Possible fix for Windows Update errors/issues for Windows 7 (32&64bit)

[LostMyMarbles]

Possible fix for Windows Update errors/issues for Windows 7 (32&64bit)

Hi,

If you are having issues with your Windows update not installing or having issues installing (says it installs but on reboot it needs to reinstall the same updates) or needing to get SP1 to install; your antivirus program might be the reason for all your headaches.

I have had this issue for a long time and it took me a long while to figure out that it was my antivirus program causing my Windows updates to fail. I have AVG if anyone is curious, but it seems to be the cause for other brands as well.

What I use to do after formatting a PC and installing Windows, was to install my drivers and then my antivirus program before installing the Windows updates. Mainly because there are so many and with a slow connection, installing those updates can take forever. Little did I know, because I had installed my antivirus program before Windows could install all necessary updates, my antivirus program was blocking the installation process.

If you are having this problem, before trying the multi-step solutions that ask you install 5 different programs and mess with CMD; try uninstalling your antivirus program (disabling does not seem to work as the antivirus program restarts when you reboot which prevents installation) and make sure it is completely off your system. I normally do a few reboots with a defrag and system clean to make sure everything is gone. Then try installing your Windows updates. If this works, awesome but if it doesn't then you may need to do a fresh install.

If you happen do a fresh install, install all your drivers and then install all necessary Windows updates. Install your antivirus program last. It should be the last thing you install as it seems the newer the antivirus program the more picky it is about what gets installed onto the system. Which is a good thing but also a nightmare lol.

Now if none of the above has helped, then you may need to look into some of the other multi-step solutions or check to see if your HDD is okay and not corrupt.

Hopefully that helps a few people out there. I have not run into any Windows update issues since doing the above and I have installed over 100+ PCs (Windows 7 Pro and some Ult on both the 32&64bit) since first running into the problem and finding out it was my antivirus program causing me to turn into the Hulk. Best of luck.

Just wanted to add, that after doing the above, any small windows updates that come out afterwards rarely if ever failed. It seems the main Windows updates that are normally installed for a new system were the ones having issues. Any issue afterwards was fixable by completely disabling my antivirus program or adding exceptions for the Windows directory. Not sure why subsequent updates can be installed by disabling the antivirus program but initial necessary updates were unable to be installed. But as stated earlier, I have had no problems since. Knock on wood lol.

 

[mrjimphelps]

Since all you are doing is installing Microsoft updates, it stands to reason that you don't need to have an A/V program installed yet, because the only web activity you will have is at Microsoft.com.

 

[jggg]

I have tried all possible fixes and downloads and then just went all the way back to this one:

run cmd ( run as administrator)

net stop wuauserv

cd\windows

rename SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bck

net start wuauserv

close cmd, reboot, got my updates back for another month, can't wait to see what happens this month (and windows update still does not exist in task scheduler and there seems to be no fix for that either)

fwiw the only time I have ever had updates blocked by a security program was HIPS, not a/v..

 

[Layback Bear]

If you have a desire to have a anti virus program installed before Updating Windows 7, just install Microsoft Security Essentials and then do your Windows 7 Updates.

MSE will not block Windows 7 Updates.

Remove AVG first before installing MSE.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/14210/security-essentials-download

Jack

 

[torchwood]

Hi jggg,

wuauserv should be permenantly present in Task manager -Services.
It spawns a process, wuauaclt, during the download/install phase.

If your last months failure error message was
Windows update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running, You may need to restart your computer

see this thread
Win7 Pro 64-Bit: Update Wervice not running...recent issue - Windows 7 Help Forums


Roy

 

[jggg]

Hi Torchwood, I have nothing under microsoft - windows - task manager in task scheduler, task manager shows interactive, never run and it's blank, and nothing listed anywhere for services either, I don't know what is broken in here as the last time I had to even look at task scheduler was over a year ago when I uninstalled windows 10 and had to download several fixes to get my tasks back, and now with all the windows update problems I had starting in October I just decided to check task scheduler and found that there is nothing for windows update anywhere in task scheduler at all, and I don't see anything for services either, but when I ran windows update manually it claimed to have already checked earlier today, so gawd only knows what the hell is going on, anyway, the point of my response in this thread was to just advise people to try the old tried and true method as that worked for me last month when absolutely nothing else did, and I still don't see the point of disabling a/v, while enabling training of any HIPS program would take care of any a/v that includes HIPS possibly disabling windows update. Would like to know why and how windows update is running now when there is nothing in task scheduler for it, or I am looking in the wrong place...

 

[LostMyMarbles]

I was giving another option and I listed several different types of issues that i personally ran into and was able to solve by removing my antivirus program. Most people don't think about their antivirus program being the reason updates don't install properly.

For instance, I had the issue where my Windows update kept looping and wouldn't install the new SP that had come out and I had the old SP and all previous updates already on my PC. The new SP didn't stick and it never installed correctly and would constantly show that it was installing updates when I turned off/on my PC. It wasn't until I removed my antivirus program that it finally installed correctly. This incident was on a PC I had been using for months and had no prior issue with Windows updates.

I tried almost everything already listed on this forum and countless other forums and not one of them thought to mention the antivirus program as a possible suspect, which is why I thought I'd do it. It might not help for every case out there but it will help for some and that is better than none. It helped me and I have not run into that issue since and I've setup countless desktops and laptops.

A lot of a/v programs now do more than one function and sometimes it doesn't effect Windows updates from installing but other times it does. Anyone who plays video games online will know that sometimes anti-cheat systems get blocked by a/v programs which cause the games to not run, giving random errors and many headaches. This is kinda the same thing for some cases, not all, in which a PC that has had no prior issues with installing Windows updates starts to (which has happened to me several times). And it was because of my a/v program at the time was affecting the download/install process. Also I've noticed if one has spotty internet connection, a bad connection could cause the files to download incomplete or improperly, which is another thing I've run into and those instances I had to go into CMD and figure it out from there. Sadly, half the time it was almost impossible to fix so I'd have to back everything up and do a fresh install and everything installed perfectly afterwards.

Sometimes it's a conflict with drivers (mainly because they are outdated/corrupt if you are using a disk/cd) or a conflict with a program that has become corrupt on the system. It can be so many different things which is why I enjoy working on PCs and Macs. You never know what you'll get and sometimes the fix for the problem is the last thing you would have thought to check.

 

[LostMyMarbles]

jggg,

I actually ran into a similar issue that you are describing and on this one the uninstalling/disabling the a/v was not the solution.

It was so long ago so I don't remember the exact steps. I just remember that it had to do with a specific Windows file being either corrupt/incomplete and I had to go to the Microsoft website to download several different files and then going into CMD.

I think I have it written down somewhere. I'll try to see if I can find it and post it up on here. I just remember that after going into CMD and typing out several commands; I installed one of the files off the Microsoft website and it restarted the process and was able to fix the problem.

Is your Windows update using up resources or bogging down your PC while it is running in the background? Is it causing a memory leak? Does it start the moment your PC is booted on or does it start running randomly after you've already been on the PC for a while? Does it show in the control panel of Windows update that it is looking for updates or anything like that?

 

[jggg]

Marbles, I have used several different fixes over time to get windows update to work in different problem scenarios; and all of them can be found in this forum. This last time I used the following:

Type following commands one by one: (cmd run as administrator)

net stop wuauserv

cd\windows

rename SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bck

net start wuauserv, reboot

but my point about a/v remains, I have had problems running update in the past when I had HIPs enabled either in an a/v or a firewall program, but I have never had a problem updating just with a/v protection. What a/v are you using?