Windows 7 - Windows update stuck at 0kb 0%

Over past two months, three different Windows 7 PCs, all Enterprise version, were refusing to download Win 7 updates. I have them configured to not download, but to prompt me to download and run. When told to run, they would spin at 0% downloaded, and never download or install. Failure every time.

I tried the suggestions here on disabling other services and antivirus (Symantec Enterprise). This accomplished nothing. Did not solve the problem.

About a week ago, I decided to follow someone's suggestion that I turn on Automatic Updates. I did. I also configured each machine to allow monitor to sleep, but for hard drive and OS to NEVER sleep or go into hibernation.

After two or three days, after a shutdown and boot cycle, during the initial boot phase, suddenly Windows informed me that updates were being installed, with a text on black background counting out the installed updates form a total of 30,000 plus as total count. Weird, but that is what it said.

This updated two machines. I am still testing on the third. Yesterday, on one of them, I ran manual updates as usual, and low and behold, this time it actually worked immediately.

Bottom line for me, three installs on three different motherboards with three different configurations of software and use, all Win 7 same service pack levels. This was NOT a problem with anything installed on my PCs, this was a fatal problem / glitch in the Win 7 Microsoft updates, which apparently finally gotten straightened out, probably through some change at Microsofts end.

ALL I did was turn on automatic updates, turn hibernate/sleep off, and stand back and wait a couple of days, and eventually, after a power cycle, updates applied.

It is really, and I say this as a software database developer using Microsoft tools, and who has maintained Windows system professionally at a high level in larger organizations for 30 years, it just gags me to read the advice offered on this forum in which the only solutions are outrageous complicated fiddlings with the machines set up. That should never have to be the case. The update process should be tested and reliable before Microsoft shoves it out the door. Consumers should NOT have to try endless abstruse and for them obscure technical tweaks to make them work.

I often wondered if the old web site www.micorsith.com was put out of business. Their tech advice for Windows owners reminded me of such advice as I see here all to often. For every question, their advice was: FORMAT AND REINSTALL.

tried link http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Disable-antivirus-software

this is a false link - no mention of how to disable antivirus software

I found a thread somewhere. (Windows 7 update)

Let Winupd get the updates and install them automatically.

After some month of not getting anywhere with this issue, - it worked out at last.

When one is shutting down the computer by using the startbutton You can see

warningsign ? in some red triangel or so. Then, do not shut down down right away.

You go to Winupd and there Y can see the Updates that are going to be installed.

Choose which one's Y want.

I've told Winupd to check for Upd once a week, but that didn't work, but it's a minor problem.

Another minor problem is that, the updates are on Your computer taking up space but still yet not installed.

Today I got upd Kb3184143, NICE! Telling my system Win 7 pro 64-bit not to

look for Win 10 stuff, and also delete remainding stuff concerning WIN 10.

Wow!!

I tried to upgrade this computer but it never worked out, never mind what I was doing.

Some complains about My CPU-prestanda and so on.

Program D-ling Coreinfo.exe told me that all what Winupgradeadvisor where complaining about were supported.

That's another thread in another forum.

This setting in WINUPD is worth a try.

THX, everyone who share their problems and sometimes 'solving'

Have a nice day as Y say overthere

Göran

You are a lifesaver / Voilà une réponse qui vaut de l'or.

(10 + 101 updates now installed;  I also found 2 services that didn't look necessary -an assessment confirmed by further forum searches- and left them disabled, which might speed up the old laptop!)

Regards,

CGR

Hi and THX for a mail! Claire

So You really got the Updates. That's really great.

A lifesaver, - that whas nice written.

You are the first person that has given me some good credits anywhere anyhow.

After this is working We have a "No more SVChost.exe running at 50% CPU"

SVCHOST.exe as a "mainholder" for different services, Wuauserv for one.

That's also good.

When having trouble with Win 7 and above looking in the Logbook.

One have sometimes 1000 Warning , Error etc. How to get rid of them is easy.

Save the lines below between the  **********************

Save it as clearlog.bat as an example. The extension must be bat!!

*************************************************************************

@echo off

FOR /F "tokens=1,2*" %%V IN ('bcdedit') DO SET adminTest=%%V

IF (%adminTest%)==(Access) goto noAdmin

for /F "tokens=*" %%G in ('wevtutil.exe el') DO (call :do_clear "%%G")

echo.

rem echo Event Logs have been cleared! ^<press any key^>

goto theEnd

:do_clear

set result=%1

if %result%=="Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance/Operational" (

Echo analys

goto forts)

rem if %1=="Analytic"

rem exit

rem )

echo clearing %1

wevtutil.exe cl %1

echo %1 >>c:\test.txt

:forts

goto :eof

:noAdmin

echo You must run this script as an Administrator!

echo ^<press any key^>

:theEnd

rem pause>NUL

******************************************************************************

There will be a file c:\test.txt with the result. You can delete that if Y want

The check on Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance/Operational is

that I keep those logs cause slow bootup, and closing windows.

In the logbook I made my OWN replica of some certain events under

"selected Views" Then You could add whatever events You are looking for.

Change the above sentence with what You would like to keep.

The run the batfile in the CMDpromt as Administrator.

******************************************************************

This is very useful when troubleshooting.

Clear the logfiles.

Do some changes in the System

Restart computer

Then goback to the logfile!!

And after Win 7 is running OK. DO A BACKUP. A Full system image on another drive than

C:.

Some Acronis versions work with a serial. Have been using that for 7 -8  years. (free)

Most reliable, Just press F11 at bootup.

Windows Imagebackup, (included in Win 7) I don't recommend cause troubles I've had.

That is dependent on that WIN 7 is OK. Cause files necesssary for recovering is stored

on C:. Very bad.

And to do a recovery needs a "Recovery disc" Very hard to work with

AOMEI is a freeware backupprogram. Not that bad, but .....................

BACKUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had 400 updates installed and then some went wrong. Not the updates

Something else.

No suitable backup (some errors that I didn't saw before) and

start over Winupd for a couple of weeks.

Windows 7 Updates, installing, and backing up at a certain point is in some

case THE same problem.

Clearing the logfile is also essential to cope with what is wrong or not.

That's all Folks

Greetings from Sweden