Why are Windows updates so slow (and long) with Windows 7

Anonymous
2012-01-02T23:18:56+00:00

original title: We'll search the Windows forum for an answerWhy are Windows updates so slow (and long) with Windows 7

I have a new netbook with windows 7 starter.

Last night when I tried to shut down, I got a message about updating and not to shut down.  If I recall correctly, the download consisted of 49 items.

Today when I turned the computer on, after I entered my password, the computer told me to not shut down and stage 3 was in process.

Then it switched to a "Windows 7 Starter" screen (Windows 7 Starter with the windows logo at the bottom of a patterned blue screen, the same screen I get when booting up before the password screen appears.)  There is no other info on the screen.

It has been a couple of hours since the screen appeared and nothing else appears to be going on.  For the first 40 minutes, the hard drive light was on almost constantly, since then there is an occasional "blink" of the hard drive light.

Is this normal?

If so how long should I expect the process to take?

If not, (how would I be able to tell), what happens if I turn the computer off (assuming I can), and is there any way of recovering?

Anything else I should do?

Suggestions:

1.  Provide the user with some indication that something is happening, and show progress so we know its not just locked up.

2.  Offer an option where the user can delay the long configuration (or whatever is happening) so that if the computer is needed for critical work related use, the user won't get fired.

Thanks

tom

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
2012-01-03T15:00:42+00:00

Hi,

 It seems to be an issue with the updates installation.

Please follow the article mentioned below:

An update is not installed successfully when you try to install the update in Windows Vista and Windows 7

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-02-29T19:24:34+00:00

    Not to long ago I could reload a windows 7 machine 30 minutes, patches, including sp1 in 1 to 1.5 hours.

    I think the last reload, updates I did was around 8 hours for updates. There aren't that many more, and processor / ram usage is outrageous. Any linux fresh install, run updates, about 30 minutes.

    I take it the noob developers microsoft hired seem to think they need to change things to remain relevant. Yet are incapable to comprehend why customers are rejecting there bad changes.

    Windows XP is successful because it is an operating system. It is the layer between hardware and software, (definition of an operating system). What tasks the computer performs is up to the customer, and it is the customer that installs software to meet their specific needs.

    Loading a bunch of useless **** on an operating system that most of is disable anyway doesn't not make a new version and is far less that ground breaking. It "is" a pathetic attempt at trying to remain relevant.

    So if you have nothing useful to offer for development, screw something up.

    Chrome, Android, Linux are taking over for good reason.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-03-13T14:14:11+00:00

    I have a Dell Laptop,Inspiron with Windows7. One update has been installing for the last 2 hours. It tells me not to unplug or turn off the computer. Normally I follow the instructions. As my beard grows longer and changes color the one update has not installed... What can I do to help speed up the installation? Please help me. Thank you, Bob

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-03-13T23:22:42+00:00

    Unfortunately up to now anyone knows how speed up, moreover without an investigation and  reply  from Microsoft we should still fight with update process.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-03-20T01:07:22+00:00

    It may be best to break the update up into smaller pieces. This month I am updating 23 things on Windows 7. Currently it has sat for 3 hours attempting to update Microsoft Security Essentials - I should have left that for Security Essentials to do. Don't make my mistake!

    The other updates have each installed very, very slowly. There have been error messages, too, that I've never seen before. Maybe if the updates are done one at a time, this will go faster, as it's been 6 hours and is only half done. This is on a fairly recent i5 laptop with 8GB ram.

    Previous Windows Updates have taken roughly an hour.

    I've got work to do and this computer is just sitting here installing. It's impossible to do any work while the updates install as the whole system is frozen. How the blazes can updating Security Essentials freeze my computer? Nothing is using more than 1% CPU, only 3GB of memory is in use, and there's hundreds of GB of drive space free.... yet the system is almost completely unresponsive.

    The fixes I've seen here only work when you've stopped doing updates.... and I can't stop, can I? Though I could roll back and start over, I don't want to lose the time I've already put into this. And everyone does say that it does eventually finish....

    Any more of this and I will just lock down the computer. No more updates of any kind. If I get hosed, I've got backups.

    Brett

    (And in case you are wondering how I'm doing anything, I'm posting from my Mac.)

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