Windows Update Hangs

It is certainly not acceptable or even ethical.   Sorry to say, it is reality and there is little to nothing you or I can do about it short of switching to Linux or Apple.

Microsoft has changed.  It is not the same company it used to be.  I expect to be defending my computer and my clients' for a long time to come.

If you have not experienced this before, count yourself very lucky.   This has been going on since last July.  Browse through this forum and you will find thousands of questions about this.

Update finally completed after close to 5 hours.

That is very useful feedback in this thread.  Thank you.  Click the Answer button please.

I guess I been lucky. Have not experienced this till today on win7. Its a crazy long time just for it to check for updates-not even downloading them,just checking. From now on Im going to turn off auto check and just manually check every month-its been making my CPU way to high on every boot up and not going off till a few hours-I have noticed this happening the past month. Now that I have auto check turned off my CPU is normal again. Will manually run it when I go to sleep tonight. Sad that its come down to me having to do this but I dont want Win10.

Here is a better solution:

Prevent Windows 10

If you do not want Windows 10 and wish to prevent it from being installed on your computer, follow this exactly as laid out.  I have done this on 150 client computers and it works flawlessly, and has continued to that since Spring, 2015.

Once you have followed the procedure below, and set Windows update to NEVER, once a month, start Windows Update manually, check for updates.  When you get the list of “important” updates, right-click and choose hide on EVERY update in the Windows grouping that does not describe itself as Security.  Allow the Malicious software removal tool or any C++ updates.  Do not use ANY optional updates or place a checkmark in any unchecked updates.  Proceed to update.

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March 27, 2016

Microsoft has committed to support Windows 7 until at least January, 2020.  Most of your current computers will last that long.

The Windows 10 installation promises to allow return to Windows 7 within 30 days.  That return process is flawed and sometimes requires re-installation of Windows 7.  For some owners without a re-usable Microsoft product key or a factory restore partition on their computers, it results in a useless thing that used to be a computer.

A lot of people have tried Windows 10 and decided they want their Windows 7 back.  If you are one of those, once you have Windows 7 back, you will need to take steps to keep it that

You must adopt a protective stance to prevent your Windows 7 system from becoming something you do not want.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3043656/microsoft-windows/first-aid-for-forced-windows-10-upgrades.html

Change the Windows Update Setting to Never check for updates.  Once a month, on the 2nd Tuesday, they receive an email from me advising to manually start WU and then hide every update except for ones specifically labeled Security.  In other words, only security updates will be applied.  In all of 2015, there was not a single update that  improved Windows 7.

Some may feel uncomfortable with the setting — NEVER.  Well you needn’t be.  Never means you are never giving Microsoft a chance to decide what you download and install.  It should NOT mean you will never update.  The difference is that now you take control and the responsibility of updating of Windows and Office.

Read Woody Leonhard (one of the most respected writers in the trade) 

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2983777/microsoft-windows/how-to-clean-the-windows-10-crapware-off-your-windows-7-or-81-pc.html?nsdr=true Woody calls the Windows 10 download “crapware.”  Woody’s advice is that if you have Windows 7, keep it, you are better off by far.

If you see the Windows flag on the bottom right of your screen, chances are pretty high, your computer already has the Win10 files. Even if you do not, it may be on your computer shortly anyway.  Here are instructions on how to rid yourself of it:

First download and run GWX Control panel.  http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/

It will allow you to prevent any future operating system upgrades and delete downloaded Win10 files, but it will not remove all of Microsoft’s spyware that is already installed on your computer.

The following process will remove those features which you do not need.

This process works, but it only works if you do all the steps and do them in order.

1. Take Windows Update off automatic — Never check for updates
2. Windows Update, Installed updates, WAIT a long time till you see the green bar complete its long trip to the right
3. Now, search for each of the listed updates, uninstall them.  You must wait until the list is re-created each time. You need to wait till you see the number at the bottom of the search window exceed a few hundred.
4. If there are others you want to uninstall, click Later
5. Then, clear the search box and after the list is again displayed (the number at the bottom again exceeds several hundred), enter another KB number.
6. Restart the PC.  It may take a long time to process this.

If you choose “check for updates, but let me choose whether to download and install them”, Microsoft will download “important” updates like KB3035583 to your computer.  It will be pre-checked — selected.  Unless you check Windows Update (WU) and discover this BEFORE you shut down, it will install it during the shut-down process.

List of updates that if already installed should be removed:

KB3035583

KB2952664

KB2977759

KB3021917

KB3075249

KB3080149

KB3083710

KB3083324

KB3090045

KB3112343

KB3123862

KB3022345

KB3068708