How to repair WIndows 7 Update taking forever

[evilsofa]

Windows 7 Update taking forever to find new updates? Here's how to fix it, at least until the next patchday (probably August 8).
Thanks to Jim Kim for finding this. (source)

Here's how to check whether or not you have an update already installed in Win7:
1. Open Windows Update control panel
2. Click "View update history" on the left
3. Click the link for "Installed Updates"
4. In the upper right corner of the window, the search bar should now say "Search Installed Updates". There, start typing the number of the update you want to look for, including the KB. For example, type KB3168965 - typing 3168965 will not work, you have to start with KB.

In my particular case, of all of the updates listed on that page I was only missing KB3168965 and KB3164033 on my Win7 x64 volume, and Windows Update was taking forever to find updates. Installing them fixed the issue.

 

[gimp]

This has been discussed numerous times here. Those fixes sometimes resolve the issue, other times do not.
There had been times where my device was 100% up to date, then patch Tuesday came around and it still took hours "Searching for updates."
Yet at the same time, another device that was 100%, would only have to search for a minute or two.

No real rhyme or reason, but it is definitely not 100% related to previous WU client updates.

 

[mnewxcv]

is it activated? On clean installs that are not activated I think it will search for updates forever.

 

[gimp]

is it activated? On clean installs that are not activated I think it will search for updates forever.

In my case?
KMS-activated Enterprise edition.

For me, it has been hit or miss for quite some time.
In my particular cases, it is definitely not at all in any way, shape, or form related to WU client updates.

 

[SFB]

Gimp use the windows update reset tool found here:/gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Reset-Windows-Update-Agent-d824badc

Some other useful links:
windows-update-troubleshooter
How do I reset windows update components?


After you run the update reset tool all of your hidden updates will visible again and ready to be downloaded (e.g., language packs, 7 different versions of silverlight, skype, win 10 nags). The technet tool has been really helpful/useful to me.

 

[Spartacus]

Download KB3102810 and put the download on a flash drive.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3102810

Disconnect the network cable (or wireless) from the Windows 7 machine and reboot.
Install the KB3102810 update from the flash drive, reboot, and plug in the network cable.

Updates will work normally.

Have done this on a lot of freshly built Win-7 machines, works every time.

.