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Win 7 Updates


ebrke

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I haven't had any real problems with win 7 updates until now. Contrary to what I'm reading elsewhere, I'm not finding that the machine is unusable, in fact there are no processes using any CPU at all. Windows Update has been saying "Downloading 7 updates (0 KB total, 0% complete)" for an hour and a half, but as far as I can see, there's absolutely nothing going on. Anyone else have this experience?

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I haven't had any real problems with win 7 updates until now. Contrary to what I'm reading elsewhere, I'm not finding that the machine is unusable, in fact there are no processes using any CPU at all. Windows Update has been saying "Downloading 7 updates (0 KB total, 0% complete)" for an hour and a half, but as far as I can see, there's absolutely nothing going on. Anyone else have this experience?

My experience of late is that updates take all night.
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One computer took 2 hours 54 minutes to download 7 updates.

2nd computer took 2 hours and 15 minutes to download the same 7 updates. 6 installed and one failed.

3rd computer took 3 hours and 15 minutes to download 4 updates.

 

All the while, the screen shows 0KB of 0% downloaded.

 

I don't use the computer "downloading" otherwise it would probably take longer.

 

The 3rd computer has been using 100% CPU for a few days. Once the patching is over, it will drop to a reasonable level.

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I don't use the computer "downloading" otherwise it would probably take longer.

Not quite sure what you mean by this.

 

Also, anyone know if changing settings so machine doesn't sleep will help with this never-ending download? I did that after the first hour.

Edited by ebrke
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I posted in a thread at Woody Leonhard's site. Some users say those fixes by Ed Bott do nothing unless you are doing a clean install. I installed the 2nd one, 3102810 in Nov. 2015. I'm still trying to find 3083710. I think it might have been replaced with another update to the Update Client.

I also installed 3138612 in March 2016. That looks like it is yet another update to the update client. So far nothing has speeded up the slow painful process of trying to update four Windows 7 computers.

 

Elizabeth, I meant that when 1 computer is showing 0KB of 0% downloading for hours, I do not attempt to use that computer.

 

I've also extended the time the screensaver kicks in to over 2 hours. I forgot my desktop hd was set to spin down at the 2 hour mark and it did that. I had to wake it up so it could continue "downloading". I set it to 3 hours and then I will set everything back once the computer is updated.

 

Last night it only took 1 1/2 hours to get 2 updates. I thought perhaps it was working so I selected 2 more and after 2 hours nothing was happening. I cancelled the download because it was 1am. I tried again this morning before 9am for about an hour and again, nothing is downloading.

 

For about 4 days Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday my desktop computer is at 100% CPU and is almost unusable. I have a short cut to the Administrator's view of Task Manager. I fire that up and kill svchost process then I can use the computer.

Once the updates are done, the CPU drops down to 20% or lower.

 

This is the thread I posted in and am following to see if there are any fixes

http://www.askwoody.com/2016/possible-fix-for-the-abysmally-slow-windows-7-update-scans/comment-page-2/#comments

Edited by zlim
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"Downloading 7 updates (0 KB total, 0% complete)" for an hour and a half, but as far as I can see, there's absolutely nothing going on. Anyone else have this experience?

Curious... My laptop originally shipped with win 7, and I distinctly recall having this exact problem about a year or so ago. I remember thinking it could be due to bad internet connection, but the problem persisted even when wired directly into a friend's high-speed modem. Eventually, I turned off Windows updates altogether, although that may have been inadvisable for security reasons, as Windows was still my primary OS at the time.

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Thanks for the responses everyone. Liz, I was doing updates in evening when my mom isn't using her laptop, I wouldn't try it during her use hours. After 2 hours, I checked and found that stuff was actually downloading, and once that happened, things moved along pretty quickly. At least now I have some idea of what to expect--haven't had much trouble until now. What baffles me is what's going on during those 2 hours when I see absolutely nothing happening in task mgr at all.

 

EDIT: Interesting point is that I had no trouble getting the list of updates, which is the point where a lot of people seem to be hung up. I got the list immediately--it was when I started the download that things just slowed to a crawl. I also haven't seen the excessive CPU folks are complaining about *knocks wood*.

Edited by ebrke
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I'm still working on one computer - 2 updates. I already tried for 3 hours and now am trying for over an hour.

 

In the meantime, I unhid an update for the 3 other computers. They all showed checking for updates, downloaded and installed the update.

 

I have no idea when this one computer will ever get the remaining updates.

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I'm still working on one computer - 2 updates. I already tried for 3 hours and now am trying for over an hour.

 

In the meantime, I unhid an update for the 3 other computers. They all showed checking for updates, downloaded and installed the update.

 

I have no idea when this one computer will ever get the remaining updates.

A not untypical experience. I just let a new Win 7 install go overnight to install close to two hundred updates. Wake up to find only one failure but when I try to restart I get the BSOD and "repair" doesn't work. Start all over again!!!!! :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: :angry2:

 

edit: For the record, I installed the two updates recommended by Ed B prior to starting Windows Update.

Edited by lewmur
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Finally. It took 4 hours but the stubborn computer finally installed 2 updates!

 

In the mean time, I was able to image the 3 other computers and have time left over.

 

The stubborn netbook still has 2 more updates, I think. I'll look over the history late tonight and see what was installed.

I think I need to install the Russian time zone, 3148851, which I hid because I wanted to concentrate first on Critical then important. Although MS considers it important, it isn't to me.

I also have an Optional update to install. This netbook has a MS mobile mice and my model, along with quite a few others are subject to click-jacking.

I installed the optional MS Keyboard Wireless Keyboard Filter Device on the other netbook which has the same model MS mobile mouse.

I will be so happy when April's updates are finally done and images made.

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To all having this problem. Check out this thread on DSLR: https://www.dslreports.com/forum/r30535980-WIN7-MS-updates-taking-too-long~start=120

Go to the last page (Pg 7). According to a few of the posters, KB3145739 may solve this problem. I've downloaded the KB and rebooted, but I'm waiting for Susan Bradley's Patch Watch column in the Windows Secrets newsletter to install April's updates.

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Hate to break the news to you but that update, KB3145739, was one of the first batch installed on all the computers because it was listed as critical. It didn't make a bit of difference. I install the Critical updates first then work on the Important ones later.

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I just ran Windows Update this afternoon, I don't allow WU to automatically check for updates. It started at 2:38PM. WU showed 13 updates for WIN7 Pro 64bit, and Office 2007 Pro 32bit. It finished downloading and installing the updates at 2:48PM. I have a 6mbps internet connection.

I always turn off all my security related programs - MSE, Malwarebytes Premium, WinPatrol, and Secunia PSI before starting Windows Update from the Start menu. I had noticed over the last couple of months that WU was taking a while before showing the available updates, though downloading and installing seemed to work O.K.

YMMV...

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I had noticed over the last couple of months that WU was taking a while before showing the available updates, though downloading and installing seemed to work O.K.

YMMV...

My list of updates appeared immediately when I started WU, but then the download took over 2 hours to start. Once download started, things moved along pretty well. It's a MS mystery.
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Actually on Patch Tuesday and for 4 to 5 days later, things move at glacial speed.

Try a week later and everything is fine.

I suspect MS doesn't have the servers to deal with over 50% of the world running Win 7 and trying to update it.

 

I had to smile. I got my Tuesday WindowsSecrets newsletter and Fred Langa kept a Windows 7 computer running for 24 hours. No updates were offered. Here's a guy who has been in the tech industry since the 80's. He knows how to tweak a computer and runs very clean systems. If he has problems, then I know it is not user error. It comes down to a MS problem they are either unwilling or unable to figure out.

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Silly question: do I uninstall the patch from March (3138612) and the one from April (3145739) then install the "improved version of April's patch?

 

I sure don't want May to be a repeat of March and April.

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  • 2 weeks later...
abarbarian

I had problems with W7 updates on a fresh install recently and gave up in the end with Windows tools. Surfed the net a found this

 

 

WSUS Offline Update

Formally called c’t Update, WSUS Offline Update is another tool that can update a number of Windows operating systems to the latest patches, and also keep nearly all versions of Microsoft Office up to date too. Although like Autopatcher in a lot of ways, there’s also some differences. WSUS Offline Update can update any Windows revision and doesn’t rely on it having the latest Service Pack installed. This can be a great help as lots of computers still don’t have XP Service Pack 3 or Vista Service Pack 2 installed which makes Autopatcher unusable until they’re updated. It can also download and install updates for several different languages so you’re not restricted to just English.

Read More: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/offline-windows-update/

 

Worked a treat from a fresh W7 + SP1. after using it the Windows 7 tools started to work correctly. :breakfast:

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abarbarian

GRC.com now has a tool called Never 10 to keep Windows 7 making use of Microsoft's instructions in a tiny little file as Steve always does.

 

I used the GWX Control Panel recently and seems to work perfectly, so thanks for the tip Fran. GRC looks neat too. :breakfast:

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Another wait for win update downloads to start, although maybe not quite as long as last month. My problem, which isn't what I've read about others having, is just in waiting for the downloads to start since mother's laptop is set to notify only. This month the wait was about 85 minutes with cpu use at zero to 1%. Once downloads start, everything proceeds pretty speedily. I can only describe it as waiting your turn in line. Oh well, so far my experience isn't as bad as others I've read about.

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85 minutes isn't too bad -trust me.

I have all the downloads listed so my problem isn't scanning for the updates because I refuse to do that. My problem is waiting for downloads to download, like you.

 

The 4th computer I got the critical downloads and 890830 installed. Then I decided to go for the other 6.

85 minutes Thursday before I got tired and decided to call it a night. Last night I decided to just go for 1 update; the one that is supposed to make everything go faster this month.

http://www.askwoody.com/2016/windows-7-update-scans-taking-forever-kb-3153199-may-solve-the-problem/

 

2 hours and 5 or 10 minutes for one update to download last night! I rebooted and the remaining 5 only took about 20 minutes but one of those failed so I had to try to get that one again.

 

Thing is, I have an XP computer that still gets updated because it has Office 2007. I can scan that, get the updates needed, download and install the updates all in under 1/2 hour! I never have a problem with XP.

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Guest LilBambi

GRC.com now has a tool called Never 10 to keep Windows 7 making use of Microsoft's instructions in a tiny little file as Steve always does.

 

I used the GWX Control Panel recently and seems to work perfectly, so thanks for the tip Fran. GRC looks neat too. :breakfast:

 

You are very welcome! I have used both and both work well.

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