windows update just seems to hang while checking.

[wither 3]

Let me know what happens when you run those patches. I assumed the ISO from Ex_Brit has all the updates. As mentioned, WU did find a few updates immediately after installing as shown in my screen shot.

 

[townsbg]

WU found the updates after installing those patches. I'm installing them now. What is kb3217877? It is showing up under optional updates? Strangely enough dreamscene is showing up even though I know that it is installed.

 

[lmacri]

WU found the updates after installing those patches. I'm installing them now. What is kb3217877? It is showing up under optional updates? Strangely enough dreamscene is showing up even though I know that it is installed.

Hi townsbg:

Thanks for letting us know Windows Update is working again. You said in a previous post you have MS Office installed but didn't mention which product, so if you have MS Office 2010 or the MS Office Compatibility Pack installed be sure to check Volume Z's solution in peggybegg's thread why has vista stopped automatic updates? after tomorrow's Patch Tuesday updates are released (the second Tuesday of the month). If a new "speed up" patch for one of those MS Office products is released (Volume Z will flag it as "new") it will have to be manually installed to prevent future Windows Update sessions from getting stuck on "Checking for updates..." again. MS Office 2007 has reached the end of extended support so it's very unlikely we'll see any further security updates released for this product.

Microsoft's description <here> for KB3217877 only says "When you use the fread() function to read data from a pipe in Windows Vista Service Pack 2, the runtime program may omit line feed (LF) characters between lines and cause corrupted output." See Gunter Born's March 2017 post Update KB3217877 for Windows Vista/Server 2008 on his Born's Tech and Windows World blog for more information. I rarely install optional updates unless I'm certain I need them but I went ahead and installed KB3217877 and it didn't cause any issues.
------------
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]

So I got through most of the updates, 2 rounds worth (I do them in batches), and on the last batch Windows started to revert the changes. I don't know if it's related but I accidentally put the VM to sleep during the install. After a few reboots I finally got windows back up but now my custom theme is screwed up again. SFC scannow didn't fix it. VistaGlazz is telling me that my system files are invalid so it can't patch to put the style back. sfc verifonly states that there are no integrity violations. Is there any way to resolve this without reinstalling Vista? I didn't think to turn on snapshots. To answer your question I have 2007 ultimate installed.

 

[lmacri]

...I assumed the ISO from Ex_Brit has all the updates....

Hi wither3:

Did you confirm that with Ex_Brit? Microsoft's official Windows Vista installation DVD that includes SP2 only includes updates released as of 25-May-2009 (the release date of Service Pack 2). I assume Ex_Brit's Vista SP2 ISO is similar and is only required for Vista SP2 users wanting to repair / reinstall Vista SP2 who didn't receive an original Windows Vista SP2 installation disc when they purchased their computer. I'd also be very surprised if Ex_Brit's Vista SP2 ISO includes all the "speed up" patches listed by Volume Z in peggybegg's thread why has vista stopped automatic updates? like the new KB4461607 for the MS Office Compatibility Pack (xl12cnv.exe) released in February 2019 that I had to manually install to get Windows Update working again.
------------
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

 

[lmacri]

...After a few reboots I finally got windows back up but now my custom theme is screwed up again. SFC scannow didn't fix it. VistaGlazz is telling me that my system files are invalid so it can't patch to put the style back. sfc verifonly states that there are no integrity violations...

Hi townsbg:

Are you referring to the third-party utility VistaGlazz? I visited their home page and it states "VistaGlazz can modify your Windows Vista installation, so you can use custom styles". If System File Checker (SFC) reports there are no problems with your important system files and you have the latest version of VistaGlazz then I suggest you contact the developers. This could be a problem with an out-of-date third-party utility, and it doesn't sound like having VistaGlazz installed is critical to the operation of your Vista SP2 VM.
------------
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]

No it's not essential but I would prefer to use the theme that I've been using for years. That setup hasn't failed me until recently. I tried to do the remaining updates again, I have 57 left, and I still wound up with Windows unable to configure them correctly. I guess I'm going to have to go through them a few at a time to figure out which one is problematic.

 

[lmacri]

So I got through most of the updates, 2 rounds worth (I do them in batches), and on the last batch Windows started to revert the changes. I don't know if it's related but I accidentally put the VM to sleep during the install...

...I tried to do the remaining updates again, I have 57 left, and I still wound up with Windows unable to configure them correctly. I guess I'm going to have to go through them a few at a time to figure out which one is problematic....

Hi townsbg:

I'm not sure, but that might be a consequence of you installing your updates in batches. If you declined half your available update during the first round of installation you might have disabled the installation of necessary prerequisites (older updates that have to be installed first in sequence before a newer update can be applied), causing the installation of some newer updates to fail. It's best to just let the Windows Update Agent manage installation of any Important / Recommended updates (Optional updates can be safely declined) and let it handle the sequence of installation. Re-boot and run another manual Windows Update, and repeat that cycle a few times - Windows Update might eventually install / configure those failed updates if they're still required.

It's also possible that putting your computer to sleep while updates were installing might have corrupted something in your Windows registry. If that's what happened it might be faster to try another repair installation from scratch than to start uninstalling updates in batches to find the "problem" update, which might not solve the issue. If the only problem you have with your VM is adding custom themes from third-party utility VistaGlazz I wouldn't bother, but it's your choice.

Before you do anything, make sure you meet the minimum system requirements for VistaGlazz (e.g., MS .NET Framework 3.5), and then uninstall VistaGlazz and reinstall with the latest v2.4.1 installer released 16-Dec-2011 from a reliable download site that doesn't bundle PUPs (potentially unwanted programs like browser toolbars) with their installers. The fact that CNET's Download.com (one of the worst sites for bundling crapware with installers - never download from this site) has chosen to disable the direct download link for the installer on their VistaGlazz page makes me wonder if it's even advisable to run this outdated utility on a Vista SP2 OS patched to 11-Apr-2017.
------------
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

 

[lmacri]

... To answer your question I have 2007 ultimate installed...

Hi townsbg:

...and could you please confirm that you installed all the Windows Update "speed up" patches listed in Volume Z's post on page 1 of peggybeggs' thread why has vista stopped automatic updates? that are relevant to a Vista SP2 OS with MS Office 2007 as follows:

1. Disable automatic Windows Updates [Windows Update | Change settings | Important updates | Never check for updates (not recommended)] and re-boot to terminate any Windows Update sessions currently running in the background on your system.
2. Download all 8 or 9 "speed up" patches applicable to your system [KB4019204 / KB4012583 / KB3205638 / KB4015380 (the four Win32K.sys and graphical component updates required for all Vista SP2 installations); KB4018271 (only if Internet Explorer 9 is installed); MS Office 2007 updates KB4018353 (Excel 2007) and KB4018355 (Word 2007); MS Office Compatibility Pack updates KB4461607 (xlconv) and KB4018354 (wordconv)] and save to your desktop.
3. Double-click to run each .msu standalone installer. Re-boot at least once after all .msu installers have run to completion (unless the installation wizard for one of the installers specifically requests that you immediately re-boot to finish the installation).
4. Run a manual Windows Update (Windows Update | Check for Updates) to install all remaining available updates.

If you manually installed all 8 or 9 "speed up" patches that are required for your system your manual Windows Update in STEP # 4 should run to completion relatively quickly. As Volume Z pointed out, today (09-Apr-2019) is the April 2019 Patch Tuesday, so if you missed installing any of those "speed up" patches you might as well wait until tomorrow in case newer updates are released later today for your MS Office Compatibility Pack.
------------
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

 

[Vistaar]

...The only update under history that shows up is the update agent....

Hello townsbg,

I'm very curious whether your update history at that point also showed an item called Windows Update software 7.6.7600.256 as shown in wither 3's screenshot in another recent thread. As I told wither 3, I did not receive an update by that name when I reinstalled Vista in 2015. I wonder if even Imacri has heard of that one? (Certainly no one has devoted more attention to the art of receiving old Vista patches than Imacri.) My guess is that it's probably related to the Windows Update setting labeled "Microsoft Update" (#7 in this tutorial). The Find out more link always opened in Internet Explorer even if another browser was set as the default, which might be an issue now that the Microsoft website no longer supports IE9, and has not supported IE7 for several years.

I would also like to welcome @Volume Z back to this forum after what seems like a long absence! Your contributions might be needed at a website where the gurus seem more afraid of Windows 6.0 patches than the threats they are intended to guard against.

 

[Volume Z]

Thank you. I was lurking all the while, there just wasn't a lot to respond to.

 

[townsbg]

Yes that update agent shows and it is the only thing that showed up in history before I started updates yesterday. I haven't install office updates yet. I was going to do that after the OS updates.

 

[erpster4]

Hello townsbg,

I'm very curious whether your update history at that point also showed an item called Windows Update software 7.6.7600.256 as shown in wither 3's screenshot in another recent thread. As I told wither 3, I did not receive an update by that name when I reinstalled Vista in 2015. I wonder if even Imacri has heard of that one? (Certainly no one has devoted more attention to the art of receiving old Vista patches than Imacri.) My guess is that it's probably related to the Windows Update setting labeled "Microsoft Update" (#7 in this tutorial). The Find out more link always opened in Internet Explorer even if another browser was set as the default, which might be an issue now that the Microsoft website no longer supports IE9, and has not supported IE7 for several years.

I would also like to welcome @Volume Z back to this forum after what seems like a long absence! Your contributions might be needed at a website where the gurus seem more afraid of Windows 6.0 patches than the threats they are intended to guard against.

the Windows Update v7.6.7600.256 software (aka Windows Update Agent or WUA) can be downloaded manually from these MS links (x64/64bit) (x86/32bit)
reason why that shows is because Vista comes with an older version of the WUA (like v7.0.6002.18005 from Vista SP2) and needs to be updated to v7.6.7600.256 first before applying the WU speedup patches

 

[lmacri]

[QUOTE="townsbg, post: 1412722, member: 177212"...I haven't install office updates yet....[/QUOTE]

Hi townsbg:

Just keep in mind that all 8 or 9 "speed up" patches I suggested in post #669 will have to be manually installed on your system to fix Windows Update, including the KB4018353 / KB4018355 / KB4461607 / KB4018354 updates for your MS Office 2007 and MS Office Compatibility Pack. It doesn't matter if you want to install the rest of your available MS Office 2007 updates later - all required "speed up" patches listed in in Volume Z's post on page 1 of peggybeggs' thread why has vista stopped automatic updates? that are relevant to your system must applied first or Windows Update isn't going to work properly.
------------
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

 

[wither 3]

As mentioned earlier, I had reinstalled Vista using the ISO from Ex_Brit and it detected/installed a few updates. I installed the security updates provided by Volume Z in post #656 (I remember SSBN 656, USS George Washington Carver). I started the Windows Updater and went to dinner. When I came back 2 hours later, it had completed the check and found 244 Important updates and 4 Optional updates. I installed about 35 of those piecemeal. After installing 7 updates to .net framework 3.5, I decided to shut down and selected Install Updates and shutdown. Next thing I know it's installing 10 of 202. I just let it run and went to bed. It was done when I got up this morning. Upon starting up, all updates except the optional ones were installed.

 

[lmacri]

...I installed the security updates provided by Volume Z in post #656 ...I started the Windows Updater and went to dinner. When I came back 2 hours later, it had completed the check and found 244 Important updates and 4 Optional updates. I installed about 35 of those piecemeal. After installing 7 updates to .net framework 3.5, I decided to shut down and selected Install Updates and shutdown. Next thing I know it's installing 10 of 202. I just let it run and went to bed....

Hi wither 3:

Thanks for letting us know your Windows Update eventually ran to completion.

The screenshot in post # 6 of your thread Difficulty installing .net framework 4.0 full profile shows you manually upgraded to IE9 on 23-Mar-2019. After applying the four "speed up" patches in Volume Z's post # 656, did you also apply KB4014661 (Cumulative Security Update For Internet Explorer 9: April 11, 2017) or higher? Volume Z's solution on page 1 of peggybeggs' thread why has vista stopped automatic updates? suggests KB4018271 (an out-of-band security patch for IE9 posted to the Microsoft Update Catalog in June 2017) but notes that KB4018271 has the same "speed up" effect as KB4014661.

If you have IE9 installed you must include one IE9 cumulative security update released after March 2017 (KB4014661 or higher) to your list of required "speed up" patches or your Windows Update will still run very, very slowly.
------------
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

 

[Vistaar]

Yes that update agent shows and it is the only thing that showed up in history before I started updates yesterday....

I will take that as a "no" since I did not ask about Agent, but whether your history "also showed an item called Windows Update software 7.6.7600.256 as shown in wither 3's screenshot in another recent thread."

 

[Vistaar]

the Windows Update v7.6.7600.256 software (aka Windows Update Agent or WUA)...

If Windows Update software 7.6.7600.256 is merely another name for Agent, as you seem to assume, then why are they listed separately in wither 3's screenshot in another recent thread?

 

[wither 3]

Imacri- I have the 4014661 for IE 9. It had to be part of the updates since I had a lower KB prior to that.

I'm mystified by the updates to Office 2007. I have Office 2007 but it's called Office Basic. because all I can use is Word, Excel and Outlook. I downloaded the updates but when I try to install them it says the program is either not installed or it's a different version. I think the reason for that is because I reinstalled Office Basic using the original disc but SP 1 and SP 2 to it are on the Vista SP1 and Vista SP2 discs I purchased directly from Microsoft and I didn't install them. Will check that out.

I know one thing. Since this is a new installation, I'm going to do the one-time allowed Vista Recovery Disc. I had an older one but don't know what I did with it.

 

[lmacri]

...I'm mystified by the updates to Office 2007. I have Office 2007 but it's called Office Basic. because all I can use is Word, Excel and Outlook. I downloaded the updates but when I try to install them it says the program is either not installed or it's a different version....

Hi wither 3:

Please note that when you run a standalone installer and it reports "The update is not applicable to your computer" that could simply mean it's already installed. See the MS support article Windows Update Troubleshooting for a list of all the different reason you might see a "not applicable" error.

For now I'll assume you did a clean reinstall of your Vista OS and chose the custom (advanced) option to wipe your personal files, settings and programs. If you had performed a repair (upgrade) installation like townsbg then the only affected software (other than your Vista SP2 OS and IE9 browser) should be the embedded MS Windows Mail program and mail messages, Vista sound and visual effects settings, and possibly some of your third-party hardware drivers for graphics cards, etc. See Brink's instructions at Repair Install For Vista for a complete list of software and settings affected by a repair installation.

I found standalone installers for all three MS Office 2007 Service Packs on the Microsoft Download Center, and the system requirements sections list MS Office Basic 2017 as one of the applicable programs:
MS Office 2007 SP1 (KB936982 rel. 08-Dec-2007)
MS Office 2007 SP2 (KB953195 rel. 24-Apr-2009)
MS Office 2007 SP3 (KB2526086 rel. 25-Oct-2011)

Open MS Word and go to Help | About to see which MS Office 2007 Service Pack you currently have. If you re-boot and run Windows Update and it isn't able to patch you back to MS Office 2007 Service Pack 3 then manually install any missing Service Packs in chronological order (e.g., SP1 before SP2 before SP3). Once you have MS Office 2007 Service Pack 3 installed then try to manually install the four "speed up" patches for MS Office 2007 listed in Volume Z's solution on page 1 of peggybeggs' thread why has vista stopped automatic updates? [KB4018353 (Excel 2007) and KB4018355 (Word 2007); MS Office Compatibility Pack updates KB4461607 (xlconv) and KB4018354 (wordconv)]. If they install without throwing an error then run another manual Windows Update and see if it finds any available updates for MS Office 2007. Also note that MS Office 2007 has reached the end of extended support and there haven't been any new MS Word 2007 or MS Excel 2007 security updates released since April 2018. The last MS Outlook 2007 update (KB4011200) was released in February 2018.
------------
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