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

Anonymous

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

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Anonymous

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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237 additional answers

Anonymous

2016-08-15T16:43:55+00:00

Windows 7 Update Problems? Read this first.

:)

The above link gives an excellent and complete solution for failed Windows Updates in Win7 (etc). Thanks again to Volume Z for providing it.

A special advantage of the linked article is that the author, ElderN, appears to be updating the entire and current solution on page 1 of that thread, responding quickly to comments that come in. So it is no longer necessary to read 19 pages here and 12 pages there if you just want to get on with the fix.

Some of those comments below the article also make a good attempt to summarize the complete fix, like in about 3 lines.
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Anonymous

2016-08-15T16:27:25+00:00

This thread has 19 pages of people trying desperately to fix something that is basic to the Windows operating system. A user should not have to be an IT expert or tech savvy to correct an error that is obviously due to a Microsoft failure.

Microsoft needs to post an easy download fix to this. Period.
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Anonymous

2016-08-15T15:05:25+00:00

Windows 7 Update Problems? Read this first.

:)
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Anonymous

2016-08-15T12:33:40+00:00

Execution: 1st I recall that I came here, as everyone, because my W7 64b Pro sp1 WU stalls displaying (in French) "Looking for updates..." (My WU history, which goes back to Jan 2016, shows 73 updates, all 73 of MSE, obviously done by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft\_Security\_Essentials itself despite its own usual random stalling; so WU never updated anything on this system since its installation as W7-64sp1).

So, after downloading kb3020369, on Mon 15 Aug 2016 13:57 +0200 I double-clicked the downloaded file, which immediately displayed (in FR) "Install Program for Windows Update in Autonomous Mode - Looking for updates on this computer..."; just in case, I waited for 16 minutes, after which it still displayed "Looking for updates on this computer...", so I clicked "Cancel", but this failed to cancel that display and so-called "search", so I had to use Task Manager to stop it. Then launching WU displays again "Looking for updates..."... forever as usual.

Must I try install kb3172605? or apply http://wu.krelay.de/en ? or give up? I fear I am stupid to have wasted time trying; we are no more in 1995, most people nowadays are reasonable enough to NOT try follow such MS instructions...

Versailles, Mon 15 Aug 2016 14:33:40 +0200
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