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

I had this issue on windows 7 and your 2-part solution finally solved it.

Yesterday I had left the windows update window running for many hours, and when I looked at it later the progress bar was gone and it showed this:

Code 80072EE2 Windows Update encountered an unknown error

WindowsUpdate_80072EE2 WindowsUpdate_dt000

My windows update log from a few minutes ago had this, with timestamps starting about an hour ago:

~ 23:31:40 ~

416 fa0 PT +++++PT: Synchronizing server updates ++++

416 fa0 PT   + ServiceId = {blah} Server URL = https://www.update.microsoft.com/v6/ClientWebService/client.asmx

416 fa0 PT WARNING: PopulateDataStore failed: 0x80248007

416 fa0 PT WARNING: Sync of Updates: 0x80248007

416 fa0 PT WARNING: SyncServerUpdatesInternal failed: 0x80248007

416 fa0 Agent    *WARNING: Failed to synchronize, error = 0x80248007

416 fa0 Agent    * WARNING: Exit code = 0x80248007

416 fa0 Agent    ** END ** Agent: Finding updates [CallerID = AutomaticUpdates]

...

416 fa0 Agent WARNING WU client failed searching for update with error 0x80248007

416 d1c AU RESUMED AU: Search for updates [.CallID = ...]

416 d1c AU WARNING: Search callback failed, result = 0x80248007

416 d1c AU WARNING: Failed to find updates with error code 80248007

416 d1c AU END AU: Search for updates [CallID = ...

416 d1c AU Successfully wrote event for AU health state

416 d1c AU setting next detection timeout to 2012-03-04 04:31:50

(note that's +5 hours from the current time)

(that's just from the log that happened to be in c:\windows\ after I fixed it 20 minutes later using the net stop three services, rename the 2 dirs, net start three services

Searching for "windows update hangs on checking for updates" or "windows update checking for updates forever" gets a lot of replies, from answers.microsoft.com to sevenforums and beyond.

Prior suggestions I tried were:

Use the microsoft fixit for windows update components ( http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058 ):  didn't solve it.  Fixit said there were no detected problems even though the detection details noted that windows couldn't connect to the update server.  What a joke.

Using msconfig to disable microsoft modules update and reboot... didn't fix it.

(Suggested as a solution by AddisonSnell on feb 9, after he had the problem)

A few people said their virtual machine software was causing problems; I temporarily removed virtualbox and that didn't fix it.

Some people said to repair the windows install from install media.  The last thing I want to do is have to reinstall all the windows updates.  My install media is win7 original (sp0), not sp1.

Then there were the people who suggested contacting microsoft tech support... that's a non-answer.

Can you please petition Microsoft to get all the responses to this question in one place and formalize it?

And you wonder why people hate windows?  This kind of experience with a core necessity -- windows update failing to work -- does not leave a good impression.

Windows update should not fail in multiple ways with no useful diagnostic error messages.  This behavior should be considered a bug and fixed immediately.

Of course, this is classic windows behavior... mysterious failures and unhelpful error codes that you can try to search for, but MS KB entries and answers.microsoft.com rarely provide solutions.   It ends up being a maze, trying one suggestion after another, with most either failing to work or being overkill (repair from install media?   REALLY?  I don't think so...)

Based on your solution, I assume that the state of files in those two directories was corrupted somehow.  If I need to email those saved .old dirs and the update log I have to someone official at ms, let me know.

Thanks Gerry.

I wish I could say that there is a failure code associated with doing Windows Updates, but it only hangs there as if it is searching for updates. I have tried turning off automatic update and let me pick and choose what to update, but it will not bother to update anything. Again, my last known successful update that Windows did was on 10/3/11. I've left the Windows update for an hour, but it still says it's searching for updates.

I also even tried your suggestions of doing a disk cleanup and defragmentation, but that has had no success as well. The only thing that I've been actually able to update is Microsoft Security Essentials, and it is showing that in the update history, but doing any ordinary Windows update is leaving me with nothing.

In looking at my last known update history, the very last successful update that Windows did was on 9/29/2011 when it installed an update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 on Windows 7 x64-bit systems. I have not been able to update anything since then. The only updates that have been successful have been the optional Definition Updates for Microsoft Security Essentials. Regular Windows updates are just not happening.

I would appreciate anyone's help on what else to do. The troubleshooter also did not help me either.

Here are some notes that may help resolve problems encountered when installing Windows Updates.

The process of installing updates comprises downloading, installing and configuring the operating system to use the new updates. Some updates require the computer to be restarted and when this occurs configuring occurs as the system is shut down and is completed when the computer is restarted. It is important not to interrupt the configuration process as configuration involves making changes to the registry. If interrupted, the result can be a computer that will not boot.

A lot of problems arise from setting Windows Update to automatically update. You may prefer to change this setting. Select Start, All Programs, Windows Update, Change Settings. Under Important Updates is a box showing the current setting. Click on the Arrow down to the right and change the selection to “Check for Updates but let me choose whether to download and install them” and click on OK.

If you encounter problems updating or you are not using the Automatic Update you should manually update by selecting Start, All Programs, Windows Update, Check for Updates. Check the boxes before the updates you want to install, click on Install and click again on Install in the next window and the process of installing starts. You should let the process proceed without interruption. Multi-tasking at the time updating is in progress is unwise. The progress window will tell you what is going on. You need to be patient.

If you have a number of updates to install break the task of updating into two or more tasks. If you have been having problems with Windows Update run Disk CleanUp (or better still cCleaner) and Disk Defragmenter ( or better still Defraggler) before installing any large download.

If the measures above fail to resolve your problem select Start, All Programs, View Update History and post the Failure Code and Update reference number to the Windows Update Forum at Microsoft Answers.

You can also try the Windows Update Troubleshooter:

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

Hello,

Tried both methods you suggested, both unfortunately are not working to resolve my issue. It gets to the message that says "Checking for updates" as if it is searching for updates, but then never gets to the next step where you can pick and select updates to install. I'm not sure what is causing this, and it is very frustrating. If you have any other suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Peter