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FIXED!! Windows 7 sp1 never ends searching for updates

Once it is finally done updating and you have all your programs/drivers installed and settings tweaked the way you want them (but before you load all your personal stuff like pics/docs), run disk cleanup with System Options to clean out all the update leftovers and such, delete all the restore points, then use Macrium Reflect (free) to take an image of the drive. Keep it on a flash drive and next time you need to reinstall, simply restore the image. It'll still need to be updated between now and when you use it, but at least it won't have to do that initial 12 hours worth of updates. The restore takes about 10-15 minutes.
 
Cool! I finally fixed my Vista install too. Not 100% sure how though. It was probably a combination of things. System restore to a couple days ago + turning automatic updates on + a few reboots + forced check for updates + letting it search for updates for a couple more hours. Came back a few minutes ago to check on any progress...and it worked!! Somehow. The turning automatic updates on and the reboots are what I hadn't tried yet. Even though I'd had success before with the same problem by turning automatic updates on. Which I hate doing if I can avoid it. They always choose the most inopportune time to start hogging my system resources with that crap. I can't stand that. So it's getting turned back off as soon as I restart to finish installing these updates.
 
So turn them off :roll:
I run a bare image Win7 SP1 with exactly 1 update.
Never had any problems.
It's also imaged..so if something messes up..I can be back in 5 minutes.
There's really 0 updates needed for Win7 sp1.

With vista..If you want dx11 you have to add an update.

Do that then image that.
 
Upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft sabotaged Windows Update on Windows 7. I doubt they'll ever fix/unbreak it.

Windows 7, when getting updates, will peg the CPU to 50% and keep it there for hours. I think Windows Vista does something similar but where Windows Vista does it for a few hours, Windows 7 can do it for half a day.


You can literally install all of the Windows 10 updates inside of an hour. They release cumulative updates instead of a slew of tiny ones.
 
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Reboot is fine, them update's from MS........................................... We need a link to the update's cause apparently MS will not want us doing this forward.
 
jaggerwild said:
Reboot is fine, them update's from MS........................................... We need a link to the update's cause apparently MS will not want us doing this forward.
Click to expand...
Microsoft does NOT want people doing this forward.
It foils their datamining collection :P
Win 10=Microsoft dataminer supreme.
Congratulations:You're a sheep..and getting sheared.
 
I had these issues with several Windows 7 installs and as most will agree, it is very frustrating.......Especially if its for a paying client and it takes two damn days to install and update Windows 7!

My fix? WSUSOffline!

http://www.wsusoffline.net/

Download, run, grab all the updates, and run on the new install system. Problem solved!
 
Schmuckley said:
Microsoft does NOT want people doing this forward.
It foils their datamining collection :p
Win 10=Microsoft dataminer supreme.
Congratulations:You're a sheep..and getting sheared.
Click to expand...

True.

And now they know you are not of the Body...
 
Another easy way to update a fresh install, autopatcher: http://www.autopatcher.net/forum/ It makes a portable install that can have dotnets, vbruntimes, ie11, dx9 and every update.
Also for some reason able to pull all updates down immediately, no waiting. I always keep a slipstreamed win7 install media and update it every month, so I almost forgot about autopatcher....
 
it can take a good 12+ hours to scan for updates these days, 7 is as broken as XP was for updates now.


I'ma look into that autopatcher, i like the concept.
 
@Schmuckley can I get you to click a clink so I can download a bunch of malware onto your machine via with some long patched exploits
hell ill even throw in some RDP dropped crypolocker just so we don't need to see you for a few days seriously you are about as sheepal as they come you just happen to be the wrong color sheep

I have a offline windows update repo stored on a 500GB SSD I use to update machine by hand saves bandwidth and time
 
OneMoar said:
@Schmuckley can I get you to click a clink so I can download a bunch of malware onto your machine via with some long patched exploits
hell ill even throw in some RDP dropped crypolocker just so we don't need to see you for a few days seriously you are about as sheepal as they come you just happen to be the wrong color sheep

I have a offline windows update repo stored on a 500GB SSD I use to update machine by hand saves bandwidth and time
Click to expand...

And I have about 15 windows installs that i can have up and running in 10 minutes.
Even a 10 that's all ready to go.
Tell ya wut..Give me 15 minutes from the time you reply and i'll click any link you want with 0 cares in the world.
I'd want to load up the "Troll Indian Windows Tech Support" OS with the "Beef,It's what's for dinner" desktop.
 
Ive had the exact same problem with all the PC's ive formatted in the past 6months or so, can be anywhere from an hr to 8-9hrs later before it will find updates, I personally think its a Microsoft problem at there end then at you/our end, I just put up with it now after doing god knows how many PC's with all the same problem.
 
Melvis said:
I personally think its a Microsoft problem at there end
Click to expand...

I doubt it's a problem. When it is happening to every non-10 system I have seen, but not 10, it's obvious they are intentionally adding it to their toolkit of high pressure tactics to get everyone to throw in the towel.
 
rtwjunkie said:
I doubt it's a problem. When it is happening to every non-10 system I have seen, but not 10, it's obvious they are intentionally adding it to their toolkit of high pressure tactics to get everyone to throw in the towel.
Click to expand...

I must say I haven't had problems updating my windows 8.1 systems yet.
I don't throw in the towel yet!! :D :p
I probably use windows 8.1 till EOL unless all outcoming games would only be in DX12 very soon but that's not gonna happen anyway:p
 
rtwjunkie said:
I doubt it's a problem. When it is happening to every non-10 system I have seen, but not 10, it's obvious they are intentionally adding it to their toolkit of high pressure tactics to get everyone to throw in the towel.
Click to expand...

W7 to me is pretty flawless, they did the same to XP users then put w10 as priority
 
rtwjunkie said:
I doubt it's a problem. When it is happening to every non-10 system I have seen, but not 10, it's obvious they are intentionally adding it to their toolkit of high pressure tactics to get everyone to throw in the towel.
Click to expand...

Thats what I mean
 
When i needed to reinstall Windows 7 to regain my 10 license i noticed updates were not working too. Windows 7 X64 Ultimate SP1.
I'm on 10 now though.
 
Once you upgrade you don't need to reinstall 7. You can install 10 clean

But for 7 updates that aren't working post #2 fixed it for me
 
Jetster said:
Once you upgrade you don't need to reinstall 7. You can install 10 clean

But for 7 updates that aren't working post #2 fixed it for me
Click to expand...

When you change motherboard it revokes your digital entitlement.
 
Jetster said:
Once you upgrade you don't need to reinstall 7. You can install 10 clean

But for 7 updates that aren't working post #2 fixed it for me
Click to expand...

I tried a clean windows 10 install but my old laptop hates windows 10, either it freezes up in the installation process or it freezes up loading windows or while in windows.
Even replaced the HDD for a brandnew SSD and tried installing 10, same problem.:(
Also installing windows 8.1 did not work either.:(
Someone said the freezing problem might come from win 8.1/10 power savings features and I might need a new BIOS, but there aren't any newer available anymore for this laptop.

I'm waiting for some empty dvd's so I can create a system recovery from windows 7.
Then I'll install the SSD and try to install windows 7 on it.
It should all run well after that.
I'll be giving this laptop to my dad.
 
We had 2 laptops searching for updates for more than 24H. But eventually they started downloading them.
So a couple of days ago I had the same on my desktop, never had this before.
I found when running the search through the startmenu it seemed to search forever, but using it through the webbrowser, ie11, it quickly found the updates.
This did not work for the laptops mind you, but I still find it strange this did happen on my desktop, I even stopped the update and tried both methods again, with the same result.
The laptops were long overdue with updates but my desktop did not, it's manually updated every month.
 
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