Solved Download Not Working

I am running 32-bit Windows Vista SP2 on a Toshiba Satellite L355D. The update service is running. When I reboot, I am informed that "New updates are available." I click the notification to open the Windows Update window and it tells me that there are "16 Important Updates". I click the "Install" button. The dialogue announces "Downloading updates...", and nothing happens! It will sit there for hours and it never makes any progress at downloading them. Always "0% complete". Same scenario if I start from Control Panel.

Last time updates were installed was 5/11/16. Last check, 6/11/16. This inability to do the download symptom has persisted for weeks. I have seen it slow in the past, so I figured it would eventually start working again. But I have given up hope. Something is broken. Please advise on how to fix. Please note that my Internet connection is working fine, and I do not see this symptom on my Windows 8.1 desktop or my Windows 10 (true) laptop.

DrHow said:

Last time updates were installed was 5/11/16.

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Welcome to Vista Forums DrHow. First, view your update history to confirm that Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3145739) was successfully installed. (It was released 4/12/16, but in your case may have been installed on 5/11/16.) Assuming it is already installed, follow these directions:

(1) Set Windows Update to "never check for updates" and restart the PC. This will stop Windows Update for now.

(2) Download and run Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3164033) from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=52861, then restart the PC again.

(3) Download and run Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3168965) from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53206, then restart the PC again.

(4) Set Windows Update back to your preferred setting. It will automatically check for updates, which shouldn't take nearly a long as it did the last time, and the downloading problem should also be resolved.

For further information see http://www.vistax64.com/windows-updates/303992-windows-update-just-seems-hang-while-checking.html and Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution

Vistaar said:

Welcome to Vista Forums DrHow. First, view your update history to confirm that Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3145739) was successfully installed. (It was released 4/12/16, but in your case may have been installed on 5/11/16.) Assuming it is already installed, follow these directions:

Click to expand...

It was.

(1) Set Windows Update to "never check for updates" and restart the PC. This will stop Windows Update for now.

(2) Download and run Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3164033) from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=52861, then restart the PC again.

Click to expand...

So far so good.

(3) Download and run Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3168965) from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53206, then restart the PC again.

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Failure! The Standalone Installer hangs, with a little window saying "Searching for updates." I tried rebooting once more. I waited a day, and tried again. No joy! Is it possible that KB3168965 has been superseded?

Thanks for the help, but I was only able to take half of the cure! Any other suggestions?

I tried to edit my last post; but failed. All I wanted to to do was to add the comment that the "Cancel" button on the Standalone Installer does not work. I have to kill the process in the Task Manager.

Regarding my inability to edit my previous post: When I click the "Edit" button, I get a little error message popup saying something like, "Cannot find the phrase 'no permission'."

DrHow said:

The Standalone Installer hangs, with a little window saying "Searching for updates." ...Is it possible that KB3168965 has been superseded?

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It was published on July 12, and I manually installed it on my 32-bit Vista PC on that date with good effect, and it is still listed at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution - so no, I don't think there is any possibility that it has been superseded.

Verify that KB3164033 from step (2) was successful. Assuming it was: If Windows Update is not stopped as described in step (1) above, please do so now. Then follow these two additional steps:

A. Disconnect the PC from the internet.
B. Run KB3168965 from step (3) again.

That should hopefully bring you at last to step (4) above. To tell you the truth, your download probably would've completed eventually anyway; but this method exists for the benefit of the impatient.

Thank you for the continuing effort at helping me. I seem to have had success with regard to the process; but I am still confused about the result:

The setting had returned to "Look for updates" instead of the "Never" I thought I had set it to. The most likely explanation is that I failed to click "OK" after changing it.

The second Standalone update worked, after which searching, downloading, and the beginning of installing seemed to proceed promptly. After downloading, it said it had 20 updates to install.

However, after 'installing', it announced "Not needed 20 updates."

When I look at the Update History, I see since 5/11 many 10s of "failed" and only a very few "successful" installs. This does not seem consistent with "20 not needed", especially in view of the fact that so few have been installed since 5/11. Could there have been a recent cumulative one which superseded the great many I missed?

Update: Yes, "Edit" is working now.

It occurred to me to run Windows Update again. It was still saying "20 important updates". I clicked "Install" again. This time it did something! After reboot, it announced that my computer was up to date. I was not sure I trusted that, so I told it to check for updates again. After about 20 minutes (unreasonably slow IMO), that process reaffirmed "up to date".

So, though I remain somewhat confused about how all this went down, I am no longer concerned about the state of my Microsoft software.

Thanks again.

DrHow said:

It occurred to me to run Windows Update again. It was still saying "20 important updates". I clicked "Install" again. This time it did something! After reboot, it announced that my computer was up to date. I was not sure I trusted that, so I told it to check for updates again. After about 20 minutes (unreasonably slow IMO), that process reaffirmed "up to date".

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Sounds good DrHow! I was about to suggest checking for updates again when I saw your edit. I agree that 20 minutes is slow, but it's better than 7 hours. A few updates probably were superseded; e.g. there's a cumulative update for IE 9 every month, but I assume you received only the July patch and not the June version. BTW the two updates that you manually installed were both kernel-mode driver updates. I'm afraid that there will very likely be another one on August 9, and checking for updates might once again become an ordeal if you do not "pre-install" it in the same manner.

Vistaar said:

BTW the two updates that you manually installed were both kernel-mode driver updates. I'm afraid that there will very likely be another one on August 9, and checking for updates might once again become an ordeal if you do not "pre-install" it in the same manner.

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Is there a way to recognize the one which needs this? Both for 8/9 and in general.

DrHow said:

Is there a way to recognize the one which needs this? Both for 8/9 and in general.

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Windows update should only offer the updates that you need.

DrHow said:

Is there a way to recognize the one which needs this? Both for 8/9 and in general.

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Of course you mean before checking for updates. The simplest thing to do is check the often-cited Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution to see if a new KB has been added to the list. (Don't just count because a superseded update might be removed.) An alternative approach: On the second Tuesday of the month Brink puts a post in the Vista News forum like this one from July 12: http://www.vistax64.com/vista-news/...tin-summary-july-12th-2016-a.html#post1407471. You could follow his See also link, look for an item described as "Security Update for Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers" and click the link next to that (which obviously will be different each month). Or you could just check the Windows Updates forum here on Patch Tuesday to see what people have on their minds; most likely a certain new KB will be mentioned more than once.

OK. Now I am just in curiosity mode.

Since this seems to be a persistent, recurring problem for which some folks seem to have found an effective workaround, what has prevented Microsoft from doing something about it themselves?

I also wonder why I have failed to run across a brief description of what is believed to be going wrong. E.g., something along the lines of "If you fail to pre-install one of these kernel driver updates using the Standalone Installer, then, when Windows Update searches for updates, [whatever it is I have yet to grasp]."

Also, though most folks seem to be reporting slow search for updates, I was experiencing a failure to download them even when Windows Update believed it knew what it was looking for. Are these problems really related? I.e., is there a different version of the above 'explanation' for "when Windows Update goes to download the required updates ..."?

DrHow said:

OK. Now I am just in curiosity mode...Although most folks seem to be reporting slow search for updates, I was experiencing a failure to download them even when Windows Update believed it knew what it was looking for. Are these problems really related?

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If you are really curious, perhaps I should post this link again: http://www.vistax64.com/windows-updates/303992-windows-update-just-seems-hang-while-checking.html The "slow search for updates" has existed for a year, whereas the "failure to download" was never reported until July - yet the two problems are clearly related because the same workaround solves them both (for now at least).

There are really only two possible explanations: (A) Microsoft accidentally ruined Windows updates for those still running Vista as a byproduct of their preoccupation with Windows 10; or (B) Microsoft did this deliberately because they expect us to buy Windows 10 PCs. In the latter case, which frankly seems more likely to me, perhaps those of us running Vista should ask ourselves whether installing "security updates" from such a corporation is still in our best interests?

I have had problems on both Vista and 7 although they where different issues. Strangely enough though not for 2008 or 2008 r2. I'm sure that M$ would like users off of both 7 and Vista so it wouldn't surprise me if it was deliberate. Maybe now that the free upgrade has expired perhaps bandwidth on their servers is better. Time will tell.

A new problem has arisen. I had hoped that the August update might proceed smoothly. It didn't. So I checked the Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution page, and KB3177725 had appeared. But the corresponding Vista link does not work, not even if I try it from Microsoft's page (https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/MS16-098). The first time this happened, I tried the link I had used for KB3164033, and I got the same "Sorry" symptom; so I figured it was a temporary problem. Indeed, it was temporary for KB3164033, but it persists for the new one. Is there any workaround for this one? (My guess would be that the new one has been superseded and Dalai has not updated his page. Either that or Microsoft is screwing up even more royally.)

On Dalai's webpage, you should use the Download link under heading Vista x86 for 32 bit. I just tested it and the link does work. On the Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-098 page, scrolling down and selecting Windows Vista Service Pack 2 should take you to the same place: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53445.

Vistaar said:

On Dalai's webpage, you should use the Download link under heading Vista x86 for 32 bit. I just tested it and the link does work. On the Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-098 page, scrolling down and selecting Windows Vista Service Pack 2 should take you to the same place: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53445.

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Those are precisely the links I was trying and they still do not work for me, nor does the copy you put in your message.

The page I reach shows URL https://www.microsoft.com/library/e...px?aspxerrorpath=/en-us/download/details.aspx

What makes this even more confusing is that the link for KB3164033 still works for me, so it is not any sort of systematic issue about my access to the Microsoft Web site.

Sounds like you have a browser issue. Try clearing cookies from your browser, or try a different browser. If you post again about this nonsense, be sure to mention what browser and antivirus you are using. There is nothing wrong with the link.

Vistaar said:

Sounds like you have a browser issue. Try clearing cookies from your browser, or try a different browser. If you post again about this nonsense, be sure to mention what browser and antivirus you are using. There is nothing wrong with the link.

Click to expand...

Well, it wasn't a browser issue. I got to the same Microsoft error page with Firefox, Chrome, and IE. So it occurred to me that maybe it was an issue with the Vista PC; though I am at a loss to explain such a symptom, since I not having such a problem with any other Web sites on it. Anyway, I tried downloading the update on my Windows 10 laptop; and, to my surprise it worked! I have copied it over to the Vista machine via my LAN and it appeared to install properly.

After rebooting, Windows Update announced that my system was "up to date". That was not credible since it also reported that the last check was 8/8 and last update 8/1. However the update history did show that KB3177725 had been installed today. So, "Check for updates." After about 20 minutes of checking, it finally reported 5 new ones which it has now downloaded and is installing.

Thanks for your patience with regard to my Vista update woes.

Any theories on the browser-independent Microsoft-only link-failure symptom on the Vista machine? I had never tried to visit the Microsoft site before with either IE or Chrome.

Maybe your antivirus was blocking the site.

DrHow said:

A new problem has arisen. I had hoped that the August update might proceed smoothly. It didn't. So I checked the Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution page, and KB3177725 had appeared. But the corresponding Vista link does not work, not even if I try it from Microsoft's page (https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/MS16-098).

Click to expand...

Hi DrHow:

I've been having problems logging into the Microsoft Answers forum for the past few weeks and have also seen the occasional "We are sorry, the page you requested cannot be found" message or a 502 web server error when I'm re-directed to the Microsoft Download Center after I click on the Vista links on Dalai's webpage at http://wu.krelay.de/en/. However, these errors are transient and disappear if I wait a few minutes and try again.

The problem is much worse if I use an insecure connection like a public WiFi hotspot that is not password protected, and I'm beginning to wonder if this issue is connected to changes Microsoft has made to their Root Certificate Program to improve the security of secure (https) connections - see the Microsoft Security Advisory Deprecation of SHA-1 Hashing Algorithm for Microsoft Root Certificate Program. The 04-May-2016 Ars Technica article Microsoft to retire support for SHA1 certificates in the next 4 months notes that Microsoft actually accelerated their plans to end support for SSL/TLS certificates signed with older SHA-1 certificates starting this summer for IE11 and Edge, and I've noticed a recent increase in 'Untrusted Connection' errors in my Firefox browser as Mozilla moves towards complete withdrawal of support for all SHA-1 signed certificates by January 1, 2017 - see the Mozilla blog entry Phasing Out Certificates with SHA-1 based Signature Algorithms.

Vista SP2 users with KB2763674 (released July 2013) should be able to handle certificates signed with newer SHA-2 (e.g., SHA-256) hashes, but I think these new rules for certificate signing are creating some unexpected problems for Vista users as antivirus software and web browsers start phasing in these changes. If I try to download the latest offline installer for Firefox v48.0.1 at https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/, for example, the site will automatically detect that I have Vista and offer me the old v43.0.1 installer with a SHA-1 signed certificate by default, even though I have KB2763674 installed. Microsoft might be trying to enforce stricter code-signing requirements on the Microsoft.com site that are causing timeouts and other problems when Vista users try to re-direct from Dalai's http (not https) site at http://wu.krelay.de/en/.

It probably doesn't help that Dalai's webpage is hosted on a private server and he switched his ISP in August 2016. He was concerned that he might have to change the DNS address to point to another server with a very slow internet connection, so it's possible some users will see timeouts when they are re-directed to the Microsoft Download Center from his webpage when his server is overloaded until he gets all the bugs worked out.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v48.0.1 * NIS v22.7.1.32 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1