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
    2016-06-19T21:45:42+00:00

    I currently run Win10 on my main drive, and other OS's on other drives. A close friend has this WinUpdate problem on her Win7 laptop, (unable to update since Aug.27,2015) so asked me to fix it, and I've always been able to fix any problem (15 years or more computer tech experience here) But not this time. This one has me stumped.

    Tried the suggestion on running command line fix first and got 'access denied' even running on Administrator. Then tried this KB3145739 manual fix, and it downloaded and ran, and I rebooted and then manually ran WindowsUpdate, and, one hour later, it's the same problem. Stuck on 'checking for updates' 

    So I'm just going to assume this is all a microsoft ploy to force Win10. Which I'd do, but I have more important issues to deal with currently and Win10 is going to have to wait for a rainy day or something when I have more time. Because I know from my experience updating my personal system, it'll take 12+ hours by the time I have to reinstall and update all the other programs that aren't compatible with Win10, etc. Not to mention, all the people on this forum saying that even updating to Win10 did not fix the issue. So I've turned my friends WinUpdates off, and will tell her to ignore the issue, or take her laptop somewhere else.

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