Windows 7 clean install refuses all updates

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Here’s an odd one from RC: I have been following with great interest your articles on Windows 7 and Windows 10. One of our computers experienced a har
[See the full post at: Windows 7 clean install refuses all updates]

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To use Windows Update, active-x has to be installed. v7.6.7600.320 is broken. Perhaps that is what was downloaded the first time you tried to used WU. That’s what I got not too long ago when I set up a test machine from scratch.

ch100 recently published a list here on AskWoody with two manual updates KB2533552 and KB3138612 that should be done before using WU and to avoid 7.6.7600.320.

I recently followed those instructions setting up a test machine and updating worked like a charm. No long searching for updates, no hours waiting for downloads.

Maybe it just took MS tech help 10-11 hours to come up with the same thing.

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@ RC

You need to read this forum post by Ken Morley. It was posted back on 1/19/2016 and there are now over 500 comments which cover over 50 web pages. Interesting tid-bits hiding within the comments.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-update/following-a-clean-install-windows-update-remains/ff3c442e-79a6-40d3-ac35-29e130cebef1?auth=1

Ken actually changed his initial posting within the last couple weeks based on comments that others had made over the spring and summer months.

I’m betting that following his recommendations, you would be able to avoid the problems you outlined.

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@ Woody

“Here’s an odd one from RC:”

Didn’t you do a clean install of Win7 sometime this last spring (for your son’s or school’s computer), and you were having very long waits (I think you said it was taking a couple days!) trying to get, and install all the pending updates for a new install?

Again, I’m betting you could avoid those problems if you follow Ken’s recommendations at the above forum post.

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This has been a known issue for over a year now.

I put together a list of the initial patches that need to be installed manually before continuing with the normal WU on a new “clean” install a few months ago. You are welcome to refer to it as needed.

https://networkdefend.blogspot.com/2016/05/fix-windows-7-updates-stalling-out-or.html

~ Group "Weekend" ~

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Ken Morley’s post has garnered all kinds of kudos. You will also find the solution here:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-update/windows-7-update-solution/f39a65fa-9d10-42e7-9bc0-7f5096b36d0c this works too. I have done this several times in the last month.

Also you will see all kinds of stories of people calling MS for support to fix this for all kinds of money. In every case I know of, unless there were other underlying issues, the Solution has worked just fine and it takes mere moments.

This is a quote from that same “solution” web page:

i had two different Microsoft technicians come on to my computer and neither of them fixed the problem. one even recommend a second level technician come on if it didn’t work. tried this and it fixed the problem in 5 min.

CT

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“Windows refused to do any updates”

How it refused exactly? :g:
probably the well-known-long-stuck-scan issue, which could take up to 24 hours to show results

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Their updated fix article works exactly as described.

I just completed a fresh install, installed the two KB updates,then started the update search. And before I could return from filling up my coffee, I was presented with the list of updates. I was stunned, 238 updates were waiting to be installed.

Compare that to the 251 updates while waiting for a day for the update list to populate.

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Thank you PKCano confirming that the approach promoted by me is working.
I should add that another approach which is working for exactly the same reasons mentioned in PKCano’s post is the one which Woody recommended not long ago coming from Canadian Tech and endorsed by abbodi86 http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-update/windows-7-update-problems-read-this-first/28147a5f-b0b0-480b-bed9-834a2da7a375 or here http://www.canadiantech.info/for-techies/windows-update/windows-update-fix-new/

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Very likely true. Canadian Tech’s approach works well, too.

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It took Microsoft 10-11 hours to figure out how to install W7 from scratch. That says it all.

It reminds me what GM said about Windows…

“Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grabbed a hold of the radio antenna.”

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I know this is due to the agent 7.6.7600.320 and that there are some workarounds which some people claim that they work, like setting DNS to point to Google’s Public servers. Do we know what exactly needs to time out to eventually work after 24 hours?
The issue is now completely resolved after the release of the updated WU agents, but it would be interesting to understand why the old agent did not work and why it took so long for Microsoft to silently acknowledge the issue.

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I’ve done three Win7 Pro installs over the last two weeks and all had issues with WU. After reading Woody’s article I had bookmarked the fix from Dalai at wu.krelay.de/en. I went there and downloaded not only the required KB’s but also the script provided.

Worked flawlessly, so thank you Dalai (and Woody)!

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The issue is not specific for agent 7.6.7600.320, it’s for all and every agent version before 7.6.7601.23453

and since the (win32k.sys) patch fixes the issue temporary, i believe the real issue is related to a graghic function that’s called by wuaueng.dll which is connected to win32k.sys

it has nothing to do with the superseded updates or how many of them, because the stall happens right after WU finish checking updates and right before showing results

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just reinstalled windows 7 home premium no updates.sick of trying

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I used ch100’s method to set up a new Windows install on a test machine on Sept 9th (32-bit Win7 Home Premium SP1).
https://www.askwoody.com/2016/a-new-list-of-minimal-updates-for-windows-7/
See #1 above

After the initial install of the important updates (non-security and non-recommended), KB2670838, IE11, and .NET 4.5.2, I went ahead and installed all the rest – security, recommended, etc. (did NOT check anything that was not already checked under optionals or important). Windows Update search was fast for the over-two-hundred updates, probably because I installed KB3138612 manually before starting.

However, when I ran the search today after MS released the Sept patches, it was back to the search-forever thing. After about an hour and a half of search, I finally set it to “Never search,” stopped the WU Service, manually installed a fresh copy of KB3172605 and rebooted. After waiting the 10 minutes to start the search, it took about 1 minute. So it seems Windows Update is broken again this month if you have not already installed KB3172605, which did not come up in the important updates when I did the install on the 9th. It was an unchecked optional then.

Strangely enough, it showed up again as a checked important update in today’s patch search, even I had just installed it manually. I went ahead and installed today’s patches on the test machine, and it installed again. It shows up twice in the View Update History.

My conclusion is, we may still have a broken Windows Update.

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Did you install the 200+ updates when offered or not? I experienced something similar after installing only about 25 of them and scanning again, before the September round of patches. If installing all in one package, then I would not have a problem later. Some would fail for the first time and install next time, but it would take a lot of memory (generally 6GB is enough, but this require 64-bit OS) to cope with 200+ patches and not all machines have that capability.
Interesting finding, maybe KB3172605 is better suited for the purpose than KB3138612 after all. Or implementing in full Dalai’s approach would work equally well? Dalai did not have KB3172605, which was released after he updated his site last time.
Also check the site, I have just noticed that we have an update http://wu.krelay.de/en/
The claim is that “KB3185911 replaces KB3177725” (as speed-up patch).

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KB3172605 was revised and re-released. I knew that there was something going on with it (time of release, being optional and likely changing its category), so I was reluctant to recommend it against KB3138612 which is flagged as important and a “reference” patch in some ways. Now that KB3172605 was fixed or at least promoted, KB3138612 may be considered obsolete? It is too early to say. Based on current information that I have, I understand that they do not fully overlap.
The fact is that I have seen many computers fully patched which don’t have any issue with the current scans. With newer installations until they catch-up, anything is possible due to multiple combinations possible. Isn’t this the “fragmentation” which Microsoft tries to resolve?

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Strange thing was, I downloaded KB3172605 from MS immediately before I installed it. Must be they hadn’t put the revised patch on the MS download site, only on the WU servers.
Microsoft is SOOOOO messed up.

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Hi Woody,

I have the same issue with a Windows 7 clean install. Had to do a clean install back in May/June 2016 because of the hanging WU search. Unfortunately, the reinstalled Windows 7 laptop haven’t been able to ever populate any list of updates. Which patch should I install in this case to make the WU work again? Also, would you have a list of the essential Windows 7 security updates to install handy somewhere so that I won’t step on a mine and mess up my computer again? Thanks in advance!

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Use the kB listed in the article. You’ll be fine if you install security updates only, at least for now.

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@abbodi86 Thanks for following up and for the new insight into the issue.

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The new KB3172605 has the same KB number, so the only way to know if it was the new one is to compare with a known old version. It even caused reboots in the middle of the day for WSUS administrators with a specific non-recommended configuration who don’t understand all subtleties, as you can see on patchmanagement.org
Totally agree that Microsoft is messed up, but it is not more messed up than many other large companies about the same size. It is difficult to keep control when overreaching in many areas and keep the shareholders happy at the same time. It certainly has as consequence unhappy customers of all sizes.

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u dont need windows update, use wsus offline community tool, google “wsus offline.

After its all done, disable all 3 update services entirely. Heck get gwx control panel to block everything too if ya want.

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Just a reminder… GWX Control Panel is a wonderful utility, but I haven’t seen any evidence it does anything with post-July 29 patches.

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I have been attending the computers whose owners I helped avoid Win10. I had put GWX CP on them and left it in monitor mode.

I have been manually installing KB3172605 per Canadian Tech, rebooting, unhiding updates and checking the “Give me recommended” box, searching for updates (most of those hidden during GWX have disappeared), and installing. This prior to Sept Patch Tues. I have seen the monitor mode warning flash on several of the PCs during the install of mostly Aug updates with a few July and Aug. Did not investigate which patch caused it, but it was still active at least up to the first of this week.

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This is slightly off topic, but does anyone have an idea how a fresh install of Win7 will work after cumulative updates start in October?

I guess if you’re in Group A there will be no problem (unless being in Group A proves to be a problem!), but what if you don’t like the idea of swallowing all updates and are planning to be Group B?

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That’s a very good question – and I simply don’t know at this point. I hope we get some guidance in October!

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Which article? Canadian Tech’s fix or the fix from Dalai?

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The fix from Dalai.

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By installing KB3020369 and KB3172605 you should be well prepared.
If that does not work well enough, install Dalai’s patches and you will certainly be OK.
Don’t need to panic so much.

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OK. I was under the impression that individual KB updates would not be available in the future. In fact, I thought that getting rid of individual updates and the “fragmentation” MS cited as a problem was the entire point of the cumulative update program. Is that incorrect?

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