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

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.

0 comments

580 answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Deleted

    This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

    Comments have been turned off. Learn more

  2. Anonymous
    2016-09-19T14:49:21+00:00

    Are you directing a question to me?  You are responding to a posting of over 7 months ago.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2016-09-19T11:20:10+00:00

    My Windows 7 hopelessly crashed---"corrupted system 32 files".  On that basis, I ended up doing a factory re-install (of Windows 7).  Actually, I did the factory re-install twice, with undesirable results.  In all this effort, it became possible to upgrade to Windows 10.

    So I upgraded to Windows 10, and things were looking pretty good.  However, after spending much time customizing Windows 10, I got this insane message:  "attempting to recover your previous version of Windows".  To the best of my knowledge, I did nothing whatever to initiate return to Windows 7---it just happened for mysterious reason. After such insane message, my computer was "caught in a loop", and absolutely would not boot up either 7 or 10.

    So I did a third factory re-install of Windows 7---but that now leads me here, because the damned thing will not properly update.  In fact, it has updated, but will not currently do so, and furthermore, it says the computer has never checked for updates, or been updated, when in fact it has---update history proves this point.

    In view of problems with my "hotmail" being transitioned to "outlook", total crash of Windows 7, failure of Windows 10, and current problems with updates, my thought is that Microsoft is surely going to ****.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2016-09-14T19:09:43+00:00

    Hi all,

    I think this is all my fault.  I started a thread on the Norton site and only came here because of a common "thread" - the KB3102810 update.  I'm grateful for the help offered, by CT in particular, and intend to follow his advice to look at an Anti-virus-only solution.  CT asked me to check out a report and feed back on my decision, which is this.

    My laptop's operating fine, now I've applied the KB3102810 update, so intend to leave it as is, especially as I've a long time to go on my Norton subs.  For the PC, which is still giving me issues, I'm going to try AVG first.  It scores well and it's free, so I can check out its impact on the PC at no cost/obligation.  If it looks good, I'll think about the two others recommended above.

    Thanks all for your patience.

    Ian

    EDIT: 17.9.16 - For CT - Running on the free AVG.  Still a lot of CPU activity, but not stopping anything working.  What I have noticed, though, is a big increase in use of RAM.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2016-09-13T14:36:57+00:00

    DaviNUNYA said:  "the thread has become over grown and could be a real challenge for a complete novice.   Not sure what the answer is..."

    The answer is to read the first post in this thread, which has been edited to include the current procedure. It's simple enough for anyone to follow.

    Please remember that this thread is about the case where you reload a PC from scratch, using the Windows 7 media (either OEM OR Microsoft RTM) and without any further actions, Windows Update is broken.  I don't see how Norton or the Windows 10 updates contribute to the problem, since neither is installed yet.  I'm also a little confused as to how the WU problem could possibly be made worse than totally, permanently broken.

    This thread was not written to include cases where updates are slow or sometime work and sometime don't. While there may be some commonalities between these issues, and some of the suggestions herein may benefit folks with that problem, that has never been my interest or the focus of this thread.  If someone is using this thread for that purpose, then you are correct - it's probably is overgrown, confusing and unwieldy.  That is exactly why I am requesting that we at least try to remain on topic.

    For those using the thread as intended (defined in the original post), I think this resource can be very helpful and not at all confusing.  After all, it's better than the help you aren't getting from Microsoft ;)

    Ken Morley

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments