Solved Windows Update will not update and I've tried multiple fixes

[Hank48]

Thank you!

Thank you to Thrashzone for the tips on how to solve this issue! Seems I was missing KB3172605 and that was the critical piece. I was also having issues with stopping the Windows Update service and the tip about turning off the machine and disconnecting from Internet was the fix for that. That also fixed the Windows Standalone Installer service from not kicking out an error message when I tried to download the hotfix.
I just cannot thank all of you enough for your generous sharing of knowledge.... truly wonderful.
Thank you a thousand times...

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums Hank you're very welcome
Cheers.

 

[RickMcGeeknerd]

installing win 7 64 and getting updates. done in 4 hours.

I got a tip from a microsoft tech a couple months ago that saves time doing a clean install. this works for me on my dell 470 vostro MT optiplex 780 MT optiplex XE desktop sff and satellite 755 lappy. all are running win 7 64 pro or win 10 pro depending on which ssd i put in. ok if your install disk has sp1 on it ( I have heard they exist but have five from dell and have yet to see one) then skip to the part about kb3102810. before installing get on the microsoft website and get downloads for service pack 1 and kb 3108210.
(stand alone installers) put them on a thumb drive or disk if you still use those .first make sure your unit has no internet. unplug the modem turn off the wireless . cut the telegraph wires , kill the router. run your install disk,( quicker if you put it on a bootable usb I like Alex Fienmann's(sp?) tool) when it gets to the part where it ask you which disk to put it on chose the advanced options to disk drives. delete all the partitions on the drive you are installing windows. create a new simple volume and format NTFS MBR now install windows where it wont find any old updates or corrupted files. if you have system image back ups on other drives either wipe them first or remove them from your unit windows will find those and read them. once installation is complete install sp1 from thumb drive first then kb 3102810 reboot and get wired to the interweb. do not install anything on the machine until all updates are finished unless this is a custom build or installing a non oem version then you might need to install network adapter drivers to get online. anything else you put on it might have dot net or visual c files that will mess with uodates. I usually put my system power options in high performance with no sleep or hibernate options and open up page file a bit 7 64 seems to like a little extra virtual to run physical efficiently. then walk away from the machine for half an hour. check windows update and see if it found any. if not reboot and go to windows update and run it if it is not already running and give it ten minutes and you should have updates by then. thes has worked for me two dozen times without fail in four hours, a little longer on the little xe 2 core. before doing this I had trouble with updating and usually spent the better part of two days running troubleshooting programs and resetting BITS and update components. hope this helps.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Pretty silly advice
Clean install post #2 here,
windows update

 

[RickMcGeeknerd]

pretty silly? thanks

I thought this post was going to a thread on unable to get updates after a clean install. the steps listed solve that problem. but thanks for your support I hope I can be as cool as you some day

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Nope this thread is for an older existing install not a clean install
Clean install is another process that needs one more update manually installed to get someone updated through April of 2016 using that one update

MS should know that and that is why it is silly advice to only using the 2 updates on this thread since there are over 338 update to date on a clean install that someone still has to live through and most will see many errors installing all of them since a lot have been superseded with newer updates.

 

[RickMcGeeknerd]

well believe it or not I clicked on the reply button for a thread that was posted by a guy with a dell lappy that had done a clean install with a dell disk and couldnt get updates and was just trying to help. btw microsoft does know much of a pain it is to get all of the updates after a clean install. thats what the kb 3102810 fixes according to the microsoft programmer that helps me with windows ten insider builds.the method I posted keeps you from having to sit through all 300+ updates brings it down to around two hundred, and eliminates the updater problems. in fact zero problems, like the clean install that just completed all of the updates on my vostro 7 64 pro that i started at 4:00 this afternoon. its currently 7:21pm. fully updated. time to kill driver signing and install the rx 470 drivers.
i guess I see why you thought it was a silly thread had I seen where this post landed I would have gone in detail how to get the latest windows updater platform and fixes for Background Intelligent Transfer Service,cryptographic service provider (CSP) modules or a https://[B]answers.microsoft.com[/B]/en-us/windows/forum/windows. link or something that would be more appropriate. my bad sorry for wasting everybodys time

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
No problem but kb3102810 was issued because of a prior update client caused high cpu usage
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3102810

Issues that are fixed in this update


Issue 1

When you install updates by using System Center Configuration Manager, the installation takes a long time, and System Center Configuration Manager becomes overloaded.Issue 2

The Svchost.exe process occupies 100 percent of CPU usage when you upgrade a Windows Update client to Windows 10.

On a clean install would the bad update client be installed yet ? nope imho especially not if some followed the better clean install instead by installing KB3020369 & "unofficial sp2 KB3125574" & KB3172605

Now as stated one could just install KB3020369 & KB3172605 but a lot of superseded updates are likely to fail to install that even kb3102810 would not prevent

 

[DBX]

I would like to thank ThrashZone for creating this article. Post 2 helped me install Windows 7 without having to wait forever for the updates to download automatically from the internet.

Thank you TZ !!!!

 

[DBX]

Now.... What do I do for Windows 8.1 ????

Yes, I actually have a dual-boot for two different drives - Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

 

[ThrashZone]

Now.... What do I do for Windows 8.1 ????

.

Hi and you're welcome,
8.1 well see this site they still have downloads there for 8.1 updating issues
Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution
Which is basically the security only update
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3205400
Or monthly rollup
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3205401

http://wu.krelay.de/en/

If you're referring to a clean install of 8.1
MS has a the same deal that applies to windows 7's unofficial sp2 too
Simplifying updates for Windows 7 and 8.1
Simplifying updates for Windows 7 and 8.1 – Windows for IT Pros

 

[OppfinnarJocke]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
Sounds like a older existing install and you were not clean installing win-7 ?

1) When manually installing updates you need to switch your update settings to Never check for updates and restart the machine first.
Windows Update Settings - Change

2) After restart verify that the windows update service is not running if it is Stop and switch to Manual apply and okay.
View attachment 391878

3) Make sure KB3020369 is installed if not manually install it this is the main article page with all versions,
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020369
View attachment 391954

4) which version of windows do you have installed 32 bit or 64 bit,
System Type - 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)

These other links do prompt you to download as soon as you click on them just to give you a heads up
KB3020369

4b) download links,
Win-7 32 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...B0A-35769CBBE6B0/Windows6.1-KB3020369-x86.msu

Win-7 64 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...020-EC41D56B074F/Windows6.1-KB3020369-x64.msu

5) Then manually install KB3172605 main article page with all versions,
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605

KB3172605 download links,
Win-7 32 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...A9C-6B30C3E1735A/Windows6.1-KB3172605-x86.msu

Win-7 64 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...67F-C713F7821374/Windows6.1-KB3172605-x64.msu

6) After switch your windows update and service settings back to what you had prior and manually check for updates and the rest should show up shortly.

7) After all of the above is completed you can use Option 3 below to reset all of the windows updates components
Windows Update - Reset

Thanks for this!
Now my rig is back in business again, KB3172605 was missing...

 

[onemarty]

Windows Update fix

I was dealing with Windows Update not working for over a week , after replacing my Motherboard and reloading my Windows 7-32-bit Home Premium Operating system. I was speaking with one of the Techs at Fry's Electronics who gave me 3 files to download and install and haven't had a problem since. #1 KB3125574 #2 KB3020369 #3 KB3172605. Problem Solved..

I have Windows 7 Home Premium, 64 bit OS. I have researched multiple "fixes" on this site, and still cannot get it to function properly.
Some of the patches are using a Standalone Installer. When they are engaged, it searches for updated files, and that's all it does.
Can anyone assist me in fixing this situation.

I have a Dell Inspiron Laptop. It's about 5 years old.

Thanks!

 

[drmax]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
Sounds like a older existing install and you were not clean installing win-7 ?

1) When manually installing updates you need to switch your update settings to Never check for updates and restart the machine first.
Windows Update Settings - Change

2) After restart verify that the windows update service is not running if it is Stop and switch to Manual apply and okay.
View attachment 391878

3) Make sure KB3020369 is installed if not manually install it this is the main article page with all versions,
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020369
View attachment 391954

4) which version of windows do you have installed 32 bit or 64 bit,
System Type - 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)

These other links do prompt you to download as soon as you click on them just to give you a heads up
KB3020369

4b) download links,
Win-7 32 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...B0A-35769CBBE6B0/Windows6.1-KB3020369-x86.msu

Win-7 64 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...020-EC41D56B074F/Windows6.1-KB3020369-x64.msu

5) Then manually install KB3172605 main article page with all versions,
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605

KB3172605 download links,
Win-7 32 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...A9C-6B30C3E1735A/Windows6.1-KB3172605-x86.msu

Win-7 64 bit
https://download.microsoft.com/down...67F-C713F7821374/Windows6.1-KB3172605-x64.msu

6) After switch your windows update and service settings back to what you had prior and manually check for updates and the rest should show up shortly.

7) After all of the above is completed you can use Option 3 below to reset all of the windows updates components
Windows Update - Reset

I had started my own thread and was referred to this thread. Having the same issue of not getting updates installed. Followed everything through, with already having KB3020369 installed. However, your step 5 says to install KB3172605. I searched my machine and it does not have this. When attempting to install it states not applicable to my machine. Do I need this file? Thank you

 

[Cankseer]

Hmm Thrash wonder how many others do that?? and personally now the furor of the 10 upgrading stuff has died away I have given up worrying about downloading updates because I honestly do not know what they do specifically without having to look them up and I have better fish to fry.

Burt we still see people worrying about updates downloading or rather not downloading and I wonder why unless of course it is after a clean install. I would rather hope that the new ISO's we can get access to now are already "updated" so to speak.

Without any use

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
You might of used the wrong bit version ?
I would personally start over now knowing the updates to install first
Then all should be fine also disconnect from the internet before manually installing the updates for good measure
Afterwards restore internet and manually check for updates.

Also,
Check out SIW2's post here using dism++ to find any missing updates,
Reinstalling Windows 7 from Windows 10 - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[jumanji]

Fix: Windows 7 Update stuck on "Checking for updates"

A most recent (30 June 2017) and easy wizard-driven solution - Fix: Windows 7 Update stuck on "Checking for updates" - here

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-update/fix-windows-7-update-stuck-on-checking-for-updates/ad6cfeef-232a-49b4-a57b-39978eea6630?auth=1

The Wizard worked like a charm for me.

Edit: For some reason the link which I copied from another post did not work. So deleted and redone.

UPDATE 03 Mar 2018: "Windows Update Loop Fix" Current Link: GitHub - aakkam22/windowsUpdateLoopFix: An automated wizard to fix the problem on Windows 7 SP1

 

[LostMyMarbles]

I posted this on another post but it's about the same thing.

Try uninstalling your antivirus program or if you are doing a clean format and installation; install your antivirus program after all the updates and drivers have been installed.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

In addition to LostMyMarbles I would strongly advise you to clean the drive as I never trust a straight format and using DISKPART to clean the disk will leave it as new out of the box more or less. I always do this and for the record it takes no longer to clean than it does to format a drive.