Critical Windows Update not working?

Teapot55

My virus protection program usually jumps in & tells me if there are updates needed on my pc, fairly soon after I have switched it on.

Yesterday it did this & said there was a critical update needed, so without delay I clicked the button for this to proceed. After half an hour of 'update in progress, progress 0%' I gave up & went into my Windows Settings to make the update happen from there. After another half hour of a similar status and a rather abrupt message about me needing to get Windows 11, I started to panic. I was also pretty annoyed as sixty plus minutes at my desk should have been plenty of time to send the emails etc.

Then I noticed a dialogue box about downloading a 'PC Health Check' app. I downloaded it & ran it. Apparently my computer is eight years old & doesn't have what is required to run Windows 11. Whoopee do. Somehow, whether I clicked another button or what I did, the update then started. No mention at any point that if I didn't do the 'PC Health Check' nothing would proceed.

Thought this might help others, so have posted. (I had been almost at the point of posting a "Help!!" on here).

CoastingHatbox

I don't think continuing to download and apply updates is dependant upon running and downloading the 'Get PC Health Check' doodad.

I'd be more inclined to put that down to coincidence. Running it perhaps forced the Windows Update Agent to re-scan and restart updates, probably fixing a broken TCP connection that had interrupted the original update attempt and left the process hanging.

Neil_Jones

The health check thing is only to determine whether the machine can be automatically upgraded to 11.  If not, its easy enough to bypass anyway.

Anyway assuming this is Windows 10 it will do all your updates automatically anyway, you don't need third party programs to tell you that, its a feature.

Grey_Critic

I have two laptops one is six years old and is not W11 supported - no problem as Microsoft say they will continue to support W10

I run Windows Defender anti-virus (have done for years and no problems. I have both PCs set to automatically check/download and apply updates - again no problems.

From personal experience I have found third party programmes are unreliable - bit like driving a Ford Fiesta and looking to VW for technical assistance.

You could download/run Belarc Adviser (which is free) and that will tell you if any updates are missing and the numbers - you can then download them if you want. Belarc will not do anything to your system except run a scan and produce a list of programmes etc on your machine

Teapot55

CoastingHatbox said:

I don't think continuing to download and apply updates is dependant upon running and downloading the 'Get PC Health Check' doodad.

I'd be more inclined to put that down to coincidence. Running it perhaps forced the Windows Update Agent to re-scan and restart updates, probably fixing a broken TCP connection that had interrupted the original update attempt and left the process hanging.

Thanks for that, @CoastingHatbox. Whatever made it happen in the end, I was mightily relieved. 

Teapot55

Neil_Jones said:

The health check thing is only to determine whether the machine can be automatically upgraded to 11.  If not, its easy enough to bypass anyway.

Thanks, I may delete it now it’s told me my pc can’t be upgraded to W11


Anyway assuming this is  10 it will do all your updates automatically anyway, you don't need third party programs to tell you that, its a feature.

I still don’t really know why my update didn’t work like it normally does, doing it from within Windows Settings. 

Langtang

Neil_Jones said:

The health check thing is only to determine whether the machine can be automatically upgraded to 11.  If not, its easy enough to bypass anyway.

Anyway assuming this is Windows 10 it will do all your updates automatically anyway, you don't need third party programs to tell you that, its a feature.

I’ve been told  by the health checker, that my pc must support secure boot,  and have TPM 2.0 activated and also that my processor isn’t currently supported (AMD FX 8350)

Are you saying it’s easy to bypass this and install W11 anyway?

Neil_Jones

Langtang said:

Neil_Jones said:

The health check thing is only to determine whether the machine can be automatically upgraded to 11.  If not, its easy enough to bypass anyway.

Anyway assuming this is Windows 10 it will do all your updates automatically anyway, you don't need third party programs to tell you that, its a feature.

I’ve been told  by the health checker, that my pc must support secure boot,  and have TPM 2.0 activated and also that my processor isn’t currently supported (AMD FX 8350)

Are you saying it’s easy to bypass this and install W11 anyway?

Well the fact I said "easy enough to bypass" does what it says on the tin   Its adding a registry entry or two and making use of the free download of the Windows 11 ISO.

If you have Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 (or the machine was preloaded with one of those) it'll be secure boot enabled already.  TPM 2 has been standard on motherboards since 2015 and a Windows requirement since 2016, so its probably already there if your board is new enough.

The processor, well that dates from 2012. That needn't be an issue, the board will be more pressing, but the boards for that particular platform  were very prolific.

CoastingHatbox

When Windows 10 support expires, it might be easier to install Linux than hack around with the registry in the WinPE environment to get Windows 11 working.

Just saying!

jamesd

CoastingHatbox said:

When Windows 10 support expires, it might be easier to install Linux than hack around with the registry in the WinPE environment to get Windows 11 working.

Just saying!

Learning a completely new OS and UI just to avoid double-clicking on a downloaded registry editing script? That doesn't seem easier to me and I doubt many other people would agree.

*nix has lots of advantages in assorted situations but it's still a completely new thing for most people.

debitcardmayhem

jamesd said:

CoastingHatbox said:

When Windows 10 support expires, it might be easier to install Linux than hack around with the registry in the WinPE environment to get Windows 11 working.

Just saying!

Learning a completely new OS and UI just to avoid double-clicking on a downloaded registry editing script? That doesn't seem easier to me and I doubt many other people would agree.

*nix has lots of advantages in assorted situations but it's still a completely new thing for most people.

Of course the user doesnt need to learn much, just how to install a virtual machine manager and then fiddle with windows at their hearts content, the pain in my buttress was MS stopped 11 after I had used it at the preview release on an i5-5420 and also on a 11thgen i5 under a vm. Of course my licensed W10 still works hunky dory under the VM, when they moved the goal posts I burst my ball an threw it in the bin. Just saying