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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: fohat.digs on Tue, 25 August 2015, 17:07:59
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I just installed Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (3 times) on a Dell laptop (on a new SSD) which had previously used Vista.
The installation media was the downloaded .ISO file a the product key was valid and legal. The installation went smoothly, and activation was completed and the install is reported as activated and genuine.
The problem is running Update. It always fails on "checking for updates" by hanging, even for hours. I have been through this quite a few times. I have downloaded several update repair "tools" from Microsoft itself, including, currently, the Windows Update Standalone Installer, which downloaded and installed itself, properly, but is now itself hung on "searching for updates on this computer"
Hello! There are no updates because it is a brand new fresh install. I wish there updates for it to discover!
Has anyone done this, and/or know what to do?
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I've had that happen on Win7-64 (pro) VMs. On the same VMs I also downloaded and installed MSE with no trouble, but it hung on updates just like Windows Updates did. Have you tested your networking or tried updating MSE?
...I ended up deleting the network adapter and re-installing it and that fixed it. You could also try “netsh winsock reset catalog” , rebooting, and then try updating.
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This : http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91738-windows-update-reset.html
Or this : Boot the OS into safe mode with networking, run disk cleanup and try updates
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Thanks guys, but I have tried all these with no joy.
Since I have now even done 2 full clean installs on a brand new hard drive, and everything else works properly, including the internet connection itself, I am baffled.
Everything else is actually amazingly fast and beautiful, I never imagined that Windows 7 could boot so fast.
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Everything else is actually amazingly fast and beautiful, I never imagined that Windows 7 could boot so fast.
There are a lot of things within Win 7 that shall surprise you 8) .
Overall it's far superior to Win 10 which is in effect, the largest Trojan ever released into the public domain.
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Just to be sure...you went to Device Manager, chose your network adapter, and then uninstalled it after making sure that Windows was not trying to update. I was having the exact same issues you describe. Internet was fine, I could download and install apps okay, but Windows Update just went on forever without showing any progress or finding any updates at all. Same with Microsoft Security Essentials.
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Was it Windows XP or Windows 7 that had that situation where after a while it would take longer and longer to check for updates, eventually taking many hours?
Microsoft did release a fix for that, and once installed, checking for updates was returned to the normal few minutes.
I'd suggest leaving it going overnight checking for updates and see what happens in the morning.
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Fired up another fresh VM and same thing again. This time I tried this and it worked: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/troubleshoot-problems-installing-updates#1TC=windows-7
Like rowdy says, after applying the fix, it still takes a few minutes...good luck, man.
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Bump. Help. Any other ideas?
Tried all that stuff. Also disabled the wireless and plugged into a real ethernet cable.
If I was not getting online otherwise, I could understand it. But I get on the internet with an "excellent" signal, even with wireless.
It's just the M$ Update that refuses to operate (or is it co-operate?).
Could it be that the Windows 7 .ISO that I downloaded works in every way except for update? Is there a solution for that?
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The .bat files that 0100010 linked to and the MS Fix It I posted both check the regsvr32 service against the corresponding dll. I would check to make sure that the regsvr service is running and if you still have trouble try this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/971187
From what you describe it's definitely a software issue. However, while troubleshooting I would keep it plugged in.
...I guess try a different image if all else fails.
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Or disable updates?
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Or disable updates?
I would gladly do that, but it has never even accomplished the first one. We are talking about Windows 7 Home Premium SP1.
My experience is that after a fresh clean Windows install, there are dozens of updates that take place right away, in multiple rounds, until you get "caught up" and it slows to a trickle of a small handful about every 3rd Tuesday.
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Or disable updates?
I would gladly do that, but it has never even accomplished the first one. We are talking about Windows 7 Home Premium SP1.
My experience is that after a fresh clean Windows install, there are dozens of updates that take place right away, in multiple rounds, until you get "caught up" and it slows to a trickle of a small handful about every 3rd Tuesday.
Go through this list and figure out if any of those have a chance of happening on that machine: http://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-26/product_id-17153/hasexp-1/Microsoft-Windows-7.html
If not, disable updates, use Firefox instead of IE and get on with using your system. None of MS's "critical" or "important" security updates fix anything that my own system (and many other home user's systems) is vulnerable to. If you need to, you can update .Net framework or runtimes manually. If it aint broke, don't allow MS to break it automatically for you, is my policy.
If you use MS Office, disable auto preview for emails, etc, don't open anything from a dodgy source, don't visit dodgy websites (except GH ;) ) and just generally be a responsible PC user and you'll be just fine.
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If not, disable updates, use Firefox instead of IE and get on with using your system. None of MS's "critical" or "important" security updates fix anything that my own system (and many other home user's systems) is vulnerable to. If you need to, you can update .Net framework or runtimes manually. If it aint broke, don't allow MS to break it automatically for you, is my policy.
If you use MS Office, disable auto preview for emails, etc, don't open anything from a dodgy source, don't visit dodgy websites (except GH ;) ) and just generally be a responsible PC user and you'll be just fine.
All great advice, and I do most of it anyway. Problem is, this is a laptop for my daughter who just turned 18 yesterday, so I will not be involved with it very much going forward.
Help me out guys. I had an "a-ha" moment and thought that I might get it, but, no.
Windows 7 installs IE 8 so I found a back door to bring me up to IE 11. I really hoped that would solve it, but still: *Fail*
Any other ideas?
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...try a different image if all else fails.
Where can you still download a "legit" copy of Win7 Home anyway?
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Where can you still download a "legit" copy of Win7 Home anyway?
The download was an .ISO from M$.
The product key is from another similar Dell laptop that bit the dust recently.
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The reason I ask is because my company has a MS Partner account and it's not available for download there. So, did you get it directly from MS or did it possibly pass through a few hands before you got it? It could be corrupt or it could have been modified if you didn't get it directly from MS.
Anyway, I would get a copy that is absolutely known (by you or the person you get it from) to work. Then, it should be problem solved.
Edit: It doesn't have to be Home. It can be Pro if that's all you can find. Make sure it works. Then deal with the license issue.
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How so?
I have an original (not SP1, I think) Pro 64 disc, are you saying I can run that and then enter a Home Premium number?
All these "makeovers" get tiresome, but I need to solve this .....
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How so?
I have an original (not SP1, I think) Pro 64 disc, are you saying I can run that and then enter a Home Premium number?
All these "makeovers" get tiresome, but I need to solve this .....
You have a PM fohat.
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What is the longest time you've left it checking for updates?
Is there much, or any, network or CPU activity during that time?
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If not, disable updates, use Firefox instead of IE and get on with using your system. None of MS's "critical" or "important" security updates fix anything that my own system (and many other home user's systems) is vulnerable to. If you need to, you can update .Net framework or runtimes manually. If it aint broke, don't allow MS to break it automatically for you, is my policy.
If you use MS Office, disable auto preview for emails, etc, don't open anything from a dodgy source, don't visit dodgy websites (except GH ;) ) and just generally be a responsible PC user and you'll be just fine.
All great advice, and I do most of it anyway. Problem is, this is a laptop for my daughter who just turned 18 yesterday, so I will not be involved with it very much going forward.
Help me out guys. I had an "a-ha" moment and thought that I might get it, but, no.
Windows 7 installs IE 8 so I found a back door to bring me up to IE 11. I really hoped that would solve it, but still: *Fail*
Any other ideas?
Well, if you've educated her well on PC use and privacy in the modern world it shouldn't be an issue, right?
And yes, the Win7 ISO images are downloadable still from MS: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7
You could try by entering the key there and getting a fresh ISO image.
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Thanks, all.
I think that I finally got it working.
After numerous iterations of installing and uninstalling network drivers, and leaving it running for many hours overnight, I was finally able to get Update to list available updates. When I tried to nab them all, it failed, but after ramping them on a few at a time, I think that I am nearing completion.
My guess is that the nut started to crack when I disabled the built-in wireless card and plugged in the ethernet cable. At that point I was able to time-travel into the modern world of IE11 from the original IE 8, and that opened the doorway for the rest. At least that seems the most plausible explanation to me.
It still took an insanely long time and many iterations, but success seems to be at hand.
And the boot times on this old low-end laptop are still blindingly fast with the added RAM and SSD!
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Good to hear!
Yup, SSD makes a big difference :)
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SSD makes a big difference
I have a big desktop system with double the specs on everything, but even after my last fresh install it was not nearly this fast.