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
    2016-12-20T23:17:58+00:00

    CT:

    Sure, I remember.  Not too get too far off topic, but good to hear from you and Happy Holidays to everyone!

    Ken Morley

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-12-20T21:23:45+00:00

    Ken, you will remember I was one of the early recognizers of your excellent solution.

    Like you, I do a number of re-loads as you call it, as well. 

    Recently, I have been using the "Solution" for re-loads and it works very well.  I have yet to have a problem with that technique.  I just did one night before last.  After install, I select the other Microsoft products option, set WU to Never, Load KB3020369, then KB 3172605, restart, then start WU.  In 5 minutes flat, I had over 200 updates offered, and only another 5 or 10 minutes they were downloaded and began to install.

    I am referring to the solution at:

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-update/windows-7-update-solution/f39a65fa-9d10-42e7-9bc0-7f5096b36d0c

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-12-20T20:27:23+00:00

    Thank you very much, I had already installed windows 3 times without solving the issue.

    Your post helped me so much!!

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-12-20T18:08:58+00:00

    Julian:

    I'm glad this topic helped you.

    I just want to elaborate on a detail that a lot of people seem to miss.  I probably wasn't clear enough to begin with, so here goes:

    Reloading the PC is not intended as a step to resolve the Windows Update problem.  Rather, reloading the PC was the original goal and theWindows Update issue prevents the process from being successful.  Some people seem to have my intention backwards.

    There are many cases where someone needs to reload a PC from scratch and I do that on a regular basis.  When I do a reload, I have to be able to successfully run Windows Update afterwards.  This procedure allows me to complete the process and achieve the goal of a clean, fresh and stable PC ready to deploy.

    I recognize that other folks are just trying to fix the Windows Update problem and for those folks, reloading is likely to be something they want to avoid.  But for my needs, I really want to reload the PC from scratch and do it quickly and efficiently.

    Cheers!

    Ken Morley

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-12-20T17:09:21+00:00

    Hi all,

    I had the same issue and I followed the procedure except for one thing. I did not rebuild my PC. Here is what I did.

    Download the two KB's 

    Disable Internet access 

    Apply KB3020369 and then KB3172605

    Restart the PC as prompted.

    Re-enable Internet access.

    Run Windows Update.

    As I said this worked for me, everything else was resulting in Windows Update running for hours. I suspect rebuilding would naturally have worked but this saved me having to do that, especially as I had installed a lot of applications already.

    Julian

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