windows update just seems to hang while checking.

[townsbg]

I'm not talking about Vista but 2008 which is still being supported.

 

[lmacri]

I'm not talking about Vista but 2008 which is still being supported.

Hi townsbg:

Sorry I didn't understand your question in post # 639. If you are asking if any standalone .msu installers for Windows Server (WS) 2008 security updates have been posted on the Microsoft Update Catalog since November 2017 then the answer is yes, but as far as I know none of these updates have been delivered to any edition of Vista SP2 (including the Business / Enterprise / Ultimate editions that support joining of Windows server domains) via Windows Update since extended support for Vista SP2 ended on 11-Apr-2017. If that doesn't answer your question then please provide further details, since the system specs in your user profile only say that you have an Apple iMac and don't mention any specifics about your Vista OS (or virtual machine).

Just to clarify for other users, Windows Server (WS) 2008 and Vista operating systems share similar a similar code base, and there are some Vista SP2 users who have been patching security vulnerabilities in their Vista SP2 OS (IE9, .NET Framework, etc.) since the end of April 2017 by applying compatible WS 2008 security updates. These users must download about a dozen or so standlaone .msu installers for WS 2008 security updates from the Microsoft Update Catalog every Patch Tuesday (the second Tuesday of the month) and apply them manually, but none of these updates will be delivered via Windows Update if you have a Vista SP2 machine (and as Volume Z noted <here>, none of these Windows Server 2008 security updates need to be applied to fix the Vista SP2 "Checking for updates..." hangs being discussed in this thread). If you have any questions about applying WS 2008 security updates released after April 2017 on a Vista SP2 machine I'd suggest you post them in Sardoc's thread Security Updates for Vista After End of Support - Windows Server 2008 Patches in the bleepingcomputer forum where KB numbers for these recommended WS 2008 are posted each month so this thread doesn't go off-topic.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.6.0 * NS Premium v22.12.0.104 * MS Office 2003 Professional SP3
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[townsbg]

I am checking for updates on my 2008 VM and it isn't finding any. I haven't updated since November. So my question is has there been any updates to 2008 since November.

 

[Jody Thornton]

Yes there have. I originally posted on this subject. But here are the latest pages on the MSFN thread that should be a go to for this.
Server 2008 Updates on Windows Vista

(EDIT: I now see you were looking to specifically update Server 2008. My bad)

 

[townsbg]

It found the updates.

 

[lmacri]

For any Vista SP2 users still using the built-in Windows Defender anti-malware / anti-spyware scanner, please note that there was a patch released today for a critical security vulnerability that should update your scan engine to v1.1.14700.5. See Catalin Cimpanu's 04-Apr-2018 bleepingcomputer artile Microsoft Out-Of-Band Security Update Patches Malware Protection Engine Flaw as well as Microsoft's security advisory for CVE-2018-0986.


_________________________

... and here are reminders about a few more software programs that are about to end or scale back support for the Vista SP2 platform in May / June 2018:

About iTunes Store Availability (XP and Vista PCs)

Norton Maintenance Mode for Windows XP and Windows Vista

Update on Firefox Support for Windows XP and Vista
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.7.3 * NS Premium v22.12.1.15 * MS Office 2003 Professional SP3
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[bzbox]

Hi, is it just me or there is no Windows defender definition update for Vista anymore?

 

[lmacri]

Hi, is it just me or there is no Windows defender definition update for Vista anymore?

Hi bzbox:

Many Vista SP2 and Win 7 SP1 users recently noticed that they stopped receiving definition updates for Windows Defender just after the 12-Jun-2018 Patch Tuesday. Gunter Born is posting about this in his 29-Jun-2018 blog entry Windows 7 Defender Won’t Receive Updates (June 2018) in the Born's Tech and Windows World blog.

I normally have Windows Defender disabled but I ran a test on my own machine and my Windows Defender definitions seem to be stuck at v1.269.1075.0 even though the mpas-fe.exe self-extracting installer for Vista and Win 7 at Microsoft's Latest Definition Updates for Windows Defender Antivirus and other Microsoft Antimalware - Windows Defender Security Intelligence is currently delivering the v1.271.324.0 definition set.

I don't know the root cause of this problem but there is some speculation that there's a glitch on the backend Windows Update servers.


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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * NS Premium v22.14.2.13 * MS Office 2003 Professional SP3
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[lmacri]

Hi, is it just me or there is no Windows defender definition update for Vista anymore?

Hi bzbox:

It looks like Windows Defender updates are starting to come through again - see Woody Leonhard's 04-Jul-2018 thread Windows Defender is Now Working Again on his AskWoody.com site.

Many users are seeing the installation of the latest definition update fail with an error 8070666 the first time they try, but if you re-run Windows Update or use the built-in updater in Windows Defender (i.e., open Windows Defender and click the Check for Updates Now button or go to Help | Check for Updates) the update should install successfully.

I checked for updates yesterday and on my second try I was successfully updated to definition set v1.271.442.0 and a new scan engine v1.1.15000.2. I noticed that the name of the update changed to Definition Update for Windows Defender Antivirus – KB915597 (Definition 1.271.422.0) so I don’t know if Microsoft has deliberately added the word “Antivirus” to the update name (recall that the old Windows Defender for Win 7 / Vista is a limited anti-spyware / anti-malware scanner, not a full antivirus like the Win 8.x / Win 10 version) or if they're still working out some glitches on their back end servers.




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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * NS Premium v22.14.2.13 * MS Office 2003 Professional SP3
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[townsbg]

Last mon I did a repair install of Vista on my VM. I don't think I've done that before. Does anyone know if installed updates carries over to the repair install or do I have to do them again?

 

[lmacri]

Last mon I did a repair install of Vista on my VM. I don't think I've done that before. Does anyone know if installed updates carries over to the repair install or do I have to do them again?

Hi townsbg:

Are you asking about Vista SP2 and IE9 updates delivered via Windows Update prior to the end of extended support on 11-Apr-2017 or updates released after that date (e.g., the Vista-compatible Windows Server 2008 updates being discussed <here> in the MSFN forum)?

Did you perform a simple startup repair to replace missing or damage system files, or a full repair (upgrade) installation using Brink's instructions at Repair Install For Vista with an original Windows Vista installation DVD that includes SP2? I've never run this type of a repair installation on a Vista computer with SP2 but the fact that you're asked if you want to run a Windows Update during the repair process implies that installed updates will not be carried over. You can post your question in Brink's thread to confirm. Note Brink's warning in those instructions that a Vista SP2 slipstream installation DVD created with the standalone SP1 and SP2 installers (see the tutorial Sliptream Vista SP2) does not always work correctly with repair installations.

If you want to check if your repaired Vista SP2 is patched to the end of extended support (11-Apr-2017) then run a manual Windows Update (Control Panel | System and Maintenance | Windows Update | Check for updates). If it reports there are no available updates after 5 or 10 minutes then you're fine. If it gets stuck on "Checking for updates..." for more than 20 or 30 min then you're going to have to disable automatic updates [Windows Update | Change settings | Important updates | Never check for updates (not recommended)] and re-boot to terminate any background Windows Update sessions, and then go through the entire process of manually installing the half-dozen or so "speed up" patches as described in the FAQ How to Fix Vista SP2 "Checking for Updates..." Hangs and Slow Windows Updates to get Windows Update working again.

If you're concerned about any one particular update you can also search for the KB number in your installed updates at Control Panel | Programs and Features | View Installed Updates. Just ensure you enter the full KB number in the search box (e.g., "KB3205638" and not a partial string like "3205638").


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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22 * Malwarebytes Free v3.5.1-1.0.365 * MS Office Professional 2003
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[townsbg]

I did a repair install due to issues, the loss of my customized theme, and the failure of SFC to fix the issues. The only update under history that shows up is the update agent. I used the SP2 ISO that I got from Ex_Brit. I do have updates showing up under installed updates so they still must be there. I'll try running the checker however I don't have any high hopes for it since I hadn't been able to get it to work since before updates where discontinued.

 

[wither 3]

Hi townsbg- after I installed that ISO, Windows Update immediately found a few updates but none after that. Here's what I have-

View attachment 30637

 

[Volume Z]

Does anyone know if installed updates carries over to the repair install

Yes - no. Suggested procedure:

1. Wait until patch day April.

2. If needed, this is the right moment to install IE9.

3. Install the latest Security quality rollup for Windows Server 2008.

4. Install KB4012583.

5. Install KB3205638.

6. If applicable according to step 2 and/or after the security quality rollup , install the latest Cumulative security update for IE9 for Windows Server 2008.

7. Run Windows Update.

Regards, VZ

 

[townsbg]

I ran a check for 4 hours and get nothing so WU is still screwed up even after the repair install and isn't finding them. I'm not installing 2008 updates.

 

[Volume Z]

The most basic, non-Server-2008 set required to fix the search issue is

KB4015195

KB4015380

KB4012583

KB3205638

One of these or their respective preceding equivalents missing = you're lost.

 

[townsbg]

Thank you. Probably tomorrow. It's just a virtual machine and not high priority.

 

[lmacri]

...The only update under history that shows up is the update agent. I used the SP2 ISO that I got from Ex_Brit. I do have updates showing up under installed updates so they still must be there.

Hi townsbg:

If the only update you have at Window Update | View Update History is the Windows Update Agent that's a good indicator your OS has been rolled back to an earlier date. When you run Windows Update one of the first self-checks it runs is to see if you have the latest available Windows Update Agent for Vista (C:\Windows\system32\wuaueng.dll) v7.6.7600.256 that was released in June 2012 and installs it if you have an older version.

I ran a Windows Update today at ~ 3 PM after enabling Windows Defender (I normally have Windows Defender disabled), and Windows Update ran to completion in a few minutes and was able to install the latest KB915597 Definition Update for Windows Defender (v1.291.1271.0 rel. 05-Apr-2019). Note that I'm fully patched to the end of extended support (11-Apr-2017) and I manually installed both "speed up" patches for my Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack SP3 (KB4018354 for the Word converter, released Apr 2018; KB4661607 for the Excel converter rel. Feb 2019) listed in Volume Z's post on page 1 of peggybeggs's thread why has vista stopped automatic updates? . The excerpt below from my Windows Update log at C:\Windows\WindowsUpdate.log shows I already have the latest Windows Update Agent v7.6.7600.256:

2019-04-07 14:56:11:834 1252 cac Setup Checking for agent SelfUpdate
2019-04-07 14:56:11:880 1252 cac Setup Client version: Core: 7.6.7600.256 Aux: 7.6.7600.256
...
2019-04-07 14:56:13:487 1252 cac Setup Setup package "WUClient-SelfUpdate-Core-TopLevel~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~7.6.7600.256" is already installed.
2019-04-07 14:56:13:487 1252 cac Setup SelfUpdate check completed. SelfUpdate is NOT required

If you used Ex_Brit's ISO (I'm not sure if you mean with SP2 only or a slipstream ISO with both SP1 and SP2) my best guess is that your repair installation rolled your OS back the release date of Service Pack 2 (25-May-2009). If that's what happened you are currently missing ~220 security updates that can't be automatically installed until you've applied the recommended "speed up" patches to fix Windows Update.

You should post in Brink's thread at Repair Install For Vista to confirm a repair installation with Ex_Brit's SP2 ISO will roll your OS back to May 2009. I'm guessing you must select the option "Do not get the latest updates for installation" during the repair installation so that Windows Update doesn't hang after SP2 is applied and cause your repair to time out and fail.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22 * Malwarebytes Free v3.5.1-1.0.365 * MS Office Professional 2003
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[townsbg]

Yeah I used brit's ISO with sp2. I ran it from within Windows and selected the upgrade option. When prompted I selected not to update. Today I found installed updates but there are only a few for Windows. The rest are for .net or office. The ultimate extra option for using videos on the background is somehow still installed. I'm going to have to install the speed up patches tomorrow.

The most basic, non-Server-2008 set required to fix the search issue is

KB4015195

KB4015380

KB4012583

KB3205638

One of these or their respective preceding equivalents missing = you're lost.

Are those the only ones? I might have some of them downloaded.

 

[Volume Z]

See:

why has vista stopped automatic updates?

Vista will no longer automatically update. Nothing I've attempted works to fix the issue.

answers.microsoft.com