Lunatic Windows 7 Update hell on fresh install. Tried everything! No solution.

[Matt_Stevens]

People, I am used to Windows Update being a nuisance during fresh Windows 7 installs. I am used to getting the update fixit going, etc. But right now I am in pure torturous Hell as I have a fresh install of Windows 7 on a Lenovo X131e (Intel i3, not AMD) that cannot even get out the gate because of problems with Update.

Long story short, over many separate tries at installing I would get Win7 up, then go to Update, get the UPDATE to Update (so that Update can work) and then it would search for a minute and poof... Error 8007000e

Strange, since that has to do with multiple languages. I only have English.

After three installs I said **** it, doubled the RAM to 8GB and tried the 64 bit Windows instead of the 32 (I have the OEM DVD). Success, yes?

No. Short lived. Now instead of that error Update would search and NEVER stop. I can leave it overnight and it will be searching in the morning.

I have followed all Microsoft tutorials. Used Fixit (which always fixes it, but it doesn't fix MY problem). I have replaced the HDD (just in case), even the ram!... I have re-installed AGAIN and again... I have searched and searched for days.

This tutorial was among those I followed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6eHDtylDYo

Folks, this insane. WTH is going on? Seriously, I have been at this for nearly a week in total.

I can throw the original hdd in and Windows works fine (it's Chinese language, legit, but I don't speak Chinese and it's infested with all sorts of spyware, etc., hence my needing a new HDD and Windows install).

Help, please. Anyone!

 

[PliotronX]

If not done already, the first thing I would try is manually installing SP1 and then WU again. If the reset update components fixit doesn't get it, try running this line as admin:

net stop bits && net stop wuauserv && ren %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistOld && net start wuauserv && net start bits

Try updating again. If it's actually failing on installing updates, only do small chunks at a time and just go ahead and hide the most worthless updates that lengthen the process unecessarily ("malware software removal") and worry about .NET updates, IE updates, Silverlight, Skype, etc. after the legitimate updates are installed. Failing on checking updates is a bit of a different beast. Give WSUS Offline a try where you can download updates post-SP1 and install them automatically. Just deselect updating anything besides Windows because it tends to fail if you include .NET updates.

 

[CorsairDemon]

Windows 7 Updates are currently hell. From a fresh install, depending on the speed of your computer, it can spend up to 8 hours or more checking for updates. Check your task manager for CPU and Memory usage.

svchost and trustedinstaller will be among the top of the list if you have updates that sit and just check. If left alone, it will eventually work.

There is another kind of glitch with the updates. Sometimes, the updates are found and ready to be selected and installed, but it won't show them. You'll have a baloon in the lower right corner that will eventually pop up and say "Windows updates are available". If this is the case, a reboot and they should show up.

There's a few files I use when doing windows 7 installs.
1. Make sure SP1 is installed. Easiest way is to download the standalone installer from MSFT.

2. Windows Update Readiness Tool. Give it a check, sometimes this will fix, and skip a bunch of updates that are deprecated.

3. sfc /scannow - run an elevated command prompt and run this command. If you have bad install media, it's possible you're getting corrupt files. This works sometimes. Do it 3 times, reboot after each time. Sometimes there will be files that are not fixed, that's a bit more complicated.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I'm off to bed, but just top clarify:

*Win7's install included SP1. I have both a thumb drive with Win7 64bit +SP1 and a DVD as well.

*Windows Update NEVER finishes searching, even if left overnight. So I am unable to install slowly because I never reach the point where any updates are listed as being available.

I have never actually used WSUS successfully on other installs of other PC's (seems it may be above my pay grade). I guess I can give it a shot on this system.

My eyes are killing me. Will check in tomorrow morning.

 

[tcsenter]

There is another kind of glitch with the updates. Sometimes, the updates are found and ready to be selected and installed, but it won't show them. You'll have a baloon in the lower right corner that will eventually pop up and say "Windows updates are available". If this is the case, a reboot and they should show up.

This. One time, after letting WU install the 'requisite' update to WU client, then letting it sit there for about 45 minutes (it was still 'checking' with that progress indicator bar), I clicked the "back" arrow in Windows Explorer, which returns to Control Panel, and then clicked "forward" again and POOF! all the updates were then listed and ready.

Another time, I restarted the computer after about an hour of WU checking, I didn't click cancel or stop checking I just restarted and let Windows terminate WU. When the PC restarted, I reopened Windows Updates applet and all the updates were listed and ready.

 

[nerp]

Just turn on automatic updates and use the computer as normal. It will tell you when it needs to reboot. I swear eventually it will get around to finishing up.

Windows 7 sure is starting to show its age.

 

[CorsairDemon]

This. One time, after letting WU install the 'requisite' update to WU client, then letting it sit there for about 45 minutes (it was still 'checking' with that progress indicator bar), I clicked the "back" arrow in Windows Explorer, which returns to Control Panel, and then clicked "forward" again and POOF! all the updates were then listed and ready.

Another time, I restarted the computer after about an hour of WU checking, I didn't click cancel or stop checking I just restarted and let Windows terminate WU. When the PC restarted, I reopened Windows Updates applet and all the updates were listed and ready.

Yup, this is the exact scenario I was describing. I knew there was an easier way than just hitting reboot. As nerp said, it really is showing it's age. It's a shame it never got an SP2 like it really needed.

 

[tcsenter]

KB3102810: Installing and searching for updates is slow and high CPU usage occurs in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

BTW, KB3112343 is newer and replaces KB3102810. Restart then try again.

Also don't forget System Update Readiness Tool if you still have problems.

 

[cubby1223]

Windows 7 Updates are currently hell. From a fresh install, depending on the speed of your computer, it can spend up to 8 hours or more checking for updates. Check your task manager for CPU and Memory usage.

Ha! I was fixing up a pair of netbooks for a neighbor, intel atom cpu + 2gb ram, Windows 7 Starter took 3 entire days for the initial updates to download and install!

 

[Ketchup]

Several threads about this already. And you all have hit on what I have found to be the best method - shut down to install updates, even though they aren't on WU screen. It will eventually get far enough to handle the updates correctly.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Gents, reporting back... Overnight the system FINALLY showed me the available updates. But it will not download them. I chose to DL just one single update. Under 1mb. Hours later and it will not download. I rebooted, tried again, repeat, rinse. Nothing.

Windows Update Diagnostic sees trouble and cannot fix it.

I also see error code 0x80070057

This is THE most frustrating experience I have ever had with Windows Update. It seems hopelessly broken and I don't get it because it's a brand new install.

EDIT: Can someone please explain this. Do I check or uncheck?:

I have Googled and cannot find out the answer... I have SP1 with my Win7 install. So do I check this or not? When I uncheck it i get a warning about removing Service Packs so it's really confusing.

EDIT #2: System Update Readiness Tool has been running for a while now. "Searching for updates" and not getting anywhere. WTF is going on?!?!?!

 

[VirtualLarry]

WTF is going on?!?!?!

Probably all of the un-requested automatic upgrades to Win10 going on, overloading things.

 

[PliotronX]

Leave SP unchecked and these:

It will open a command prompt and download all the updates it queries. After it finishes, it creates a folder in the program root that you would burn to a disc or flash drive but in this case, you can just run it right out of the folder. Run the UpdateInstaller.exe in WSUS Offline\client and let's see how she does!

 

[tcsenter]

Yup, this is the exact scenario I was describing. I knew there was an easier way than just hitting reboot. As nerp said, it really is showing it's age. It's a shame it never got an SP2 like it really needed.

There is another peculiarity I have noticed a few times now, if you get one of those 'can't check' 80xxxx errors (provided you are connected to the internet and WU service is running, everything else appears fine), take a look on this screen:

In the orange circle on the right side, there will be a 'check now' or 'try again' button/icon. I could not get mine to show it so I just took a screen grab and placed an ellipse where it would normally be. But also, there is a 'check for updates' link on the left menu, circled here in red.

Since it has been a couple months since I last encountered it, I cannot remember which I tried first. But at first I was using one of them to check for updates, I think it was the one on the left, and kept getting the 'can't check/fail error' over and over. Then I just happened to try clicking on the other one and it proceeded normally with no error.

So basically, if you got the WU check error using the button/icon on the right, then try that side menu link on the left. Or vice versa.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Leave SP unchecked and these:

It will open a command prompt and download all the updates it queries. After it finishes, it creates a folder in the program root that you would burn to a disc or flash drive but in this case, you can just run it right out of the folder. Run the UpdateInstaller.exe in WSUS Offline\client and let's see how she does!

Well WSUS seems to have worked. It installed "some" updates. I then ran Windows Update and let it alone a few hours. It found a lot. I told it to install and left it alone all afternoon. 0% when I checked in so I shut it down and as it was shutting down it began installing 121 updates. So the updates were downloading after I used WSUS. But that stupid % never changed.

It's now 9 PM and all updates are installed. I am going to activate Windows tomorrow and then hopefully more updates will show up allowing me to upgrade to Windows 10 (I'll backup everything before I do). Might as well finally try Win10 out.

Thanks to everyone for their help.

 

[PliotronX]

Gah, that's been my experience with WSUS Offline, still experimenting in VMs. All I know is that when .NET is checked, it downloads all updates, installs a grand total of four. Imagine my surprise after rebooting that there are still 150+ updates for 7. We should just rename WSUS Offline, the overly complex and lenghty Windows Update repair tool. Glad it kinda kickstarted for you though. 7 really deserves an SP2.

Oh dude you should've just installed straight to 10 if that was your goal. Post 1511 builds will accept 7 keys and I've used this method with perfect success on clean installations.

 

[Dahak]

For WSUS Offline, the few things I noticed is

1 - Right click on the Zip file after you download it and click on the Unblock button
this will prevent a dialog to ask to run one of the .bat files later

2 - Click on the Usb Medium area and specify a path. This will create a 2nd folder that it copies all the updates to.

3 - In that 2nd folder, run the Update installer and check Automatically Reboot and Recall

There was few times WSUSOffline seems to not install all the updates, but WU did not have to scan to check and download the updates, it just did the install, but most of the time WSUS Offline installs them all and there is like maybe 10 or less that actually have to be installed

 

[PliotronX]

For WSUS Offline, the few things I noticed is

1 - Right click on the Zip file after you download it and click on the Unblock button
this will prevent a dialog to ask to run one of the .bat files later

2 - Click on the Usb Medium area and specify a path. This will create a 2nd folder that it copies all the updates to.

3 - In that 2nd folder, run the Update installer and check Automatically Reboot and Recall

There was few times WSUSOffline seems to not install all the updates, but WU did not have to scan to check and download the updates, it just did the install, but most of the time WSUS Offline installs them all and there is like maybe 10 or less that actually have to be installed

I'll be a monkey's uncle! I've never experimented with the auto-reboot and recall checkbox because I wanted to be the one to initiate reboots and ensure progress but if that takes care of the updates, holy cow! Thank you!

 

[jsalpha2]

Immediately after the install of Win 7 SP1 x64 manually download and install IE11. It will pull in some dependencies that Windows Update needs. If you have another computer available download these 3 and save on a thumb drive.
IE11-Windows6.1-x64-en-us
Windows6.1-KB3102810-x64
Windows6.1-KB2999226-x64
you may only need one of the last two. or try tcsenter's KB3112343

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I'm good to go as of a couple of days ago. All updated. No real idea of how I finally got it all going. Hate Windows Update.