to try and speed things up a bit, but only after SP1 has been installed.

Roy

see this thread for WU Agents
http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-...not-complete-constantly-scanning-updates.html

 

[xali]

Yes I did read somewhere that the versions 7.6.7600.* are for W7 and 7.6.7601.* are for SP1

However ... Hmmm looks like your right. Although the KB articles only refer to SP1 and not W7 without it, the KB articles for 7.6.7601.* explicitly say SP1 is a prerequisite

But it seems that on fresh installs, after the updater installs SP1 it updates itself to 7.6.7600.320 which then often causes problems or something. This is still a mystery
:sarc:

Regardless, KB3102810 is an update of the updater, however Microsoft has since released a few more updates for it. In my OP as I was asking about how to find the latest version in general, though currently it appears to be
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3138612

For a little while I was thinking that maybe the newest version of the updater may not be the best idea considering all the aggressive campaigning to "update" to W10. Someone should tell them not to mix their updates with their upgrades FFS

But I think the actual updater is not guilty, and is only getting suspect due to the other obnoxious "updates" nagging to "upgrade"

 

[UsernameIssues]

~~~
Anyways so from my understanding, it seems that reinstalling windows 7 will result in the updater trying to update to 7.6.7600.320 which is a horrible update that eats memory and takes three times longer to update.
~~~

If the installation media already has SP1 integrated, then yes: you get a prompt to install a pre-SP1 Windows Update Agent (7.6.7600.320). That old agent worked just fine until MS changed the update servers. The info coming back from the servers seems to now cause RAM/CPU usage issues... but it should eventually get the job done. You can skip installing that WU agent and manually install the latest WU client instead. Or, you can manually install the latest WU client over top of that old WU agent.

Google using these search terms:
"Windows Update Client" "March 2016" "Windows 7"
Replace "March 2016" with the current month/year.
If that does not find the desired KB, try the previous month.


Windows Update should eventually work - no matter which WU agent/client you have installed.

edit: see this post: http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-...-client-windows-update-agent.html#post3224070

 

[Callender]

Google using these search terms:
"Windows Update Client" "March 2016" "Windows 7"
Replace "March 2016" with the current month/year.
If that does not find the desired KB, try the previous month.


Windows Update should eventually work - no matter which WU agent/client you have installed.

edit: see this post: http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-...-client-windows-update-agent.html#post3224070

   Note

List of WU Clients:

KB 2990214- Apr 2015 - WUC: enables ability to upgrade to Win10
KB 3050265 - Jun 2015 - WUC: allows Group Policy to set "DisableOS Upgrade" key (replaces 2990214)
KB 3065987 - Jul 2015 - WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3050265)
KB 3075851 - Aug 2015 - WUC: fixes mess due to KB3065987 [cuts down WUC memory usage, but hides Update notifications if GWX app is active] (replaces 3065987)
KB 3083324 - Sep 2015 - WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3075851)
KB 3083710 - Oct 2015 - WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3083324)
KB 3102810 - Nov 2015 - WUC: fixes slow updates & high CPU usage (replaces 3083710)
KB 3112343 - Dec 2015 WUC: fix for issues with 3050265 (replaces 3102810)
KB 3135445 - Feb 2016 WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3112343)
KB 3138612- Mar 2016 WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3135445)

 

[UsernameIssues]

Google using these search terms:
"Windows Update Client" "March 2016" "Windows 7"
Replace "March 2016" with the current month/year.
If that does not find the desired KB, try the previous month.


Windows Update should eventually work - no matter which WU agent/client you have installed.

edit: see this post: http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-...-client-windows-update-agent.html#post3224070

   Note

List of WU Clients:

KB 2990214- Apr 2015 - WUC: enables ability to upgrade to Win10
KB 3050265 - Jun 2015 - WUC: allows Group Policy to set "DisableOS Upgrade" key (replaces 2990214)
KB 3065987 - Jul 2015 - WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3050265)
KB 3075851 - Aug 2015 - WUC: fixes mess due to KB3065987 [cuts down WUC memory usage, but hides Update notifications if GWX app is active] (replaces 3065987)
KB 3083324 - Sep 2015 - WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3075851)
KB 3083710 - Oct 2015 - WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3083324)
KB 3102810 - Nov 2015 - WUC: fixes slow updates & high CPU usage (replaces 3083710)
KB 3112343 - Dec 2015 WUC: fix for issues with 3050265 (replaces 3102810)
KB 3135445 - Feb 2016 WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3112343)
KB 3138612- Mar 2016 WUC: unspecified "improvements" (replaces 3135445)

Unfortunately, none of those links in that note will work with IE8 :-(

Each WU Client should contain the fixes found in older WU Client updates.

On a fresh install of W7 with SP1, users will need to pick a solution:

1) live with the long WU search time
(it should eventually work)

2) download the latest WU Client using another computer

3) install another browser (IE11 or Chrome or ...)
(then download/install the latest WU Client)

4) use the direct download links in this post.