windows update just seems to hang while checking.

[lmacri]

The links at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution are giving page not found atm.

Hi SIW2:

I just tried a few links on Dalai's webpage at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution (http://wu.krelay.de/en/) and they're working correctly for me. Just wait a minute and try again and you should be redirected to the correct standalone update package on the Microsoft Download Center. These transient errors have been appearing on the MS download servers for a few weeks now - see DrHow's comment <here>.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v48.0.2 * NIS v22.7.1.32 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[SIW2]

Nope. Hasn't worked for me for a couple of days.

Yesterday, the download page appeared.. But selecting the download tab just went to to page not found.

Now it goes directly to page not foiund.

 

[Cammygirl192]

Ah, okay, that makes sense, lol. I'll credit Dalai's webpage for the help.
I should have also mentioned the attachment is for x64 only, but I'll make one for x86 too.

At least I can assure this works for clean installs (^_^)

Also they work absolutely fine (the links) here!

 

[lmacri]

@ Imacri: Please take a look at TylrVista's screenshot in post #311 above and see what you recommend. Looks like July's KB3168965 was never installed, but TylrVista did install the June and August kernel-mode driver updates and did get a batch of other updates promptly.

Hi TylrVista:

I'm not sure what I can add to the conversation. It looks like your Windows Update of 26-Aug-2016 managed to install your required July and August 2016 Patch Tuesday updates after KB3177725 was manually installed so I don't think there's any cause for concern. Here are a few things you can check if you're worried.

The .jpg you attached in post # 311 is the update history from Windows Update and this list can sometimes be misleading. It's more accurate to search the list of installed updates (Control Panel | Programs and Features | View Installed Updates). Try searching for KB3164033, KB3168965 and KB3177725 in your installed updates, and be sure to enter the full KB number in the search box (e.g., KB3168965 and not a partial string like 3168965) as shown in the image below.



Vistaar noted in post # 312 that the .jpg of your update history from Windows Update shows two copies of KB3164033 (one named Security Update for Windows and the second named Security Update for Windows Vista) and two copies of KB3177725. If your installed updates also show duplicates you might notice a slight difference in the update names (e.g., KB3177725 vs KB3177725v2). There was a minor bug in some versions of KB3177725 that affected batch printing (see Woody Leonhard's KB 3187022 fixes MS16-098/KB 3177725, but not for Windows 10) and KB3177725 was pulled and re-released for Win 7/8.x, and it's possible that your Windows Update of 26-Aug-2016 re-offered you a patched version of KB3177725 for Vista.

I don't think you need to take any action about the missing KB3168965. The table in the Microsoft Security Bulletin for KB3177725 (MS16-098: Description of the security update for Windows kernel-mode drivers: August 9, 2016) notes that KB3177725 replaces (supersedes) KB3168965 (MS16-090: Description of the security update for Windows kernel-mode drivers: July 12, 2016). If KB3168965 is missing from your list of installed updates it's likely because you manually installed the standalone update package (.msu file) for KB3177725 first, and your 26-Aug-2016 Windows Update then determined that the older KB3168965 should not be installed because it would overwrite C:\Windows\system32\win32k.sys (and other files bundled in this update) with an older version of this file. If you downloaded and ran the standalone update package for the older KB3168965 now I suspect it might even throw an error message saying "The update is not applicable to your computer" because KB3168965 been replaced (superseded) by the newer KB3177725 - see the support article "The update is not applicable to your computer" error when you install Windows updates. I'm not even sure why Dalai still has KB3168965 as one of the required Windows kernel-mode driver (Win32K.sys) updates on his webpage at http://wu.krelay.de/en/, and KB3168965 might even be removed when he revises his list for the September 2016 Patch Tuesday updates.

If you check your installed updates for KB3170106 (MS16-084: Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer: July 12, 2016) and KB3175443 (MS16-095: Cumulative Security update for Internet Explorer: August 9, 2016) I suspect you'll also find that the older KB3170106 was never installed because your 26-Aug-2016 Windows Update determined that KB3175443 now supersedes the older KB3170106.

The September 2016 Patch Tuesday updates will be released on 13-Sep-2016 so I would suggest that you check Dalai's webpage at http://wu.krelay.de/en/ a day or so after that date, manually install the new Windows kernel-mode driver update for September 2016 that will be added to his revised list, and then run another Windows Update to see if your remaining September 2016 Patch Tuesday updates are installed. If that doesn't speed up Windows Update in September we can worry about KB3168965 then.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v48.0.2 * NIS v22.7.1.32 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[lmacri]

Nope. Hasn't worked for me for a couple of days. Yesterday, the download page appeared.. But selecting the download tab just went to to page not found. Now it goes directly to page not foiund.

Hi SIW2:

Some users find it helps if you clear your browser cache. Microsoft have been doing quite a bit of maintenance on their backend severs lately and there could be issues with re-directs to some out-of-date webpages.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v48.0.2 * NIS v22.7.1.32 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[Vistaar]

Hi TylrVista:

I don't think you need to take any action about the missing KB3168965. The table in the Microsoft Security Bulletin for KB3177725 ... notes that KB3177725 replaces (supersedes) KB3168965...I'm not even sure why Dalai still has KB3168965 as one of the required Windows kernel-mode driver (Win32K.sys) updates on his webpage at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution

In that case I absolutely agree regarding TylrVista, and it seems pretty clear to me that KB3168965 should be removed from Dalai's list, which should currently include only five updates instead of six. (Of course this does not affect anyone who has already installed security updates for July and earlier - just a simplification for those who have not.)

 

[lmacri]

In that case I absolutely agree regarding TylrVista, and it seems pretty clear to me that KB3168965 should be removed from Dalai's list, which should currently include only five updates instead of six. (Of course this does not affect anyone who has already installed security updates for July and earlier - just a simplification for those who have not.)

Hi Vistaar:

It doesn't do any harm if users follow the step-by-step instructions posted 16-Jun-2016 in m#l's thread Updates not working, it has been searching for updates for hours and manually install KB3168965 before KB3177725 if both are missing from their system. The file manifests show that there are multiple files bundled inside these standalone update packages besides Win32K.sys, so I wouldn't recommend that users start picking and choosing which updates listed on Dalai's webpage can be ignored without proper testing.

Page 2 of m#l's thread includes a long (and eventually fruitless) discussion I had with Volume Z, who claimed that KB3164033 should be dropped from Dalai's list of required updates. Volume Z tested with a clean Vista SP2 installation and eventually posted the retraction "I'm taking this back. All five of them are needed. Sorry." on 13-Jul-2016.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v48.0.2 * NIS v22.7.1.32 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[lmacri]

I just noticed that Dalai has added a link on his webpage at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution labeled background information where he discusses supersedence chains and the reason why he believes the Windows Update Agent hangs during the check for available updates. It states in part:

"The Update Agent behaves like this because Microsoft keeps all updates in the update catalog (wsusscn2.cab), even superseded ones. The Update Agent checks all updates in the catalog if they are applicable/required for the current system. Updates that are already installed are skipped in the process.

When some update has been replaced/superseded by a newer one, while there's only the superseded (older) update present on the system, all of the update's predecessors are checked whether they are applicable/required for the system. And this check of superseded updates takes so long und causes high CPU load, often taking hours depending on the hardware. As a result the check for new updates takes ages."
​

As Dalai notes at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution, the manual installation of the latest Windows kernel-mode driver (Win32k.sys) update each Patch Tuesday "only tries to make sure that the Update Agent doesn't need to check all updates, so the check for new updates is done faster."

I mentioned in post # 162 that Win XP had a similar problem three years ago after Win 8.1 was released where the Windows Update Agent, running under svchost.exe, would lock machines with single core CPUs with 100% CPU consumption. Microsoft eventually acknowledged the problem and released a fix for Win XP that included expiring some of the outdated updates in the supersedence chain for the IE browser and other programs. With Vista accounting for less than 2% of the market share for Windows OSs, I doubt Microsoft is even interested in cleaning up the supersedence chains for Vista SP2.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v48.0.2 * NIS v22.7.1.32 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[tornfrayed]

I had exactly the same issue as the original post #1. It was fixed after I did the following steps:
1. Ran Windows "System Recover" (not System Restore), which supposedly reformats the hard drive and reinstalls the OS.
2. The recovery went fairly well through to installing SP2. Then the new Windows Update Agent 7.6.7600.256 installed and the system reverted back to the perpetual "Checking for Updates". Even after 29 hours of checking nothing was happening.
3. From this thread I followed the instructions at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution
4. The problem was fixed and Windows Update fully updated Vista to being completely current, and it did it all (170 updates) in just under 3 hours on my ultra-slow single core Celeron cpu and 2 Mb of memory through a 30 Mbps internet connection.
5. Many thanks for this forum and all of its contributors, without whose help I would have never been able to get my computer up and running again.

 

[Vistaar]

I had exactly the same issue as the original post #1. It was fixed after I did the following steps:
1. Ran Windows "System Recover" (not System Restore), which supposedly reformats the hard drive and reinstalls the OS.
2. The recovery went fairly well through to installing SP2. Then the new Windows Update Agent 7.6.7600.256 installed and the system reverted back to the perpetual "Checking for Updates". Even after 29 hours of checking nothing was happening.

Welcome to Vista Forums tornfrayed. I'm glad you were finally able to update Vista, but it's important to note that your first step (Recovery) was not part of the solution - in fact it was merely a big waste of time. As you found yourself, the problem returned after installing SP2, which suggests that the problem had nothing to do with your Vista installation. Manually installing only those updates that you didn't already have from Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution would have been the right place to begin.

 

[townsbg]

After a repair install I installed the updates on Dalai's page (except one which Vista said didn't apply) manually and after that the check took less than 15 minutes. I'm glad that there are still such people dedicated to Vista because we all know that M$ doesn't care anymore.

 

[tornfrayed]

...(Recovery) was not part of the solution ... Manually installing only those updates that you didn't already have from Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution would have been the right place to begin.

Thank you Vistaar, and you are absolutely right that System Recovery IS NOT a necessary part of fixing the WU problem. I started with a Recovery because my machine was still running on the original Vista installation from 2007, nine years ago, and it was thoroughly corrupted. The WU fix provided an opportune time to do a long overdue major maintenance before Vista loses MS support in 2017. That being said, my opinion is that Vista is a dead OS already losing support from Microsoft (IE browser), Google (Chrome browser), Adobe (PDF reader), and others. I'm definitely "upgrading" to a current OS and machine before Vista loses all support next year. I'm waiting for Thanksgiving's Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales to check out any bargains that might pop up. That digression aside, thanks for all of your wonderful posts in this thread that helped to fix what I could never have fixed on my own.

 

[AndrzejDuda]

Tried to install the updates from the guide, but only one of them was applicable to my system. Did not help.

 

[Vistaar]

Tried to install the updates from the guide, but only one of them was applicable to my system. Did not help.

Hello AndrzejDuda. If Windows updates were last installed on July 12 or later, and the one update applicable to your system was KB3177725, then please allow 30 minutes or more for Windows to check for updates before concluding that it did not help.

If you need assistance, please view your update history and tell us when Windows updates were last installed (besides the one you just manually installed). Have you recently reinstalled Vista SP2? Did you try the updates in order from oldest to newest? The oldest updates are those with the lowest KB number, so KB3078601 from August 2015 is the oldest update in the list and KB3177725 is the newest.

 

[AndrzejDuda]

Hello AndrzejDuda. If Windows updates were last installed on July 12 or later, and the one update applicable to your system was KB3177725, then please allow 30 minutes or more for Windows to check for updates before concluding that it did not help.

If you need assistance, please view your update history and tell us when Windows updates were last installed (besides the one you just manually installed). Have you recently reinstalled Vista SP2? Did you try the updates in order from oldest to newest? The oldest updates are those with the lowest KB number, so KB3078601 is the oldest and KB3177725 is the newest.

Last installed on August 7th, Vista hasn't been reinstalled ever. I tried updates randomly first, then from oldest. Didn't change anything.

 

[Vistaar]

Last installed on August 7th, Vista hasn't been reinstalled ever.

If your Vista was fully up to date on August 7th, and you have now successfully installed KB3177725, then it should not be difficult to check for other Windows updates released on August 9. Did you manually install certain updates before updating on August 7?

 

[AndrzejDuda]

No idea, the PC wasn't mine back then, but appeared to be up-to-date.

 

[Vistaar]

No idea, the PC wasn't mine back then, but appeared to be up-to-date.

I'm afraid I know even less about the PC than you do. Was the one update applicable to your system KB3177725? Did you set Windows Update to "never check for updates" and restart the PC before attempting to install KB3177725? Was it successfully installed? If the answer is yes, then I do not know what your problem is. A list of Windows updates installed on August 7 might be helpful.

 

[AndrzejDuda]

Yes, that was this update.
And I did disable the updates and this one worked fine. I'll just leave my office and leave the PC over night, maybe tomorrow they will be finally found.

 

[Vistaar]

...my opinion is that Vista is a dead OS already losing support from Microsoft (IE browser), Google (Chrome browser), Adobe (PDF reader), and others. I'm definitely "upgrading" to a current OS and machine before Vista loses all support next year.

Vista is rapidly becoming an OS that is only suitable for hobbyists, but I object to pronouncing it "dead." I never used Chrome, having moved directly from IE 9 to Firefox, which still supports Vista and XP. If all you want is a platform for Chrome, then you should consider a Chromebook. My Adobe Reader XI is actually up to date and working just fine. If that becomes impossible next year, I will try Sumatra for reading PDFs. My biggest objection to Windows 10 is that the user no longer has any control over what updates are installed, leaving him helpless in the face of issues like the one discussed in this thread. Hopefully Windows 11 will be better. Meanwhile...