Windows Update hangs on "checking for updates". Haven't been able to install updates since Oct. 2011

Anonymous
2012-01-13T20:52:46+00:00

Hey there everyone,

I'm having an issue with Windows Update on my Windows 7 64-bit computer. My last most recent update check was on 10/3/2011 and my last actual update was on 9/29/2011. What is basically happening is that Windows is telling me that I need to check for updates. I click on Check for updates, and it basically acts like it is checking for updates, but never moves beyond that. I can leave it checking for hours, and nothing will happen. It won't get me to the screen where I can actually select updates, nor does Windows even acknowledge that I checked for updates.

I've already tried using the Windows Update Fix tool, but there was no success with that at all. I thought that maybe it was my firewall or internet settings, and it's not that either. Does anyone have any suggestions. Thanks!

Peter

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2012-02-13T16:39:04+00:00

Hi,

Try the following methods

Method 1:

1. Click Start

2. Type ‘cmd’ in the search bar.

3. Right click Command prompt and choose “Run as Administrator”

4. At the command prompt, type the following, commands and then press ENTER after each command:

a. net stop wuauserv

b. net stop bits

c. net stop cryptsvc

Please do not close the Command Prompt window.

Method 2: ****Rename folders pertaining to Windows Update.

At the command prompt, type the following commands, and then press Enter after each command:

a) ren %systemroot%\System32\Catroot2 Catroot2.old

b) ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

At the command prompt, type the following, commands and then press ENTER after each command:

a) net start wuauserv

b) net start bits

c) net start cryptsvc

Close the Command Prompt window and check the issue if issue reoccurs

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-02-08T07:15:10+00:00

    Hi,

    Try the following methods

    Method 1:

    1. Click Start

    2. Type ‘cmd’ in the search bar.

    3. Right click Command prompt and choose “Run as Administrator”

    4. At the command prompt, type the following, commands and then press ENTER after each command:

    a. net stop wuauserv

    b. net stop bits

    c. net stop cryptsvc

     

    Please do not close the Command Prompt window.

    Method 2: ****Rename folders pertaining to Windows Update.

    At the command prompt, type the following commands, and then press Enter after each command:

    a) ren %systemroot%\System32\Catroot2 Catroot2.old

          

    b) ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

     

    At the command prompt, type the following, commands and then press ENTER after each command:

    a) net start wuauserv

    b) net start bits

    c) net start cryptsvc

     

    Close the Command Prompt window and check the issue if issue reoccurs

    I think the author intended to list the above as Step 1 and Step 2 or a singular solution.

    You stop the services, clear the update catalog and directory, then restart the services.

    Worked for us on a new installation of Windows Server 2012 R2 that had just been promoted to be the Domain controller in what had been a Windows Server 2003 domain.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-09-23T17:02:49+00:00

    i have this issue also , that is when atempting to update i get to 'Checking for the latest updates for your computer...' which even left for 3 week just keep checking. also the cpu is running at 100% (19-30% ie 70-81% svchost) and the bandwith used to ms is a constant 57-63% of my 100 meg speed

    none of the sugestions have resolved it.

    running xp pro sp3 , no office of ANY kind , no media center pack.

    have seen MANY threads about this issue , which is occuring on xp pro/home 32/64, win7 , win8. tried all possible solutions . . . still no updates

    have also tryed uninstalling anti virus , only differance was the copious quantity of malware when i reinstalled it - after ONLY atempting to update

    i can only guess that there are a number of issues that are causing this extreamly serious problem that have been being reported for over 5 years now without address

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-07-07T23:02:09+00:00

    I'm having the same issue with Windows 8 on my dell studio.  It's pretty ridiculous that a crucial function such as updating has a problem to begin with.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-04-28T15:43:50+00:00

    Please tell me what this means , keeping  in mind  that I am not super computer literate but  I want to try  ...         "using the net stop three services, rename the 2 dirs, net start three services"... 

                                 three ?  I don't understand  three  or where it fits in

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