Solved Windows update never stops checking for updates

[Darkstrike]

It finally finished.....took forever, but update lists seem quicker to install now that all 55 of those things finished installing! Thanks!

 

[UsernameIssues]

Good to hear that it finally finished.

 

[Slickone]

It took about 1.5 hours for the "Scanning for updates" to finish after I installed 3112343 (and 3102810, since I didn't know about 3112343 until afterwards). Not sure how long it too before that since I always gave up after 1/2 and hour or so, assuming it was stuck. The 3112343 udpate itself would stay stuck on "Scanning..." until I rebooted and tried it again.
I just worry that these updates (ie. 3112343) are some way to force Win10 in the future. I read awhile back where some people that were researching some of the udpates offered in Windows Update to Win7 saying they showed signs of being for that reason.

Thanks!

 

[UsernameIssues]

You can remove all updates to the Windows Update Client and stick with a version that predates the W10 stuff. You might revert to having long search times.

 

[pustekuchencake]

Yes, a newer update agent version improves the situation a lot! After Windows Update Agent 7.6.7600.320 was installed automatically as soon as I connected my Windows 7 SP1 to the internet and searched for updates, the "update mechanism" got corrupted and searched, and searched, and searched... Then I installed KB3138612 (downloaded with another PC) and after a reboot and searching for updates for about 15minutes Windows finally found ~200 updates.

Here are another interesting topics regarding this issue:

Sticking with Windows 7? The forecast calls for pain | ZDNet
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/.../46b72f85-1fec-4445-877f-fc530510cba1?page=12
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/.../cf0aefb1-477c-41df-a330-130383581c6d?page=12
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us.../d675d686-277d-4fcb-a588-229aa36bedc5?page=13
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...rever-to/fe999e95-11ce-4775-94cd-2ad18284f80a
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...40-960afe3e9832?page=5&rtAction=1461522846734

 

[ThrashZone]

Yes there have been a few new things to try either by clean install or a existing install searching forever,
http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-...ut-windows-still-wont-update.html#post3237782

 

[jtrosario]

Here's what worked for me after having the indefinite "Checking for Updates" and trying but failing to install either KB3102810 or KB3112343 while getting hung up for several hours at "Checking Computer" before I rebooted.

The follwing solution stopped the "Checking Computer" problem. It relates to attempts to access a registry key that does not exist, over and over, forever:

Browsed the registry using REGEDIT to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SQMClient\Windows and
Add/Create a New Reg_DWord(32-bit) called CEIPEnable with a Value of "1"
(Thanks to SteveSims1wa who researched the hang up and posted this solution on answers.microsoft.com)

I then ran the downloaded KB3112343 again which now installed instantly. Went back into Windows Update which then sat at "Checking for Updates" for 25-30 minutes before installing the first set of Windows 7 updates and I am now on my merry way.

Background: I installed a brand new SSD in an HP Omni 120 1333w, purchased a new Windows 7 Pro w/SP1 on CD with product key, installed Windows 7 Pro w/SP1 onto the SSD, activated Windows 7 Pro with no issues, then tried to Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro which hung at "Checking for Updates" for hours. Then tried to install the Windows 7 Updates which were also hung at "Checking for Updates" for hours before finding this combination of solutions.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yep KB3112343 was/ is classified as a Important update and should still abide by
CEIP settings
Click Start and type or paste this into the search box for the opt out or in options
Change Customer Experience Improvement Program settings

 

[robebcan]

I have the same "searching for updates" issue on my clean install of Win7 pro on my new SSD. I would simply install the KB3112343 file except that it causes the Windows Update Standalone Installer to hang up on "searching for updates in your computer". So I can't even do that. Same for Windows Update Readiness Tool.
"Searching for updates" has continued for over 12 hours......

Please help

 

[UsernameIssues]

I have the same "searching for updates" issue on my clean install of Win7 pro on my new SSD. I would simply install the KB3112343 file except that it causes the Windows Update Standalone Installer to hang up on "searching for updates in your computer". So I can't even do that. Same for Windows Update Readiness Tool.
"Searching for updates" has continued for over 12 hours......

Please help

If you disconnect from the Internet before installing KB3112343 - that should put an end to the search and let the KB install go forward. That said, skip KB3112343 (December 2015) and install KB3138612 (March 2016).

If the search continues - even with no connection to the Internet - then try option three of this tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91738-windows-update-reset.html

 

[pustekuchencake]

Hey,

Just an - in my eyes- important note for all of you: As i mentioned above the only update you have to install manually is KB3138612! I don't know why some of you recommend installing KB3102810 and/or KB3112343. The update KB3138612 replaces the other two updates, i.e. they are outdated predecessor updates in my eyes. I compared the system files which get replaced by installing KB3102810 or KB3138612. Both updates replace exactly the same files with newer versions. So it makes no sence at all to install various old upates which were replaced again by a newer update
Here is a comparison-screenshot (done with Word):

 

[Scottyboy99]

If someone has been running all the updates offered month by month then wouldn't they already have KB 3138612? Or didn't this get offered? My mother in law's laptop is driving us crazy on the updates. It seems for last 3 months approx every time patch Tuesday rolls around it takes hours stuck on checking for updates, and then several hours once found to actually get them downloaded. It's becoming a total pain (as if Windows updates weren't bad enough already). It never used to be as bad as this. But it's now a consistent issue, the laptop literally needs to be left overnight nowadays for patch Tuesday. During the quieter period of month the update check seems to be a bit faster. So it seems MS gives little or no server priority to Windows 7 users of late. For the first few days after patch Tuesday it is literally a nightmare trying to get the updates done. Frustrating when you want to get it done and dusted so one can forget about the updates for another month.

It's the same story tonight, set it checking for updates about 2 and a half hours ago and it's still 'checking for updates'. By comparison our Windows 10 machine found its cumulative updates for today within seconds. They were all downloaded and installed in less than 5 minutes.

 

[ThrashZone]

The only update client released as a Important update I'm aware of is KB3112343 and it was released in December of 2015
That one would be odd if it was not installed
All other update clients were really recommended updates so they may or may not be installed depending on the update settings.

 

[Scottyboy99]

Well it ended up going better than it has done in a long while tonight. After 3 and a half hours it found the available updates (10.30 pm UK time) and to my shock, after instructing them to install, it then downloaded them within about 25 minutes (nearly 200 megs worth). So for the first time in months we got patch Tuesday out the way on Tuesday and not had to wrestle with the task for 2 or 3 days.

So whilst relatively pleased that's over for another 5 weeks am still pretty unimpressed with MS over the delivery of their updates for Windows 7. Guess it's all part of their underhanded tactics to force Windows 10 onto everyone

 

[cascade123]

I had a similar problem with Windows Update recently.

When I performed a clean install of Windows 7 the updates never showed up in a reasonable period of time.
The solution was to leave the computer on all night. The updates were there the next morning. There were only about 250 updates. Since then updates are appearing normally. IMHO Microsoft should fix this problem. A W7 SP2 is sorely needed.

I hate to admit this but MS seems to not care about W7 anymore. This is in spite of the fact that W7 is the most popular OS today. MS wants everyone to "upgrade" to Windows 10. It seems to me that MS attitude is to hell with W7. This strategy is going to backfire on MS.

Unfortunately for most people Windows is the only OS that they think of. Linux is too complicated for the general public today. But I find Linux more than adequate. Yes there is a learning curve but it's not to hard to figure it out. But techies have to realize that the average user wants an OS that works out of the box.

Maybe, for most users the Chrome OS is the way to go. Most users just want to go on the Internet and send emails plus type a document occasionally.

We could be on the verge of a major change in behavior of OS'es.

I love W7 but think that the handwriting is on the wall for it unfortunately.

 

[7isntheaven]

It worked for me

I just registered to let everyone know that after trying everything I've researched on here & other forums for the past 3 days, I actually fixed windows updates on Win7 HP x64. The standalone windows update installer(s) did the same thing WU did, scanning for updates forever. Some I could cancel, some I couldn't. You can't run them in safe mode. Ran the MrFixIt(?), nothing. Renamed the software distribution & catroot2 folders, SFC found nothing wrong, defragged, chkdsk, no errors found, nothing wrong in DevMan etc. etc. Then I recall someone (maybe on here, sorry icrs) said that after they updated internet explorer from 10 to 11 & rebooted, WU started working correctly, so... after installing, rebooting & selecting the default security recommended for IE11, I closed it, turned WU back on to "let me choose.." however it's worded, & viola! it wasn't 5 minutes later it had 171 critical updates @ 889mb ready to install. It's still installing but it looks like it's fixed for now. So if all is lost like it was for me & you can update IE with the standalone installer, it may work for you. P.S. - I tried letting WU run overnight like others suggested but...big waste of time.

 

[moonshot]

Thank you UsernameIssues - SOLVED !!!!

Your recommendation to disconnect from the Internet before installing KB3112343 (actually KB313812 for 64 bit in my case) was just the ticket that solved it for me. Three days of spinning my wheels on this before I came across your simple effective solution.

 

[cascade123]

It worked for me

That's interesting.

When I clean installed Windows 7 recently, started out with IE 8. I don't remember if the upgrade to IE 11 was installed before or after the first big wave of updates-this took overnight to appear. I am sure that IE 11 was installed after the first stage of over 200 updates. The other ones (I checked WU many times.) appeared quickly. The updates kept on coming.

I think that this is a frustrating process that MS needs to fix.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[thetieski]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3102810 should speed things up. After installing this it took only a few minutes to scan for updates on a fresh Win7 SP1 install.

Sighed up just to say thanks worked for me but have to install the update offline or it would just sit for hours after a restart checking updates took less than 2 mins.

 

[vickyv]

This has worked for me every time:

The solution:

Stop the Windows Update Service (wuauserv).
Download and install KB3050265
reboot
Download and install KB3102810
Reboot and check for updates again. All of our machines found their required updates in less than 5 minutes.