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
    2016-05-10T22:06:34+00:00

    How can these additional security updates affect the time required for searching updates?

    Somehow they do, and it seems the new one hasn't even replaced anything.

    Regards, VZ

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-05-10T22:11:36+00:00

    ...after 24 pages I ask if there exist someone of MS, a representative, which may want to tell us what to do. Otherwise the next month we will experience exactly the same problems (that should have been already fixed by Chookys' suggestion: first install KB..., then wait a month; still problems? then install KB...and try in July...and then at Xmas....). I will search about other forums.

    PS: I guess that it was right the user at the beginning "MS want that you upgrade to w10, therefore if you have older OS you have to accept 3 hours for searching for updates". Ok I accept 3 hours.

    Warning:

    the solution should come from MS, in their announcements, not from an anonimous user "Dalai".

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-05-10T23:37:23+00:00

    Instead... I wait to verify

    Only on 10th May I will be able to say if Chooky' solution worked for me too. It seems a reasonable approach ;)

    OK. Of course you have a right to verify. Will you please let me know if it worked for you?

    I have already verified as I downloaded 14 updates yesterday after following the instructions. Those were the updates from a week or two ago, which I was unable to download due to the Update problem.

    Hi, as promised I come back to you.

    Unfortunately I was right. Problem still here!

    I.e. Chooky' solution was simply unuseful.

    WU is searching since 1 hour 20 minutes and...still searching.

    Other suggestions?

    thanks.

    PS: NO high CPU/RAM usage here.

    The "Chooky Solution" (KB3145739) worked for me last month. And all through the month, I was able to manually check for updates successfully (and within a few minutes) and any available (for Windows Defender) came in. No problem. Until today -- we're back to Square One. Checking, checking, checking, checking.....

    Where are you, Chooky, and what can we do now, please?

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-05-10T23:44:11+00:00

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