Windows Update just spins and spins, seemingly without end

...but I very strongly disagree with GWN's post above! Instead, I'd recommend re-enabling automatic updating and selecting the "Notify me but do not download or install" option.

• You'll know if & when an update becomes available, especially out-of-band updates (i.e., updates released other than on the second Tuesday of the month) so...
• You won't miss any updates and you won't have to run manual checks for updates either.
• No updates will download without your explicit approval.
• No updates will install without your explicit approval.
• You'll be able to choose which updates are downloaded, which updates are installed - as well as when they're installed. [If you want to install one or more updates as a standalone(s), you can do so.]

Hi slipfoot:

Just be aware that the slow Windows Updates occur on most Vista computers because the initial "Checking for updates..." phase hangs for several hours while the Window Update Agent tries to search for available updates. If you set your Important Updates to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them" you will likely still experience high CPU consumption (i.e., complete saturation of one of your CPU cores and high CPU temperatures) for several hours if an automatic Windows Update launches on a Patch Tuesday and starts searching for available updates.

32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v48.0 * NIS v22.7.0.76 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

This is the most irresponsible suggestion I have received in more than 5 years of using Windows Answers. Do you realize how much trouble this could have caused me if I'd taken your advice?

Since GWN gave me the right answer and you told me to uninstall Norton Antivirus Online, I'm going with GWN's advice.

Fine by me. Won't really matter 8 months from now anyway.

PS: I recommended that you replace the questionable Norton application.