Following a clean install, Windows Update remains at "Checking For Updates" forever...

Anonymous
2016-01-19T16:22:55+00:00

I've reloaded hundreds of Windows computers over the years and I like to think that I am reasonably proficient at that process.  I have just encountered an issue that required a lot of time and effort to resolve and I am posting this to try and save someone else the same ordeal.

My customer had a late model, name-brand Windows 7/64 SP1 computer with a disk drive that was failing.  I changed out the disk drive with a replacement and went through the recovery process, using the manufacturer-provided Recovery Media.  That media is supposed to be identical to the image loaded on the drive from the factory - Windows 7/64 with SP1.

Following the reload, I followed my normal procedure and launched Windows Update.  Windows Update remained at "Checking for Updates" for hours, without ever displaying any updates to install.  I restarted the PC and tried again, with exactly the same result.  The Software Distribution folder would get built and there were plenty of entries in WindowsUpdate.log, but eventually disk activity would cease but CPU activity would remain over 50%.  And Windows Update just showed "Checking for Updates" forever.

I decided the reload must have been bad and so I repeated it from scratch again with exactly the same result.  At that point I decided the image on the manufacturer's Recovery Media must be defective and so I reloaded from my MS Partner Program Windows 7/64 SP1 DVD.  I had the same exact symptoms and result again.  I thought that maybe I was not waiting long enough, so I left it running overnight.  The next morning, it was still at "Checking for Updates".

I tried additional reloads using SURT and that also remained at "Checking for Updates" without accomplishing anything.  I tried using the Windows Update Troubleshooter - with no luck.  Ditto for manually resetting Windows Update and various combinations of these techniques.  I verified that Windows was activated and that date/time were correctly set.  Nothing made any difference.

I then started meticulously documenting everything as I went along and I think I've found a solution:

After the reload, I checked the Windows Update components in C:\Windows\System32. The components are wuapi.dll, wuapp.exe, wuaclt.exe and wuaeng.dll and all are version 7.5.7601.17514 dated 11/20/2010.  Once you launched Windows update or run SURT, these are all updated directly to version 7.6.7600.320.  At that point, I get the symptoms described above and there doesn't appear to be any way to recover.

When Windows Update is launched, it first updates itself automatically and without the user having any option.  It appears that upgrading the WU components from7.5.7601.17514 directly to 7.6.7600.320 causes the issue.  I suspect that it works fine for computers that are updated incrementally.

Once WU version 7.6.7600.320 is loaded, there is no easy recovery that I could find.

CURRENT PROCEDURE:

  1. Download https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020369 and https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605 in advance.
  2. Disconnect the computer from the Internet so Windows Update cannot automatically update itself to 7.6.7600.320.
  3. Perform a fresh reload from Recovery Media or Windows 7/64 with SP1 RTM.
  4. When the installation prompts for updates, choose "Ask Me Later".
  5. Apply KB3020369 and then KB3172605 in that order.
  6. Restore the Internet connection, configure update settings to your preference and launch Windows Update as normal.

Credit to Canadian Tech, Volume Z and other contributors for developing this current procedure.

ORIGINAL PROCEDURE FROM JANUARY 19 2016 HAS BEEN DEPRECATED BY THE NEW PROCEDURE ABOVE:

  1. Download KB3083710 and KB3102810 in advance.
  2. Disconnect the computer from the Internet so Windows Update cannot automatically update itself to 7.6.7600.320.
  3. Perform a fresh reload from Recovery Media or Windows 7/64 with SP1 RTM.
  4. Manually install KB3083710 and restart - WU components will now be version 7.6.7601.19016 dated 9/25/2015.
  5. Manually install KB3102810 and restart - WU components will now be version 7.6.7601.19046 dated 10/20/2015.
  6. Restore the Internet connection and launch Windows Update as normal.
  7. After a few minutes, you should have plenty of updates to download and install.

Ken Morley

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-03-05T23:14:44+00:00

    I am running  Windows 7 Ultimate service pack 1 32 bit operating system Do you think it will work the way you said in this system?

    I thank you for your help

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-03-05T22:08:34+00:00

    I am willing to look but it would help me to know why you need this information...       

    To make sure it's "running like a top" now!

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-03-05T21:46:16+00:00

    I can speak to the potential patience issue.  At first, I only waited a few hours but eventually using the old method of install, I have waited 12 hours of more.  The problem there is twofold.

    One is unlike the Ken Morley method, you get absolutely NO indication that anything is being downloaded. The update bar spins and spins and even at the extremely long time frame of 12 hours, I have never seen it “done”.  I typically just stopped it.  With the Ken Morley method, only after a few minutes, the software tells you that you have x number of updates and ask you for permission to upload them.  The upload and install takes about 2-3 hours and then it is done – it tells you it is done.

    Two, if you use the old method, again you never get any indication that it is done.  When I stopped it after 12 or more hours, when it re-boots, you see updates being installed.  BUT when you go to the update manager and see what actually has installed.  Only 7 out of hundreds are successful and the rest are failures.  The successful ones are the ones I manually installed in my trouble shooting.  With the Ken Morley method, MOST updates are successful ~100 out of 150 and the at the current time point, after multiple auto updates, only about 10 are unsuccessful.

    So IMHO, there is NOTHING similar between the two methods.

    I have significant experience with both computer software and hardware having used PC since 1982 and build all my own desktop computers.  I also have a Ph.D. in science and have 30 more years of research and trouble shooting under my belt.  So troubleshooting software and hardware is not new to me....

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-03-05T21:25:23+00:00

    I am willing to look but it would help me to know why you need this information as searching or these numbers in the hundreds of updates is not exactly easy and I am super backed up since this business has taken away about 2 weeks of my time...

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-03-05T21:18:54+00:00

    Ken, clearly I stand in the shadow of your knowledge.  Thank you once again from all for bringing clarity to this mess.

    As for Security, I have run across this many times in the forum.  So, a lot of people are making the mistake of installing Windows, then Security, then, in some cases much more, BEFORE proceeding to do WU.  One of the worst case scenarios is WU itself (at request of user) installs Microsoft's AV as part of WU.

    I am not so much addressing you, Ken, as much as other readers who visit this particular thread.

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