Windows 7 not detecting Office updates

eatup · 20 Apr 2015

How do I get Windows 7SP1 to detect updates for Office 2007?

In the update settings, I only have two checkbox options.

I look at another Windows install and they have four checkboxes, one of which says something like "include updates for other Microsoft products".

I have tried the following:

1. Downloaded the latest windows update agent.
2. Change some registry setting for Office from 1 to 0 to get it to show "Microsoft Update" opt-in screen when you start an Office program.

None of that worked.

(Btw, this is happening inside a virtual machine. Could this be the problem, windows doesn't update Office inside a VM?!?!?)

NoelDP · 21 Apr 2015

The VM shouldn't have anything to do with your problem.

Probably the thing to do is to reset Windows Update to default, and work from there.
How do I reset Windows Update components? (don't pick the fixit from the popover window!)

eatup · 21 Apr 2015

Tried that. Office updates still not showing as option in CP settings...

NoelDP · 23 Apr 2015

It's not Office that you should be looking for in the WU window - it's 'Other Microsoft software' (aka Microsoft Update, as opposed to Windows Update). It's an all-or-nothing setting. I'll see if I can find the correct registry settings for it somewhere.

eatup · 23 Apr 2015

^ I know that. I'm trying to get that option to appear in control panel update settings... Why is it so complicated with W7? W8.1 has it by default...

NoelDP · 23 Apr 2015

It's not normally complicated in Windows 7 either.
Lets have a closer look...

We need to see a full copy of the report produced by the MGADiag tool
(download and save to desktop - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012 )
Once saved, run the tool.
Click on the Continue button, which will produce the report.
To copy the report to your response, click on the Copy button in the tool (ignore any error messages at this point), and then paste (using either r-click/Paste, or Ctrl+V ) into your response.

eatup · 23 Apr 2015

Just tell me what you're looking for in that report. I'm trying to build a clean image for deployment, so I won't install VM additions nor surf the web on it...

eatup · 23 Apr 2015

UPDATE: I did it...! Thru the "more info [for other microsoft products]" link when you open the "check for updates" section.

The crucial part was to add compatibility mode in IE11 for microsoft.com and reboot. Otherwise, the site will just show you a generic "how to open windows update from the start menu" page. I can't stress enough, Windows must be rebooted in order to get IE11 to show what's meant to be shown...