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Help ! Windows update not working ..??

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  • victor2 ..... from what i remember , when i first turned laptop on .. i installed AVG.. then loaded Office from a disc ... then probably went to see if there were any Windows Updates ... and then realised that it wouldn't do anything more than search ..
    Guess at that point i should have got hold of supplier .. but needed to get on doing some work stuff so continued on by transfering all data / files etc from previous laptop etc .
  • shrimply ..


    You could try manually installing this

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605


    Have done that .. running it ... box with "windows update standalone installer" .. bar is "searching for updates"... but half an hour on ... still searching !!
  • agarnett
    agarnett Posts: 1,301 Forumite
    OP, did you get anywhere after the "searching for updates"?

    Have you formed any opinion about whether it is W7, or might be Office that is causing the hiatus?

    Might be worth unistalling Office if you can, and then exhausting Windows Update options before installing Office again. Office removal and reinstalls don't take long, and scarcely affect anything else in your own PC chosen setup I think.

    I have a feeling that Microsoft are getting far too clever for their own good or our own good in trying to identify and audit all their software in use the moment you allow them to sniff your Microsoft products to tell you what to update (I don't think you even get a choice to stop the snooping now as I believe they sniff every time an internet connection is active).

    My feeling is it is this that takes Windows Update an indeterminable age on some machines with different combos of older and newer MS software newly linked for the first time on a new machine to the internet.

    You mentioned you installed Office from a disk. I don't think you have mentioned which version of Office or what type of licence your Office installation has - you mention the need to get on with some work stuff so perhaps the disk you used was one with a multi-user "work" licence?

    If you can remove Office while you sort the rest of the machine out, you may find you can get through some of the update obstructions that way. Office isn't a major inconvenience to remove and reinstall later when you have the machine stable again hopefully.

    However, my guess is that even doing that might leave a residual record that a certain copy of Office had been installed which can and will continue to be sniffed by Microsoft for as long as their latest iterations of Windows Update are programmed to be over-bearingly curious to audit what they find.

    I think that may be another reason, especially if you don't have the ability to use a restore point prior to installing Office, why a clean W7 installation might be ultimately advisable if you can somehow manage that at a time to suit you.

    But don't take my word for any of this - this forum clearly has a techie pecking order, and all non-admitted techies are potential voodoo practitioners and fools in these parts!
  • agarnett

    It is Office Home & Student 2010 that i installed from the disc ... as i have previously installed on my & partners previous machines , without any problems .

    No ... " searching for updates" continues !! .

    ******************

    "clean W7 install " .. how would i do that ? .. i don't have any discs or anything .. ?
  • grumpycrab
    grumpycrab Posts: 5,025 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Bake Off Boss!
    OP, this MS thread has been quite successful.
    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-update/windows-7-update-solution/f39a65fa-9d10-42e7-9bc0-7f5096b36d0c

    The short answer :- install updates KB3172605 and KB3020369.
    If the 1st says the update is not appropriate for your computer, you need to install the 2nd then try the 1st again.
    If you put your general location in your Profile, somebody here may be able to come and help you.
  • agarnett
    agarnett Posts: 1,301 Forumite
    edited 25 September 2016 at 2:47PM
    Skip my latest voodoo! Yes, W7 clean install is a non starter without the installation files. I know how I'd procure the files if pressed for time, but unfortunately it doesn't help you!

    Grumpycrab's found Microsoft article and solution looks the most promising by far ... and looks very easy for most Windows users to follow exactly too ...
  • i can't install those updates !!.. as it just searches for updates ................
  • grumpycrab
    grumpycrab Posts: 5,025 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Bake Off Boss!
    i can't install those updates !!.. as it just searches for updates ................
    Sorry - I think you said that before!? Stop the Windows Update service FIRST. See linked thread... or do this...

    Click on the Start globe and type services into the text box. Click on Services in the list that pops up. In the window that then pops up (its alphabetic), find Windows Update. Right-click on it (left-click if your mouse is set for left-handers) and choose Stop.
    If you put your general location in your Profile, somebody here may be able to come and help you.
  • grumpycrab ....... looking hopeful !! ... followed your suggestions .... downloaded and ran KB3172605 ... and it's now installing 140 updates .

    Fingers crossed .......
  • Fightsback
    Fightsback Posts: 2,504 Forumite
    agarnett wrote: »
    Skip my latest voodoo! ....

    Yes I will, off anywhere nice for your holidays this winter, Haiti perchance ?
    grumpycrab ....... looking hopeful !! ... followed your suggestions .... downloaded and ran KB3172605 ... and it's now installing 140 updates .

    Fingers crossed .......

    Glad to hear it's working however for future reference to others I'd suggest using the win 7 roll up method for a new install as Shrimpley alluded to earlier, there is more of a complete guide here:

    http://www.howtogeek.com/255435/how-to-update-windows-7-all-at-once-with-microsofts-convenience-rollup/

    See step 4
    Science isn't exact, it's only confidence within limits.
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