First time I've ever had to do that. I had to install KB3161664 on Win 7 before I could get any updates
Stopped Win Updates service before install. (Make sure it is restarted afterwards.)
@Hazelnut: Vista has the same problems.
See e.g.:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/611898/windows-vista-update-hangs-at-checking-for-updates/
(Is MS too busy with Win 10 ???).
(Is MS too busy with Win 10 ???).
you'd have to guess that is partly a reason, but also, Windows 7 is now 18 months out of mainstream support.
there has been 2 major OS releases since Windows 7 (3 if you count 8.1 as a sort of Windows 9).
they are probably treating Win7 like their XP user base.
i have a little luck, the update-history goes with me currently very well.
the rollup update seems to work fine.
Just to note that since Patch Tuesday this week my Windows 10 is also now having problems with Windows Updates.
Takes ages 'Checking for Updates' every time.
It just spent 10 minutes to find a Defender Definition update, installed it fast enough, then went back to 'Checking for Updates' for another 5 mins.
Before Tuesday it would take less than a minute to do a Defender Definition update and the checks..
Windows Modules Installer Worker also keeps firing up and taking 60-70% CPU and 80-90% disk access for 15-20 mins at a time.
I'm searching for solutions but most of the online suggestions involve turning off Automatic Updates, which you can't do in Win10 home.
So maybe it's not Windows trying to push Win7 users to upgrade to Win10?
Maybe its just Microsoft being incompetent (again)?
EDIT (13:17)
Well that seemed too easy, just ran Disk clean-up and used the option to Clean-up system files.
Went and did another Windows Update and it found and installed another Defender Definition update in under a minute.
I'll keep an eye on it, and the WMIU (I can hear that one start as the disk spins up).
- After installing some 120 security updates & all the .Net security updates (in total about 150 updates in 2 separate update "runs") I didn't experience (up to now) any WU problems. But I still have to see which of the 67 "optional" updates I want to install. I installed only 1 "optional" update. See: https://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=46454
The situation I describe here would suggest that one or more of those "Optional" updates pushes CPU of svchost.exe through the roof.
- The only update I installed to get WU working (smoothly) was KB 3102810. Then WU came up with a list of updates after only say 10 minutes and with low CPU). That was right after I re-installed Win 7 SP1 a few days ago. (See reply #19 in this thread).
- On the topic "Installing IE 11":
- I have a copy of the IE 11 stand alone installation program and a copy of the latest "Cumulative Security Update for IE 11". It allows me to install IE 11 even when WU "doesn't work". IE 11 checks whether or not a number of Updates are installed and will automatically download & install those Updates before it installs itself. Those updates are (I have those installation files as well):
KB 2533623
KB 2639308
KB 2670838
KB 2729094
KB 2731771
KB 2786081
KB 2834140
KB 2882822
KB 2888049
kb2639308, 2882822 and 2888049 are optional --> not to forget: "for a better experience..."
link in hazelnuts post...
- Well, then the IE 11 installation program doesn't bother to check whether or not those 3 Updates are optional. Those 3 were simply downloaded & installed along with the other updates. I don't have control over that once that installation is running.
- By default, Win 7 (SP 1) comes with IE 8 and some websites explicitely say: "This website doesn't support IE 8". So, updating to IE 11 is the 1st I'll do, to be able to go online.
- "For a better experience" ????? I GOOGLEd those three Updates and I found no info that indicated that these 3 are "better experience" related. Those updates simply add some extra odd functionality.
I would recommend to install the "optional" KB 2852386 update. It updates the build-in "Disk Clean Up" tool. After that a user can SAFELY delete A LOT OF files from the bloated "C:\Windows\winsxs" folder.
supp: there is a advanced disk cleanup
C:\Windows\System32\Cmd.exe /c Cleanmgr /sageset:65535 & Cleanmgr /sagerun:65535
create shortcut...
with adminrights the systemfiles are be cleaned too.
- According to this thread on the SYSNATIVE website MS has solved the "Update problem". It supposedly was a problem in "Win32k.sys". Well, we'll have to wait & see.
This was done last week.
First off, based on suggestions found here and elsewhere, I manually installed these: KB3161664, KB3161608, KB3102810.
Then the game was on.
On a fairly fast win 7 laptop the search process required about 9 hours and is not finished yet. Have not had time to watch it finish.
On a fairly fast win 7 desktop, the time required was about 20 hours. That includes 7 hours of reading about each update before deciding. That computer is finished for now.
Pitch moves faster. https://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=38569
- Seems WU hasn't been fixed at all. Today "Svchost.exe" & the Service "Wuauserv" (See Resource Monitor, Processor tab) were using A LOT OF CPU again.
Worked for me okay today.
Fast for me last night
- There's one improvement in the behaviour of "Svchost.exe" in comparison with the previous "Windows Update tuesday" nightmare. It doesn't use over ~ 200 to 350 MB anymore. But apart from that it's still a nightmare.
- This webpage
provided the solution. Installed manually the right (security ??) Update, rebooted and all was OK (WU found the updates within say 10 minutes).
Although on my laptop WU has to wait with its update procedure until I shut down my system and NOT a second sooner.
Willy2, help me out here, please.
That page linked in post #36 recommends to install KB3138612 into win7. It's in that first table.
The microsoft page for update KB3138612 says this:
"This update includes Windows Update support for Windows 10 updates (feature updates) that are distributed though WSUS (content released after May 1, 2016). See related update 3159706."
I have marked KB3138612 as hidden in the list I have, and hid it in the 2 updates I have in progress.
Question: if KB3138612 is installed, will the win7 computer then start popping up those offers for win10?
Thanks.
- Haven't got the faintest clue. As long as WU works well I would avoid installing that update. Only the words "Win 10" alone makes this update for me VERY suspicious. Don't want too much junk on my HD (think: Winsxs folder).
- You could install it and if it has some ugly nagware then you Always can remove the update.
- This month I only installed KB 3168965 and that was enough to get WU "rolling" again.
- KB 3033385 is the Win 10 nagware. To be avoided.
for all not-w10-fans
optional update kb3173040
Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1 end of free upgrade offer notificationThanks, Willy2. I feel the same about the win 10 stuff.
[begin rant]
Win 7 updates are a disgrace.
Updating a fairly fast win 7 laptop from scratch has taken, so far, 4 or 5 days, probably 36 hours if all added up.
The update popup just sits there, no progress shows, just the little green scroll bar working.
Can't tell if it is working or not.
[end rant]
Just this minute the process finished, and windows update now wants 2 more updates. Ahhh well.