Windows Update Hangs

From now on, expect to wait a long time for updates.  Sometimes many hours.  That is now normal. 

I don't understand why you find this acceptable?

It never has been normal for updates to take several hours (as others have commented) so why is it acceptable for this to become normal now?

BTW not all W7 PCs are taking hours - I have a 64-bit one that updated normally in a mater of minutes yesterday, but two others, both 32-bit, have taken hours to find the updates and hours more to install them.

That makes me wonder if there is some selection going on in the WU servers that keeps 64-bit (newer, business) W7 PCs updating as usual by slowing down 32-bit (older, private) W7 PCs updating?

Can anyone else comment on the relative speeds of W7 32-bit vs. 64-bit updating this month?

Canadian Tech

It may now be 'normal' but it is just not acceptable. Why should it take so long to just get the list of updates intended for Windows 7? And then take hours to download the data files?

My W8.1 installation updated in about 20 minutes total, that's acceptable. My W10 install took about 15 minutes for the last update cycle, That's OK too. Our W7 laptop has now been running 16 hours just looking for the list - that is unacceptable.

First recommendation. Stop doing daily updates.  Updates come once a month. The only ones that come in between 2nd Tuesdays are ones that are designed to move your computer to Windows 10.  Set your Windows Update settings to NEVER and do it manually once per month.

Second recommendation.  Fans running at high speed have nothing to do in particular with Windows Update.  Fans run at higher speeds (that's when you hear them (it), are a sign that the computer is running warmer than it should and the fan is speeding up to rid itself of that heat.  That heat can be caused by all kinds of computer activity.  You do not tell us what kind of a computer your have -- laptop or desktop.  If it is a laptop, do not keep it on a soft surface.  The source of air to the fan is though the slits in the bottom.  If it is a desktop, shut it down, open it up and remove the dust.  If the fan runs continuously on high no matter what you are doing, you have a serious hardware problem that must be corrected immediately before you fry your computer.

From now on, expect to wait a long time for updates.  Sometimes many hours.  That is now normal.

im having this same problem ever since afternoon. Never had this issue and windows update always worked fine for me. It was doing its daily check up automatically and i noticed that when i went to my windows update window...the updates box told me i was already up to date. I knew that wasnt right because everyday i have optional lists and  2 other important items that werent installed. I just wanted to wait until patch tuesday to install everything at once since i know security updates get released today.

EDIT: Actually it resolved on its own. I ended up waiting an hour to check for updates and they listed everything and i was able to install them usually and my fan stopped running constantly. Like the other poster said, I suggest waiting even if it may take a long time. Perhaps its just a bug in microsoft itself since my friend was having the same issue.

@BobMcGann only...

Is it the same computer - not necessarily the same problem or Windows version - as in this previous thread of yours? => http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install/running-upgrade-install-setupexe-as-administrator/b0bc48b9-847c-4c98-a396-e1dc94733593