Windows 7 Windows 7 Checking For Updates stuck forever - I know this is answered, but the solutions don't work

[Chewy]

I have installed a legit Windows 7 OS on my laptop. Its not an upgrade, it was a blank hard drive. WIndows 7 installed flawlessly, picked up all my drivers. The only problem is I am having problems with Windows 7 updates. When I choose Windows 7 update, it says "Checking for updates" and stays like that - forever. Even the next day. I did heavy heavy research, found out others are having the same problem. I tried all the fixes I could find, which are listed below:
1. No Anti-virus programs installed yet - brand new Windows 7 ultimate installation
2. There is no spyware - its a brand new clean install
3. Firewall shut off
4. Temp files, cookies, history cleared
5. background intelligent transfer service set to automatic in services.msc
6. software distribution folder renamed
7. tried shutting off automatic updates and doing it manually
8. Added windowsupdate to trust zone
9. ran MicrosoftFixit50202 in normal and advanced mode
Even with my internet SHUT OFF (turned off modem) it still checks for updates and doesn't fail with "No internet connection available".

Please, please help. Anyone.

 

[Saltgrass]

The log writes continuously. For me to see what has happened since the last partial log, I need the new stuff. Just attach the whole thing if you want. You may want to wait until it finishes its current operation.

 

[Chewy]

Ok, updated:
Link Removed

Thanks!

 

[Saltgrass]

Looks like things changed quite a bit around 4:35 pm today. Do you see and updates being installed just after that?

 

[Chewy]

Since I posted that previous message, STILL checking for updates. So what changed? And in a good way?

 

[Saltgrass]

Looks like at 4:35 pm on 6/2 it installed: Title = Hotfix for Windows (KB947821) which included 7 parts.

At 5:14 pm perhaps you reloaded the Update software...If you did not, something beside a normal update was installed.

Let us know if you see any new updates listed and post another log, or update the last one, when you can.

 

[Chewy]

I think I installed that. I got 3 files from Microsoft's website:
windows6.1-KB976932-X86
Windows6.1-KB947821-v12-x86
WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86

Well, as of yesterday around 5pm, until now, STILL checking for updates. Nearly a full 24 hours.

Posting the latest log file in 2 minutes.

Please don't give up on me yet. Thanks!

 

[Chewy]

The log is at Link Removed due to 404 Error

 

[Saltgrass]

Well, below is the update you just posted. Not much--huh?

2011-06-03 03:00:10:000 856 67c AU Forced install timer expired for scheduled install
2011-06-03 03:00:10:000 856 67c AU UpdateDownloadProperties: 0 download(s) are still in progress.
2011-06-03 03:00:10:001 856 67c AU Setting AU scheduled install time to 2011-06-04 07:00:00
2011-06-03 03:00:10:001 856 67c AU Successfully wrote event for AU health state:0
2011-06-03 14:25:14:999 856 67c AU AU setting next sqm report timeout to 2011-06-04 18:25:14

Let's stop playing....Make note of the time you do this.

Open Windows Update. Go to change settings..select "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install thems". Click OK

Click Check for Updates(upper left). Let it check and let us know what it does. If there is a blue update available, click on it. Check the box for that update and others that may be offered. Click OK

Click Install Updates button. What happens?

Let it finish whatever it does (may take a while) and get the log again. Hopefully some good information will show up.

Also, check the Installed Updates page and take a snipping tool picture, or list the last 10 updates shown and when they were installed. I am not referring to update history, but installed updates. Do any show "failed"?

If you say the update I mentioned is the one you downloaded and updated, you should start doing that again. You can install the updates manually. Maybe after you get past a certain point it will resume the normal operation.

If updates were available for download, wait about an hour or so, and do it all over again.

 

[Chewy]

Problem is, it never gets to the point where it shows updates are available. So, 10:22am, I changed the settings to "Check for updates but let...." and saved the changes. I then clicked Check for Updates, and that's as far as I can go. Its probably going to check forever. How long should I let this go before reporting back?

THanks!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Saltgrass]

You can go back to doing what ever you want. Could you attach the log of yesterday and today so far. Maybe something will make sense not that we know it has been asked to look for updates, but I have to do some more research.

If it won't connect, or try to connect, something is not running or can't be started. I will try disabling some things on my system to see if I can make the log match with your situation.

But I am pretty much out of ideas. If you internet connection is good and nothing is blocking the downloads or changes, I don't know where else to go.

Still nothing in event Viewer?

 

[Chewy]

Newest log uploaded to: Link Removed

Thanks for doing the research. Don't know what I'd do without your help. My internet connection is good, so that shouldn't be the problem. Its still checking for updates since 10:22am (over an hour now). BUT - I do not believe that we have checked event viewer before. What do I do there?

 

[Saltgrass]

In event viewer, look for any errors or warnings around the time you did the Check for updates. Maybe it will show a connection problem or some other type problem that might be affecting your system.

I am going through the registry now to see if anything might show up there. There is a WindowsUpdate entry in the HKLM area that seems to contain a lot of the information.

Also, during an update the folders in the SoftwareDistribution area are accessed quite a bit. I am checking your logs to see if I get anything mentioning those folders being inaccessible, but nothing so far.

Anyway, I will continue to do research and if I find anything I will report back.

 

[Chewy]

I checked event log and there's not much I could go by. Maybe some of this information will help. I started off with the brand new install. When everything was complete, I went straight to Windows Update - before doing anything else at all. No software programs installed, not even Anti Virus software. When I saw it wasn't updating is when I started to do google searches. As I was trying things, I started to install some other important programs like Adobe to read PDFs as to how to solve this issue. I put on Mozilla, and AmazingMail. At one point I noticed that I didn't have Windows Activated. It wasn't prompting me for it, so never noticed it. So, I activated Windows as well. Then I started installing other misc apps like FTP programs. Still unprotected with anti virus software, just because I'm a computer guy - know what to go to and what not to. Kind of odd - here I am, a computer techie for the past 15 years (own my side business) but can't figure out a problem like this. But I will put anti virus back on once all of this is solved. I ran so many different programs from Microsoft to get this to work, I am wondering if something is totally screwed up. Maybe I should have activated windows as soon as Windows was installed. Thanks for all the help!!

 

[Chewy]

With my last comment posted a few seconds ago just above, I decided to also post a screenshot of what its constantly doing....

Link Removed

See in the bottom left where it has "Installed Updates"? I clicked that.... and here's what it has:
Link Removed

Don't know if this is helpful in any way....

 

[Saltgrass]

It is really strange that a new install would not get the updates. When you install, the update process sets an "update now" type of flag and it starts updating without input from you. When I installed last time it gave me around 80 updates immediately.

I see you have SP1 installed and you did that manually, I assume.

Something else I am noticing is your logs do not seem to mention an Authcab.cab which you should have two copies of in the SoftwareDistribution\AuthCabs folder. Perhaps this is because of your using Automatic Updates, not sure. But do you show those?

Getting back to your comments about never being able to get updates, it must be something is blocking your ability to do so. Do you have a normal Retail version of the Install DVD? Do you have IPv6 turned off (probably doesn't matter)?

 

[Chewy]

Yes, I installed SP1 manually in hopes that alone would cure it.

And my authcabs folder is completely empty.

With my Windows 7 DVD, yes, its an original, directly from Microsoft. Its a full original release, Windows 7 Ultimate, and was pleased to get this free when I was working at Best Buy. They gave it to all their employees. Its not a trial, its an actual original Windows 7 version. I know it does download updates properly because it worked on my other laptop when that was up an running. My other laptop crashed, and I now have it on this "newer" one. I am not running this license on more than one laptop either, so that can't be it.

 

[Saltgrass]

I was not suggesting your copy was not legal, but possibly flawed.

It is a little puzzling that your AuthCabs folder is empty, because I do not believe it should be. The other strange thing about that is on all 3 of my systems (one is 32 bit), I show 2 folders in the WuRedir folder. Both of the folders are referenced in my logs, but only one is referenced in yours, the 948--one. The folder not referenced in your logs is also present in my AuthCabs folder, which you say is empty in your case.

Possibly this is caused by the type of updates you have been doing, but it looks a little strange, especially since you have now done both automatic and self updates. Perhaps some more research will turn up some reason for the differences. You used the same install DVD in the earlier system that worked as your current one? Both were x86 or x64? Were both hooked to the net exactly the same?

You also said you had already tried renaming the SoftwareDistribution folder. We may end up trying that again since possibly the rebuild did not complete the job correctly...

EDIT: Something I just thought about, if your version is an Enterprise, or does not need to be activated in the same way others are, possibly that could explain some differences.

EDIT: I do show a unactivated install as having the same empty AuthCabs folder as you and only one numbered folder.

 

[Chewy]

Ok, I just renamed those folders inside the softwareDistribution folder: Datastore folder and Download folder. Per the instructions I have here, it also says to rename the catroot2 folder (in System32 folder). I tried to do that but it says its being used. Is this one necessary?

I am not sure if my Windows 7 is Enterprise or not.... On the CD, it has: Promotional Disc - not for resale. Includes Windows Anytime Upgrade (yeah that's a joke, eh?), 32-bit software, and Windows 7 Ultimate. Can't remember if I had to activate it when it was on use on the other laptop or not. So, not sure if its Enterprise. Under My Computer properties, I checked - and it doesn't say it there anywhere either.

Even though its "Promotional Disc", it is definitely a full blown copy.

Now, since I just renamed that folder, I am going to start the Windows update again. Oh, by the way, a bit more information.... if I click under start & windows update, and click start update or whatever it is to start it, it goes continuously - we know that. Even if I close out of that window, and go back under start--> windows update, it still is on that same screen. I don't have to click start update again, until I restart my computer. Since I didn't start it yet after I just rebooted, here's what it looks like:

Link Removed

Then when I click Check for updates, that's when it checks forever. Even if I close that window, and go back into it, I can't click "Check for updates" again until the computer is restarted..

I will check back with you tomorrow morning. Again, you are so kind to help me for this long. You are going through quite a bit to help me. Captain Jack gave up But I guess it can help you too in the future if you run into it somewhere else right?

 

[Saltgrass]

I was wondering if your copy is an OEM version which was tied to the original computer. I suppose a way to check would be to borrow an Retail version and see if it will update. .

Got any buddies at BB who would know about the software?

I am waiting for an SP1 update to see if it will add the missing items to the folders..let you know if it does.

Edit: If it is some type of special edition, could there be a special process necessary to install it, like an OEM pre-install? Is there something that was on the old computer you need to use the software on the new one?

 

[Chewy]

Cant be tied to the original computer because there was no original computer with it. They just gave everyone at Best Buy a free license so we knew how to use the software and sell it properly. Originally my other laptop that died had Windows XP, and reformatted with the Windows 7 license. So, it doesn't belong to any specific computer. There wasn't a special process of installing it on my other one, just put it in & let it install.