Windows 7 - Windows update stuck at 0kb 0%

It's just Microsoft's way of forcing everyone to Windows 10.

Well I'm forgoing the free upgrade to 10 and installing Linux Mint.

www.linuxmint.com

I've been dual booting Linux Mint, now at version 18 with 5 years of support, with Windows, beginning with XP Pro, for over 7 years (since Mint 7 or 'Gloria'), and can attest that it's indeed a fine OS. Especially for those still on unsupported versions of Windows & there's no cash for a new(er) computer that'll run Windows 7 or above. 

Many of these computer can run Windows 7, especially the later XP & Vista models (many of whom downgraded from 64 bit Vista to 32 bit XP Pro). A low cost hardware upgrade may be needed or desired, such as a more powerful CPU on eBay for as little as $15 & a modern GPU on promo new on several sites, including Newegg & Amazon, some of which doesn't require a 6 pin power port (such as the GeForce 750 Ti variants) & has up to 2GB GDDR5 VRAM. Some also uses much less power than an installed GPU from a decade back, and as long as there's a PCIe graphics slot, even 1st gen, it's compatible with models that are PCIe 3.0 (just as USB 3.0 ports works with USB 2.0 & 1.1 devices). 

If it's too old & has no PCIe slots, then Linux Mint also may be the best option.;-)

I agree with what you're saying, these issues weren't taking place until W10 came along, and while it's likely the culprit, it's hard for me to recommend a non-Windows OS on a Windows forum (except as noted above). Running Linux Mint is much safer than XP, probably over 250x so. It also requires no AV/AM apps, unless sharing files with Windows computers & others running Windows. In the case of the latter, it's courteous to scan the files before passing along, to include emails. Many will setup a Linux computer as a Mail server, in this instance, security is needed & there's options (ESET NOD32 AV for Linux being one option) on promo, two years, $59.99). 

Thing is though, there's millions of off lease computers with Windows 7 Pro 64 bit pre-installed for $80-150 that are decent computers, plus has a physical TPM port for security (W7 Ultimate is required for this), though 8.1 & W10 Pro can use this option. 

For the cost of a can of soda per day, one can have a much new(er) computer, a few vendors still carries Windows 7 Pro in new computers. That's what I did, sacrificed a few things, though not completely, and was able to have nicer computers, will be working on a new build featuring an already purchased & running i7-4790K, as soon as the components comes in from Newegg. My unopened W7 Pro install package (Full version) purchased 3-4 years back at Newegg is awaiting a home, and if update troubles crosses my path, know what to do. 

Cat

That strategy didn't work well with me: I "upgraded" to Windows 10, and less than 48 hours later, went back to Windows 7. Windows 10 was a nightmare, where half of my programs wouldn't run, and the others ran strangely. Who needs that??? With all its annoyances, at least Windows 7 works!

The cool thing about that is that although you did go back to W7, you now have an 'entitlement' license for W10. Provided you have no major hardware change, such as a MB, or several other components (would require a lot to deny the license), you can clean install the W10 edition that was on the computer (Home or Pro). There's a chance that an upgrade would also work, provided the Windows COA is the same as when W10 was on the computer. 

Though I tend to distrust Microsoft a bit, so I upgrade, run a couple of days, then create a drive image, this way the entitlement isn't 'forgotten'. With 8.1, this is 6.5 years away from EOL, with W7, more like 3.5 years from the date of this post. A lot can happen in either amount of time, especially for current 8.1 users & that's not a bad OS, just gained a bad rap from being associated with the initial W8 release. 

So you have made a positive step forward. ;-)

At any rate, I've found the instructions posted a page or so back to work fine. Yes, it's an over 500MB download & may take 2-3 hours to run (less if on a SSD and/or plenty of RAM/powerful CPU), but it gets the job done. What I do beforehand Is set Windows Update to download & notify me then reboot (the latter step is important), because sometimes updates not compatible with our OS (or undesired update) will come through. It's best to physically see & check the non-security updates to see what it's for, there's a link to the right after clicking onto the update for details, and you can 'hide' the updates you don't want by right clicking & choosing that option, even after these has been downloaded. Of course, install any security updates offered. Usually these are listed before the non-security ones, and if not been updated for some time, the list will be long. 

Choose the 32 or 64 bit Windows 7 link that applies to you & download. Do not discard after successful update, may again be needed, I had to go though this two times on one W7 computer, after I had also ran the sfc /scannow tool three times as recommended in an article I had read. 

This step applies to Windows Vista and 7 users only.

To get started, download the System Readiness Tool (hotfix):

• System Readiness Tool for Windows 7 32-bit
• System Readiness Tool for Windows 7 64 bit
• System Readiness Tool for Windows Vista 32 bit
• System Readiness Tool for Windows Vista 64 bit

Once the file is downloaded, run it and follow the onscreen instructions, then try Windows Update again.

This tool is updated from time to time, if you have tried an older one, maybe it's best to try the latest. Once opened & it's checking, provided the computer isn't set to sleep after so long (if so, disable for this & be on AC power), you don't have to babysit it, run errands, whatever you need to do, when it's ready for install, it'll be ready for you & post install, open the Task Manager, the Internet activity lights up as though a Christmas tree & you'll get a Windows Update notification. Or may see an asterisk at the shutdown option, this partially installs updates, though has to be restarted & rebooted again to finish. 

The only thing about the shutdown to install updates option is that you don't see what's been updated & may have to uninstall some unwanted ones. Example, you have opted out of Telemetry updates & these keeps coming in. Windows 7 'phones home' almost as much as 8.1 & 10 does, and to an extent, so does Vista. 

I once recommended this as an answer, seems that many has missed the post on Page 5, have personally fixed 25-30 user's computers (not counting my own) with this option. The only drawback is that it takes time to run the checks, and when running for that long, must be doing lots of it. When ready, you'll be notified to install, and it'll open up just as any other Windows 7 update box does. No reboot required post install, and often, many of the updates has downloaded if it's been ready to install for a spell. 

Good Luck, I hope this repost of my last one helps many!

Cat

"wait" may or may not work.

one way to check internet traffic is :

• open windows task manager,
• switch to Networking tab

when checking for, or downloading updates, there should be some activity on the chart & network utilization stats.

Well yes and no.  If the downloads are trickling in then you can't tell if it is just noise or really something coming down.  The utilization is a figure that is a % of the bandwidth available (in my case it is 1Gps) so trickling in at 10 to 15 kbps shows as close to 0% as possible. Not only that but it is sporadic.  you will get a short burst of download then nothing for minutes.  I have a network meter running in my network that shows the activity that is much better than the Networking tab.  So yes I see that there is some network activity but you can't tell if that is downloads with Microsoft or just normal network noise.

"wait" may or may not work.

one way to check internet traffic is :

• open windows task manager,
• switch to Networking tab

when checking for, or downloading updates, there should be some activity on the chart & network utilization stats.

I TRIED EVERYTHING AND ONLY THIS METHOD WORKED. I HAD OVER 50 UPDATES AND I CLICKED GET UPDATES AND WAITED AND WAITED BUT it stayed at 0kb downloaded 0%..

Date: 9th August 2016

Solution: THen I found a solution. 

1. click Start at the bottom left of desktop.
2. press the Shut Down button that has the little shield icon next to it.
3. it should start downloading just wait...
4. turn computer on again
5. repeat process until all updates downloaded (my computer downloaded all 50 updates in chunks. E.g. 1st time it shut down and downloaded like 10 updates, etc. 

**SIDE NOTE: PRESSING THE OFF BUTTON ON THE COMPUTER will not download the updates. in order to download updates you must go to Start and click Shut Down.