Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of Melody Scott
Melody ScottFlag for United States of America

asked on

Windows doesn't download updates

Hi, I've had the same six important updates for a month now. It keeps failing, but I get no errors. I checked the updates installed, and these aren't there. I stopped the service, reinstalled windows update, rebooted, and the same thing is happening.

This is after an hour:

User generated image
I'm not sure what to do about this one, any ideas? Thanks! I'm on windows 7 SP1. These are the updates.
User generated image
Avatar of rindi
rindi
Flag of Switzerland image

Try updating only the October 2016 rollup first, without the other. If it succeeds, reboot, and then search for updates again and try updating the others one by one.
Avatar of Melody Scott

ASKER

Thanks. I'm just downloading them individually. I'll try that one alone.
Ok- the roll-up wasn't downloading, either. So I have these all downloaded:
User generated image
What is your recommendation for installing them? Thanks!
Just try installing them individually.
OK, thanks. Do I need to reboot between installations?
If you are asked to reboot by the installer do so.
have you tried resetting windows update components?
No, ManieyaK_, I haven't. Could you explain how to do that? Thanks!
At any rate, as I'm working, I can't afford the time to reboot if asked, so I'll do the installation, etc later today.
You should be able to use the /quiet /norestart options on the command line to silent install them.  This allows you to install all your patches so that you can reboot the system at your convenience.  If you forgot which ones you've run, you can run it again.  It won't hurt anything.  I used to manage an OU and had to download all the patches to script installs, because the people in charge of the main domain broke some GPOs that prevented WSUS from working.  I basically scripted all the silent installs and rebooted after people logged out.

Here's the default Microsoft switches:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa372024(v=vs.85).aspx
They work for Micorsoft's .exe files too.  They've been standardized for about 10 years.  They did previously have some different ones as standard.
Thanks!
I've fixed that behaviour recently on a seldom used laptop computer ... seems that sometime Windws Update gets a bit confused with its database of what is has already done etc.

There as MS articles about that, i.e. here.


The procedure for me was:
- open an admin command line window
- issue thes commands:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
ren %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
net start bits
net start wuauserv

Open in new window

(the recommended procedure is somewhat longer in some articles).

That way WU forgets all the messed up history and rebuilds it.

If wuauserv refuses to stop, you'll have to set the service "Windows Update" to "disabled" first and reboot. Reset to Automatic and start after the procedure above.

After the procedure try to update. If it works, you may delete the obsolete  SoftwareDistribution.old directory (don't touch the new created directory SoftwareDistribution)
Thanks- I'll be looking into that later. I individually installed the updates, and I'm getting the same windows update message this morning. When I have more time, I'll check to see if any of them did install, and I'll look into your great info as well!
Just an update to this... these three updates are installed, but still show up on the windows update window:

Security Update for Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 3

(KB3118307)

Security Update for Microsoft Office Word 2007 (KB3118308)


Security Update for Microsoft Office 2007 suites (KB3118301)
Have you done a reboot after the updates?
Yes, I turned the laptop off overnight after installing them, and then booted this morning.
Does this happen when you do a fresh search for new updates?
I hadn't tried that! Let's see if I can figure out how to do it... checking... it's been ten minutes or so, I'll let you know when/if it finishes.
Still "checking for updates", 1.5 hours later. Should it take this long?
SOLUTION
Avatar of rindi
rindi
Flag of Switzerland image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
ok, thanks again.
Hmmm - before I've fixed it, the laptop was a complete day online, without downloading anything.

You should try my fix ...
Hi, Frank, I tried it and then let windows look for updates for more than 14 hours, nothing. So now I think I will 'd install the update agent below, as suggested by rindi.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/949104

Then I'll try your fix again. Make sense?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
OK, I'll do exactly that, a little later today, thanks!
I think it worked! Thanks for your help, everyone!