Windows 7 update install time taking a very long time

Anonymous
2010-11-23T05:04:32+00:00

Well I have a Windows 7 OS, and I shut down my laptop yesterday but then it automatically went in sleep mode as I slept. As I awoken it in the morning I see its at installing updates 32 of 45. Though I see the same thing in the night with no change.  I also see my hard-drive light flashing like it normally does when it's doing something but is this normal and if not what can I do? Also this computer is only 3 days old, and I have not made a recovery media due to lack of media I can use to use for the back up.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2010-11-24T04:01:53+00:00

Hi ChaosDragon92,

You may restart your computer, then use the below steps and check if this helps resolve the issues-

Method 1: You may use the windows update troubleshooter and check if it lists and resolves any issues -

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Open-the-Windows-Update-troubleshooter

Method 2: Also I would suggest you to check in the update history if you are getting any error codes for the failed updates. If you get any errors, do provide us the same to assist you better. To check the recent updates installed on your computer.

View updates history -

a. Click Start, Settings and then control panel (all items view). Click on the Windows Update icon.

b. Click on view update history link.

c. To view the details of a single update select and right click on a listed windows update, then click on view details. Click Close when done.

You may also refer to the below link for additional assistance and check if these assist you-

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Troubleshoot-problems-with-installing-updates

Method 3: **** Use the system update readiness tool –

Download the System Readiness Tool.The System Update Readiness Tool checks your computer and tries to resolve certain conditions that could interfere with the installation of updates or other software.Here is a link to download System Readiness Tool; you may do it according to the exact configuration of the computer:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947821

****After you download and then run the System Update Readiness Tool, restart your computer. Then check if you are able to install the updates properly.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,

Meghmala – Microsoft Support

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-11-02T11:43:40+00:00

    1200 updates?  Something is seriously wrong.  I've never seen more than 250 max.

    Windows 10 ..superior

    Really?  I hope you enjoy being spied on.  While it is technically possible to minimize the snooping, it can't be stopped.

    If anyone really wants Win10, the best, fastest and simplest way is to always boot from media, wipe the hard drive and do a clean install.

    Good luck :)

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-11-01T03:49:38+00:00

    Oh my god I could literally kiss you on the mouth right now!  The first thread you linked to I followed exactly, and it seems to have jump started my ability to hook into the Windows Update network successfully.  You have saved me probably days of waiting for the service to finally catch up and start offering updates as intended.  I started the service back up and manually initiated the search and at first it seemed the solution was a dud.  But about 2-3 minutes of it "Checking for updates" my network activity went crazy (I was running Task Manager just out of curiosity to see if it would show any signs of the service working correctly) and 280 updates were found.  Now it's just a matter of figuring out what to install and in what order, which is a bit tricky, and do this work in batches.  I remember installing Windows 7 on my old computer, and by that point it had been out for a maybe two years.  When it first was hooked into the internet I think it found about 1,200 (no joke) updates that I foolishly just clicked "Install all".  It took almost two full days to process and in the end a bunch of the updates failed to successful install.  So I had to go back and try those failed updates all over again.  I learned that lesson the hard way; from then on I've installed updates in smaller batches so I don't wind up wasting a lot of time.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your help!  Now I'm off to start patching up and hopefully by tomorrow I'll be operating on Windows 10 which I find vastly superior to any OS Microsoft has come up with yet.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-10-31T11:43:54+00:00

    Windows Update has been afflicted for many months.

    Sadly none of the Microsoft engaged Support Engineer alleged "experts" have ever come up with a solution - just things to try, check if it helps and those ideas will never work.

    For hundreds and perhaps thousands of systems the solution is usually very simple.

    There are two discussions that should help:

    Windows update problems?   Read this first.

    and/or

    Windows 7 Update Solution

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-10-31T09:09:54+00:00

    Oh thank god I'm not the only one searching for an answer to this problem!  I figured with Windows 7 being so passé that not many people would be posting about it anymore.  I recently rebuilt my PC and figured since it was a major hardware change that I would pop 7 in, install it, then patch it up until Windows 10 was primed for installation.  I've been going on almost 48 hours of letting the Windows Update utility run continuously and I'm STILL only at the "Checking for updates" stage.  When I first loaded Windows 7 so many years ago I got hundreds of updates almost instantly upon connecting to the net.  I tried the Windows 10 updater and that didn't do anything other than check for updates for too long for my nerves to handle at that point.  It seems I can only let it run and hope I don't get a time out error or anything.  I'll literally rip out all my hair if that happens.  I can only imagine that it's actually doing...something, since I haven't gotten any errors and the process appears to be running and packets are going out and coming in.  My computer is talking to something out there, but I can't be quite sure if it's the MS servers.  I did notice that drivers for my cell phone and the other peripherals I've plugged in during the building process are pulling generic drivers from the Windows Update system, so I can only take that to mean I'm able to interface on at least a superficial level.  I'll keep my fingers crossed that I'm not wasting my time and made a huge mistake starting with 7.  I know there's a option to activate Windows 10 after a major hardware change but I figured this would be the path of least resistance so serial numbers matched up.  ::sigh::  I love PCs...I love PCs...if I keep telling myself that I won't totally lose my mind!

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