Windows 7 SP1 Windows Update stuck checking for updates

http://superuser.com/questions/951960/windows-7-sp1-windows-update-stuck-checking-for-updates

 

 

Microsoft released a new Windows Update Client Update to fix the slow Update searching/installation problem:

Installing and searching for updates is slow and high CPU usage occurs in Windows 7
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3102810

1. Download:
   • 32Bit: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=fcd6bf5d-f004-4ca3-aa7e-1de462b91dd0
   • 64Bit: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4fe566bd-31b1-4413-8c4c-412b52533669
2. Stop Windows Update service, this speeds up the setup of MSU updates and the useless steps from Moab are not required. This can be done from the command line, or from the service manager window.
3. Try the downloaded update and see if it speeds up the installation of Updates.

Alternative fix (March 2016)

Microsoft released a newer version: version from March 2016. Follow the same steps as before.

Alternative fix (June 2016)

Microsoft released a newer version: version from June 2016, which is part of the June 2016 Update Rollup.

Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: June 2016

This update contains some improvements to Windows Update Client in Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1). This includes the following:

• An optimization that addresses long scan time for updates that’s reported on some computers.

1. Download:
   • 32Bit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=52976
   • 64Bit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=52974
2. Stop again Windows Update service.
3. Try the downloaded update and see if it speeds up the installation of Updates.

Workaround 1

On May 17th 2016 Microsoft released a new large Update Rollup, called Convenience rollup update, for Windows 7 SP1. This rollup package includes almost all the updates that were released after the release of SP1 for Windows 7 through April 2016.

You can download the update from the Windows Update catalog (currently only usable with IE) and manually install the MSU (again, stop the Windows Update service before doing a double click on the MSU) to have a Windows 7 which is up to date. Now try to check on for new updates in Windows Update and it should be faster because have a much newer update base and Windows Update should detect the missing updates easier.

Workaround 2

An user discovered an strange “solution”. The speedup can be improved if you install the Security Update for Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers (win32k.sys) if such an update is released at the current patchday.

For June 2016, the win32k.sys update is KB3161664.

Download the update (32Bit, 64Bit), stop again Windows Update service, install the KB3161664 MSU and make a reboot. Now search again for new Windows Updates.

Workaround 3

If this is still not helping to search for new updates, use WSUSOffline to get all the updates.