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Post by cyberdiva on Jan 27, 2017 16:22:40 GMT -5
Last autumn, when Microsoft changed the way it delivered updates, I followed various gurus' advice and said I didn't want it to look for or install any updates. After a while, though, I changed my mind. I was able to get one update on Dec. 6 (KB3177467), but nothing since then, even though I have Windows Updates set to "Install updates automatically (recommended)" and to install them "every day" at 12 PM. It never searches for updates unless I tell it to, but even when I tell it to and let it search all day, it never finds anything or reports anything. It just keeps "searching for updates" until I stop it. When I open Windows Updates from the Control Panel, I see a prominent red X and "Check for updates on your computer." It tells me that the "Most recent check for updates" was "Never," and that "Updates were installed" on 12/6/2016.
By contrast, when I open Windows Updates on my desktop, which runs the same version of Windows on the same local network, I don't see any problematic red X, nor a statement telling me to check for updates. I'm told that the most recent check for updates was "Today at 9:10 AM" and that Updates were installed 1/17/2017 at 10:42 AM. (I might add that originally I said I didn't want to have Windows Updates to look for or install any updates on my desktop, too, but when I changed my mind, I had no trouble getting updates.)
I don't understand why the laptop is having this problem, nor what to do about it. I'm hoping this forum may be able to help, as it has done so many times in the past. Thanks in advance.
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Post by laverne on Jan 27, 2017 20:12:16 GMT -5
Hi cyberdiva -- I think the information below may help in eliminating the infinite running of "checking for updates." I had to use this a few months back (June, 2016) and it solved my problem on my Windows 7 64-bit laptop. I am wondering if your desktop and laptop are the same "bit configuration"? My desktop is 32-bit and my laptop 64-bit. The problem was on my laptop. My notes to myself say this: 1. I started by stopping the Windows Update service. under Services 2. Then I went to Windows Update > change settings (on left side) > and chose "Never check for updates" 3. I rebooted the computer. 4. I downloaded the recommended KB which was to be installed first according to people who were having problems. (The KB number is spelled out in the articles by Woody Leonard below.) 5. I installed this KB manually. I was shocked that it installed with no problem! 6. I rebooted again. 7. Went to Windows Update and clicked "Check for Updates" In no time, it found the 8 Windows 7 security updates. 8. I chose Install the 8 and they installed quickly and without a problem. I changed my setting from "Never check…" to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them" and rebooted. (Note: My MS Office updates option disappeared so I had to use another procedure to get back this option on the updates page.) Now the official information. It is at this link: www.askwoody.com/2016/the-core-of-the-win7-update-scan-slowdown/comment-page-1/#comments • The core of the Win7 update scan slowdown Posted on October 31st, 2016 at 14:54 woody 130 comments I have a full article coming out in InfoWorld on Friday, but for those of you who have asked – and are jumping up and down looking for an answer – here’s the very short version: If you don’t use Bluetooth, download KB 3172605 – 32 bit is here, 64 bit is here. Turn off the internet and install it. If you get the message that KB 3172605 is “not applicable to your computer,” download and install KB 3020369 – 32 bit is here and 64 bit is here. And promise me you’ll read all of the details when the article comes out! Here is the link to the full article: www.infoworld.com/article/3136677/microsoft-windows/how-to-speed-up-windows-7-update-scans-forever.html |
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Post by cyberdiva on Jan 27, 2017 20:41:42 GMT -5
Many thanks, Laverne. Both my laptop and my desktop are Win7 Prof. 64-bit. I saw Woody's posting a while back and started to try it, but something went wrong. I don't recall what. Perhaps I'll give it another try. One thing that did occur to me as I read your message was the bit about stopping the Windows Update service. It occured to me that I had never started it again after my abortive attempt to follow Woody's instructions. I've now gone back and started it. I had hoped that I'd see a difference when I went into Windows Updates from the Control Panel page, but I still see the same red X, etc. I've now figured out how to show that here:  Anyway, thanks very much for the instructions, which I no longer had. I do think I'll give it another try, though probably not tonight. If/when I do, I'll report back. |
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Post by cyberdiva on Jan 27, 2017 23:29:43 GMT -5
Success!! Many thanks, Laverne, for your invaluable help!! As I said before, I had tried Woody's instructions several months ago, but I couldn't get them to work. But somehow, your straightforward step-by-step description of what you did was exactly what I needed. I held my breath a couple of times, when things seemed to take longer than I'd expected, but all went well. I installed the appropriate KB file, and after a moderately short amount of searching, Windows Updates announced that it had found 7 files, which I downloaded and installed. I've now got Windows Updates set to download but let me decide whether to install. I'm not sure whether I'll keep it that way. On my desktop I threw in the towel and said yes, just go ahead and install them. I'm still rethinking both choices.
Anyway, thank you very very very much!!!
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Post by laverne on Jan 28, 2017 7:08:01 GMT -5
Hi cyberdiva,
I appreciate your letting me know that the procedure worked for you!
I noticed that my instructions did not say to restart Windows Update. Of course, I did this but never put it into my notes. That's an important step and I have corrected my procedure to include this:
Go into services.msc and change WU back to "Automatic-delayed start" and start the service.
See... it's all reciprocal! Thank you.
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Post by cyberdiva on Jan 28, 2017 11:13:54 GMT -5
Hi Laverne,
I noticed that the instructions you provided didn't mention that, and so I went to Services to restart Windows Updates and found that it was already running and set to Automatic-delayed start. I'm not wholly sure why, since I know I turned it off as the first step of the procedure. But I decided that somewhere along the way, some later part of the procedure may have triggered the WU start along with whatever that step called for. I thus decided that that's why you didn't mention it. I dunno. Many aspects of Windows' workings remain a mystery to me.
I'm still not sure what I want to do about the settings. For years, I religiously read Susan Bradley's very helpful Patch Watch column and followed her advice about which updates to install and which to avoid. I had the setting as "check for updates but let me decide whether to download and install them." But now that Microsoft has bundled them together and not let us pick and choose so extensively, I'm not sure what the best course of action for me is. I guess I've never been completely happy with Susan Bradley's column because it almost never covered all the updates I was offered, and I never knew what to do about the ones she didn't mention. I'm tired of devoting time to this. Perhaps part of my thinking is based on my husband's experience. He has always just let Microsoft install whatever updates it deemed necessary, and (knock on wood, salt over my shoulder) he's never run into problems doing this.
Anyway, I'm thrilled that you succeeded in helping me get my laptop dealing with Updates as it should. I had spent several months tinkering with it on and off, but nothing I tried worked. Again, MANY MANY MANY THANKS!!
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Post by laverne on Jan 28, 2017 13:35:15 GMT -5
Hi cyberdiva,
In stopping the WU service (my first step in the procedure), I not only stopped it but selected "Manual" in the startup type. I believe if you merely "stop" it, the service will restart on the next reboot. I should have been more clear about that.
Regarding installing Windows Updates, I used to do the same thing you did -- wait to see what Susan Bradley recommended. I am also in a quandary now about applying the updates which are all rolled into one. Mostly I am concerned about Internet Explorer, as I feel this is the most vulnerable. Putting off updating IE makes me a little uneasy. I really should go to Chrome as my default browser…
What I have been doing with the Windows updates is waiting a week to see if I "hear" anything about problematic updates. If not, I just close my eyes and install whatever updates there are. So far, so good!
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Post by cyberdiva on Jan 29, 2017 0:07:30 GMT -5
Hi Laverne,
What you say about what happens if you merely "stop" the WU service helps to explain why it was already running again after I had successfully made the changes you outlined and rebooted.
As for browsers, I haven't used IE for many years. Indeed, had I been able to remove it completely from my computers, I would have done so years ago. I gather that it may be better now, but the few times I've tried to use it, it seemed less user-friendly and with fewer features than other browers. Of course, it may simply be that I'm used to other browsers, but.... For many years, I used Firefox as my primary browser, but I became more and more frustrated with it, and several years ago I moved to Pale Moon, a browser based on Firefox but with none of the issues that had bothered me about FF. I've been very happy with Pale Moon. It has the extra bonus of having a very knowledgeable and helpful forum. I always found the Firefox forum annoying, filled with fan boys and trolls. As for Chrome, when it started, it seemed too minimalist. Now I gather it has extensions and the like, but I still haven't put it on either my desktop or my laptop. Some time ago, people said it was hard to remove Chrome if you decided you didn't want it. I have no idea whether that was or is true. My main reason for not putting it on my computer, aside from not needing it, is that I'd prefer to have some separation between me and Google. Since I use Gmail, and my tablet and phone are Android (dev. by Google), Google already may know a great deal about me, but I'm happy to have some aspects of my online life that aren't directly tied to Google.
I like your way of dealing with the current Windows updates. Perhaps that's what I'll do as well.
Once again, MANY thanks!!
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