Check for updates stopped working

I've got a Windows 7 SP1 machine that is no longer notifying me of Windows updates.

It is set to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download an install them".

Until a few months ago, it always issued the appropriate notifications. Then it just stopped.

If I manually check for updates, it works fine, but I want to receive notifications for updates.

I've resorted to manually checking for updates every day. Based on the content of some of these "important" updates (which are really just ads for Windows 10), I no longer trust MS, and thus I do not want automatic updates.

I tried momentarily selecting "Never check for updates." and then re-enabling "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download an install them", but that did not help.

How can I fix this?

Hmmm... nobody else having this issue?

AddRAM said:

run a system file check, post the results.

in command prompt type sfc /scannow then hit enter

My settings, Updates should only be coming out on Tuesdays anyway, so you should be making manual checks the rest of the time anyway.

Manual is better anyway, it takes 5 seconds to check. (It`s no big deal)

Here are the results:

Code:

sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan.  This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

I agree that manual is better, in that it affords much more flexibility. Especially with Microsoft issuing updates to promote Windows 10.

What is not happening, however, is notifications when updates are available. I put patch Tuesday on my calendar to remind me to perform manual updates on that date every month, but out-of-cycle critical updates can happen at any time.

Callender said:

Yes lots of users no longer get notifications when new updates are available.

Thanks for that info. I had no idea that was the case. The lack of "me too" responses to this thread made me think it was not a typical experience. I'm curious, how did you come to learn that many users are no longer getting notifications of Windows updates? Are there any articles written about this?

Callender said:

Personally I check WU results every day. Any new updates still show up in the window.

That's what I was doing too. I might have to go back to doing it. Sometimes the checks take a minute or two, sometimes longer. I figured that if I check 300 days out of the year, and it takes only 1 minute per check, that's 300 minutes, or 5 hours of my life I am wasting every year. Not really in line with my values.

On the other hand, dealing with a problem caused by not installing an update will likely take much more than 5 hours!

What would be best is if WU just worked like it always did: providing a notification when there are updates to install.

Callender said:

If you want a third party app that will give you notifications check: Windows Update Notifier.
... It's portable and doesn't need to be installed. It can be set to start with windows...
... If it shows that updates are available it is still better to use Windows Updates to choose which ones to download and install...

That shouldn't be needed for Windows 7, but all the same, I greatly appreciate you letting me know about that tool. :) It looks excellent.

If there is no way to fix Windows Update in Windows 7, that tool might be the best solution. I'm surprised there is no way to fix Windows Update, given that hundreds of millions of people rely on it. Or maybe there is, and we just don't know how... yet.

Layback Bear said:

If keeping my systems up to date isn't worth 5 hours a year then I need a new hobby.
If one needs the computer for work and can't spend 5 hours a year to keep a system up to date then one needs a different job where computers are not used.

LOL... That came out out of left field. I'm not sure that's a fair assessment or accurate representation. Wasting 5 *extra* hours a year is what was mentioned, not a lack of willingness to spend 5 hours per year performing maintenance. Heck, I spent more than 7 hours just today performing maintenance, and it's only January.

Callender said:

The way I know about it is because there have been a lot of posts on the issue in the Windows Updates thread in this forum. Also I have the same problem along with a few other experienced members but as Windows Updates is working perfectly for me other than the notification issue I have no desire to try fixing it. I spent around a month fixing other problems with Windows Update resorting to a complete removal and reinstallation of Windows Updates from scratch.

Yes, Windows Update sure can have it's issues. I've heard of people having to wait 20+ hours for it to finish it's scan.

I wonder if the lack of Windows Updates notifications has anything to do with refusal to install updates that are really just Windows 10 promotions.

If someone has a fix to allow Windows Update notifications to work, this will be a great thread in which to post the solution.