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

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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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
    2016-06-07T18:18:21+00:00

    Thank you very much for your detailed post, Mr Alford.

    After three days wasted installing so many suggested kb downloads that came to nothing, I followed your post to the letter and was finally able to get updates on a fresh x64 Win7 SP1 install.

    Immense frustration over at long last!

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-06-10T21:01:33+00:00

    I'd also add that you have to be patient after the fix. Usually after you install SP1 on Windows 7 there are over 230 updates that need to be installed.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-06-15T15:45:41+00:00

    I was trying to "Search online for updated drivers" for the Bluetooth Device (RFCOMM Protocol TDI), from within Device Manager.

    The window had been open for at least half an hour, and could not be closed manually.

    The steps given here, where one goes out to the cmd prompt as Admin and stops and restarts those services did work, but it might not seem that it did when you retry to the search.  It takes about 3 minutes for the message to come back saying that the driver is already up to date. This process used to be much quicker.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-06-15T16:04:28+00:00

    THIS IS RIDICULOUS!! YEARS LATER....STILL AN ISSUE. AS BUSINESSES' WE DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO WAIT AND TROUBLESHOOT MICROSOFT'S FAILURE TO FIX THEIR ISSUES.  I HAVE TRIED MANY OF THE TIPS IN THIS THREAD TO NO AVAIL....CHECKING FOR UPDATES RUNS AND RUNS AND RUNS AND DOES NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  COULD SOMEONE AT MICROSOFT PLEASE PROVIDE A FIX THAT WORKS....THANKS!

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