original title: Windows 7 Checking For Updates stuck forever - I know this is answered, but the solutions don't work for me. Please see details! I have installed a legit Windows 7 OS on my laptop. Its not an upgrade, it was a blank hard drive. WIndows 7 installed flawlessly, picked up all my drivers. The only problem is I am having problems with Windows 7 updates. When I choose Windows 7 update, it says "Checking for updates" and stays like that - forever. Even the next day. I did heavy heavy research, found out others are having the same problem. I tried all the fixes I could find, which are listed below: No Anti-virus programs installed yet - brand new Windows 7 ultimate installation There is no spyware - its a brand new clean install Firewall shut off Temp files, cookies, history cleared background intelligent transfer service set to automatic in services.msc software distribution folder renamed tried shutting off automatic updates and doing it manually Added windowsupdate to trust zone ran MicrosoftFixit50202 in normal and advanced mode Even with my internet SHUT OFF (turned off modem) it still checks for updates and doesn't fail with "No internet connection available". Please, please help. Anyone.

Volume Z, I am completely rattled at this point. Two days ago I have had an issue with Office 2010 and after exhausting everything I could think of to resolve it, I restored my OS and program files from an image which I have stupidly neglected since last year. The image was restored apparently fine and the issue with Office was resolved as expected. However and far more ominous issue developed in that when I tried to Update Windows, I would immediately get a error message that " Windows Update Cannot Currently Check For Updates, Because The Service Is Not Running. You May Need To Restart Your Computer. I did to no avail then exhausted all possible solutions that I could find on line and finally spent over eight hours (mostly watching nothing happen) on the phone with a MS tier 2 support engineer. That was a colossal waste of time as nothing was resolved and they informed me that I would have to install a fresh OS (something I wanted to avoid if at all possible). Anyway, I attempted that per their instructions and when finished I was left with a PC that wouldn't boot into Windows. I spent anther two hours with MS today and their suggestion then was to take the PC to Atlanta GA or Charlotte NC (both over 125 miles away) for a free repair. I dug out an old hardrive, reformatted it and attempted a fresh install again and it worked. I then took that drive out and put the original drive back in, restored it from the image and rebooted the PC. Windows (now nearly one year out of date) now runs normally and when I attempt to Update Windows I am not longer getting the error but it has been the "Checking for updates" condition now for over two hours. After another call to the tier 2 support I was told to just wait and it would eventually update and they would call me again on Wednesday. I feel that I am close and that they don't really know what they are talking about and you do. Yesterday they downloaded the following files to my PC for part of their troubleshooting. I think the fourth one is the file you are recommending as the fix. Can you please detail for me the step by step process that I need to do to attempt to resolve this issue? Thank you very much!!

Addendum - Obviously once the two updates have completed installation and restart has completed, change update settings back to your desired setting. Updates should function as normal now

There is no need to install absurd amounts of outdated Update Clients in an absurd order. Install June 2016's (latest) Windows Update Client, included in KB3172605 . If not already present, also install its prerequiste KB3020369, the April 2015 Servicing Stack Update. Regards, VZ Please try the following: Set automatic updates to "Never check for updates" and restart Windows. Install KB3020369 and KB3172605 (in this order). https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020369 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605 Regards, VZ This worked FLAWLESSLY - issue had been driving me nuts for over a week since I reinstalled Win 7 Pro on my old Alienware M17xr3. Much appreciated VZ!

Windows 7 Checking For Updates stuck forever

Anonymous

original title: Windows 7 Checking For Updates stuck forever - I know this is answered, but the solutions don't work for me. Please see details!

I have installed a legit Windows 7 OS on my laptop. Its not an upgrade, it was a blank hard drive. WIndows 7 installed flawlessly, picked up all my drivers. The only problem is I am having problems with Windows 7 updates. When I choose Windows 7 update, it says "Checking for updates" and stays like that - forever. Even the next day. I did heavy heavy research, found out others are having the same problem. I tried all the fixes I could find, which are listed below:

No Anti-virus programs installed yet - brand new Windows 7 ultimate installation
There is no spyware - its a brand new clean install
Firewall shut off
Temp files, cookies, history cleared
background intelligent transfer service set to automatic in services.msc
software distribution folder renamed
tried shutting off automatic updates and doing it manually
Added windowsupdate to trust zone
ran MicrosoftFixit50202 in normal and advanced mode

Even with my internet SHUT OFF (turned off modem) it still checks for updates and doesn't fail with "No internet connection available".

Please, please help. Anyone.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Problem solved.

It was my internet connection!! I logged onto my neighbors via wireless unsecured (ssh... don't tell lol), and within 30 seconds, 77 updates came through!

It has to be something in my network.

Thanks for helping though!!

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261 additional answers

Anonymous

2016-09-11T20:27:56+00:00

Volume Z,

I am completely rattled at this point. Two days ago I have had an issue with Office 2010 and after exhausting everything I could think of to resolve it, I restored my OS and program files from an image which I have stupidly neglected since last year.

The image was restored apparently fine and the issue with Office was resolved as expected. However and far more ominous issue developed in that when I tried to Update Windows, I would immediately get a error message that "Windows Update Cannot Currently Check For Updates, Because The Service Is Not Running. You May Need To Restart Your Computer.

I did to no avail then exhausted all possible solutions that I could find on line and finally spent over eight hours (mostly watching nothing happen) on the phone with a MS tier 2 support engineer.

That was a colossal waste of time as nothing was resolved and they informed me that I would have to install a fresh OS (something I wanted to avoid if at all possible). Anyway, I attempted that per their instructions and when finished I was left with a PC that wouldn't boot into Windows. I spent anther two hours with MS today and their suggestion then was to take the PC to Atlanta GA or Charlotte NC (both over 125 miles away) for a free repair.

I dug out an old hardrive, reformatted it and attempted a fresh install again and it worked. I then took that drive out and put the original drive back in, restored it from the image and rebooted the PC.

Windows (now nearly one year out of date) now runs normally and when I attempt to Update Windows I am not longer getting the error but it has been the "Checking for updates" condition now for over two hours.

After another call to the tier 2 support I was told to just wait and it would eventually update and they would call me again on Wednesday.

I feel that I am close and that they don't really know what they are talking about and you do. Yesterday they downloaded the following files to my PC for part of their troubleshooting.

I think the fourth one is the file you are recommending as the fix. Can you please detail for me the step by step process that I need to do to attempt to resolve this issue? Thank you very much!!
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Anonymous

2016-09-11T16:48:18+00:00

Addendum - Obviously once the two updates have completed installation and restart has completed, change update settings back to your desired setting. Updates should function as normal now
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Anonymous

2016-09-11T16:41:14+00:00

There is no need to install absurd amounts of outdated Update Clients in an absurd order.

Install June 2016's (latest) Windows Update Client, included in KB3172605.

If not already present, also install its prerequiste KB3020369, the April 2015 Servicing Stack Update.

Regards, VZ

Please try the following: Set automatic updates to "Never check for updates" and restart Windows. Install KB3020369 and KB3172605 (in this order).

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020369

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605

Regards, VZ

This worked FLAWLESSLY - issue had been driving me nuts for over a week since I reinstalled Win 7 Pro on my old Alienware M17xr3. Much appreciated VZ!
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