Windows Update appears to have stopped checking for updates

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  1. Posts : 125
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
       #1

    Windows Update appears to have stopped checking for updates


    Hi,

    Must admit to feeling a bit embarrassed about this. I just realised that I hadn't received any notifications about updates recently and, on checking, I find the last check was done in December 2016

    As you can see from the attached screenshots I have Windows Update configured to notify me of updates relating to Microsoft products but, as I say, it seems to have stopped checking.

    Needless to say when I manually set it checking it never completes . . . . . . .

    Also, for the last several months I have had to resort to downloading and installing MSE and Defender updates manually every week as that doesn't seem to be able to do it either even though MSE is configured to automatically update every Sunday.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Windows Update appears to have stopped checking for updates-wupdate.jpg  
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  2. Posts : 1,730
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
       #2

    windows update


    Hello Gwaihir, Since I have learned from 7 forums. Delete the contents from Software Distribution Folder.
    Set Windows Update to never check for updates. Type in search box services.msc and scroll down to Windows Update, and right click stop the service. I have also run command prompt as an administrator
    and typed in net stop wuauserv. Restart the pc, Run command prompt again net start wuauserv, change
    the settings back in Windows Update to check for updates, and see if it works.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 125
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I can't seem to find a Software Distribution Folder. Any pointers to it's location would be gratefully received.

    In January of this year I installed Windows6.1-KB3020369-x64, Windows6.1-KB3172605-x64 and windows-kb890830-v2.6 to overcome the problem of WU never finishing the search for updates. That cured the problem at that time but it seems that WU hasn't checked for any updates since so I wonder if that is significant.

    Do I need to download any more KB files? I have had a quick look through the various threads on update problems but it's all very confusing.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,730
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
       #4

    windows update


    Hello Gwaihir, To locate the Software Distribution File

    click on the start orb

    click on computer - listed to the right

    click on local disk C

    scroll down to windows file and open, and scroll down to Software Distribution File.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 125
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Ok, thanks, I've found it now. I won't be doing anything with it for the time being, though, as I first need to resolve the failure to complete the search for updates.

    I thought the three files I'd installed previously were supposed to update Windows Update itself. My understanding was that it was failing to find updates because it was ploughing through all the updates on Microsoft's servers and the purpose of the update was to cause it to only search for the latest ones. Sorry if that's a bit over-simplified but I'm only a simple person and can't get my head around the complexities of this problem. Anyway, as I said, it seemed to work at the time but now it's back to constantly searching.

    I tried looking on the Microsoft support pages and found a wizard named WindowsUpdate.diagcab that was supposed to diagnose and fix faults with Windows Update. It did report finding some issues and fixed them but it hasn't cured the problem.

    To be honest I'm rapidly losing the will to live with Microsoft.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,730
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
       #6

    windows update


    Hello Gwaihir, Have you tried to download the December Quality Monthly Roll Up from Microsoft Catalog

    December kb3207752 windows 7 x 64 bit If you have it installed, you could download

    January kb3212646 windows 7 x 64 bit

    I am not an expert, it is just something else to try.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 125
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Hi ethel,

    Thanks for trying to help. I'm not an expert either, just an ordinary user trying to pick my way through the minefield that Microsoft has created :)

    I took a look at the list of installed updates and it shows that the last successful update of anything other than MSE definitions was, in fact, November 2016, so I downloaded the December kb3207752 rollup and tried to install it. 40 minutes later it was still reporting "Searching for updates on this computer...."

    To my untutored eye it looks as if there's something very amiss with my system because I'm having similar problems with MSE. If I click to manually update the definitions the progress bar gets to about 30% then hangs indefinitely. What is more, if I click the Cancel button it has no effect, MSE continues trying to search. The same thing happens with Windows Update, it ignores the Cancel button and so did the kb3207752 rollup installer.

    I seem to be at a bit of a dead end at the moment. Something seems to have screwed up in my system but I've no idea what or how to go about finding it. Hopefully one of the true experts on here will chime in with some thoughts eventually.

    Thanks again for your input.

    Edit: I've since run System File Checker which didn't find anything and, after downloading and installing the latest MSE definitions (thankfully that does still work) I set MSE to do a full scan which also didn't find anything. I've also downloaded and run the most recent version of the Malicious Software Removal Tool set to do a full scan. That didn't find anything either so I'm pretty confident that there's nothing obviously wrong with my system and no infections.

    Ideas, anyone?
    Last edited by Gwaihir; 16 May 2017 at 16:31.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,730
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
       #8

    windows update


    Windows Update - Reset Gwaihir, Another thing you can try is the Windows Update Reset from the tutorial here.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 125
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Unfortunately that doesn't seem to have helped either.

    Looking at the contents of the batch file I notice the last thing it does is clear the BITS queue which, according to the Microsoft support page, is only to be used for Vista. Hope this hasn't screwed anything up.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,730
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
       #10

    windows update


    Hello Gwaihir, I am sorry I have not been able to help you more. Windows Update-Reset is not just for Vista, it is also for Windows 7. There are a lot of replies from people who have used it, if you want to read
    them.
      My Computer


 
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