windows update just seems to hang while checking.

[Vistaar]

I also might preinstall any kernel mode driver update next month - but this should never be necessary! I suspect that Microsoft wants to make reinstalling Windows so difficult that Windows 7 users will upgrade to Windows 10 before the free offer ends next month (and to heck with Vista users). BTW a few days ago in post #177 I was much too skeptical regarding the applicability of this solution to reinstalling Vista, in part because I had not read copiman's thread: http://www.vistax64.com/windows-updates/304544-current-tips-updates.html. Still, posts by GradeAbra and Mooly in the present thread make me hesitant to offer any support for a situation that I intend to avoid. In case any newbies are reading this. reinstalling Vista is definitely not the solution! The number of people running unsupported SP1 has probably increased since last summer because obtaining updates for SP2 is now so difficult.

 

[lmacri]

If users are concerned about the safety of pre-installing KB3161664 (MS16-073: Description of the security update for kernel mode drivers: June 14, 2016) or any of the other Win32K.sys updates listed on Dalai's site at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution, please note that all these KB updates are recommended as Important updates by Microsoft and they would normally be installed by Windows Update during your monthly Patch Tuesday updates - assuming the initial "Checking for updates..." phase was able to run to completion . If you can't get this month's June 2016 Patch Tuesday updates to install and want to confirm that KB3161664 is recommended by Microsoft:

1. Browse to the Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for June 2016
2. Scroll down and click the link for MS16-073 (Security Update for Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers)
3. From the Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-073, scroll down to the section for Windows Vista. You will see that the KB number for Vista's MS16-073 update is KB3161664 (which replaces last month's KB3153199) and that it patches two critical vulnerabilities for Win32K elevation of privileges - CVE-2016-3218 and CVE-2016-3221

Woody Leonhard has posted a series of articles about Dalai's workaround on AskWoody.com and his latest installment Win7 users: Install KB 3161664 to speed up Windows Update scans has feedback from many users. Once a sufficient number of users have confirmed that pre-installation of this Win32K.sys update is a viable workaround he will likely post for a wider audience on his Woody On Windows InfoWorld blog like he did last month with his article Windows 7 update scans taking forever? KB 3153199 may solve the problem. Both Win 7 and Vista are usually mentioned in Woody's articles on these slow Windows Updates.
------------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0 * NIS v21.7.0.11 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[townsbg]

On that note I just want to say that you should only download windows hotfixes and security updates from Microsoft. Also you have to watch the website. Some of them include Microsoft in the URL but they aren't a Microsoft website.

 

[virtual6]

My Windows 7 system required about 25 minutes to search for updates, not bad, although slower than the good ol' days.
Download and install seemed like a normal pace.
So for me this is mainly a Vista phenomenon.

 

[virtual6]

If users are concerned about the safety...

Speaking of which...
I was hoping someone might have an opinion of offline update methods Autopatcher, and WSUS Offline Update.
Both of these supposedly download updates directly from Microsoft, and one could check to see that connections were made to MS servers. But it's also a matter of trusting anything else these programs might be doing.
I suppose these alternative methods really aren't needed if the manual pre-install of certain updates solves the problem for a new Vista install or for a system that hasn't been updated in a while.

 

[lmacri]

There's some promising news that this month's Win 7 update rollup KB3161608 (June 2016 update rollup for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1) includes KB3161647 (Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: June 2016) that adds "An optimization that addresses long scan time for updates". See Woody Leonhard's Woody on Windows article Microsoft releases KB 3161647, KB 3161608 to fix slow Windows 7 update scans for details.

From Woody's article:

"KB 3161608 is only starting to roll out to Win7 users, so if you haven't seen it yet, be patient. As best I can tell, there's no analogous patch for Vista customers.

It's still too early to tell if this is a permanent fix, and won't really know if Microsoft actually fixed the problem until July."

These KB updates for the Windows Update Client typically include a patch for the Windows Update Agent (WUA) at C:\Windows\system32\wuaueng.dll, and since there was no analogous patch released for Vista this month that means Vista users are stuck with their old Vista WUA v7.6.7600.256 that hasn't been updated since June 2012.

I guess I'm back to waiting until 12-Jul-2016 to see if Dalai posts a download link at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution for any new Windows kernel-mode driver (Win32K.sys) update that will have to be pre-installed on my Vista machine before I run Windows Update to install next month's July 2016 Patch Tuesday updates.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0 * NIS v21.7.0.11 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[Vistaar]

I suppose that might be "promising news" for Windows 7 users who choose to decline the Windows 10 upgrade offer.

 

[Vistaar]

Today I decided to try pre-installing the latest kernel-mode driver update as discussed by others in this thread. I followed the link in http://www.vistax64.com/vista-news/...tin-summary-july-12th-2016-a.html#post1407471, found that there was indeed a new kernel-mode driver update (KB3168965), downloaded and installed it on my system (which was fully updated except for today's patches), restarted, then checked for other updates via Windows Update. The check only took 18 minutes, which was certainly a drastic improvement over June 14 (5 hours and 20 minutes); so this method does indeed produce results! Unfortunately, two updates failed (KB3170455 for Vista and KB3170106 for IE 9, error code 80072EFE). So I checked for updates again, which I believe required only 13 minutes. This time KB3170455 succeeded, but KB3170106 failed again (8020002E). So I tried yet again, and the third time was the charm. My system spent considerably less time checking for updates than has become usual these days, but nevertheless this Patch Tuesday was something of an ordeal for me. Edit: Others may want to try deselecting the pesky Internet Explorer update, then installing it separately.

The Windows 10 upgrade offer expires July 29, and next month I intend to check for updates the old-fashioned way to see if this problem has miraculously disappeared by then.

 

[lmacri]

Today I decided to try pre-installing the latest kernel-mode driver update as discussed by others in this thread. I followed the link in http://www.vistax64.com/vista-news/...tin-summary-july-12th-2016-a.html#post1407471, found that there was indeed a new kernel-mode driver update (KB3168965), downloaded and installed it on my system (which was fully updated except for today's patches), restarted, then checked for other updates via Windows Update. The check only took 18 minutes, which was certainly a drastic improvement over June 14 (5 hours and 20 minutes); so this method does indeed produce results!

Hi Vistaar:

Thanks for the update, and glad to hear that KB3168965 helped speed up your July 2016 Patch Tuesday updates. I noticed that Dalai's workaround at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution was also revised today to include download links for that Windows kernel-mode driver (Win32K.sys) update.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0.1 * NIS v22.7.0.76 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[VFN]

Today I decided to try pre-installing the latest kernel-mode driver update as discussed by others in this thread. I followed the link in http://www.vistax64.com/vista-news/...tin-summary-july-12th-2016-a.html#post1407471, found that there was indeed a new kernel-mode driver update (KB3168965),

What did you download precisely? Is it on this page? And what does "pre-installing" mean?

 

[Vista1972]

I tried something different this month, I tried installing a random update to see if it would have the same effect as the Security Update for Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers. The update was listed as critical-
Security Update for Windows Print Spooler Components (KB3170455) I can report that installing this standalone update first had no effect increasing the speed of Windows update. The WU log showed the same "DtaStor WARNING: Attempted to add URL" that I would see running Windows Update without installing the kernel-mode driver update first. So after hanging for an hour, I stopped Windows update and installed KB3168965. Restarted the machine and checked for updates manually. The remaining updates downloaded within 30 minutes.


On a brighter note, Windows 7 downloaded updates within 3 minutes after installing KB3168965. Definitely beats 30 minutes! :D

 

[Vista1972]

What did you download precisely? Is it on this page? And what does "pre-installing" mean?

KB3168965 standalone update (pick your version)


Vista 32
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53206

Vista 64
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53242

If you are up-to-date running WU, install the standalone KB3168965 update first.

You'll have to stop windows update from running using the services control panel. Install the standalone update. Restart your PC. Run Windows update manually. The remaining updates should download with 20-40 minutes (for me anyway).

Also, be aware that sometimes you'll see a WU notification that updates are ready to install although the Windows Update app is still checking. You'll have to do a shut-down and install updates if the app doesn't sync with the notification.

 

[VFN]

If you are up-to-date running WU, install the standalone KB3168965 update first.

I'm not up-to-date (last update was June 30). I need to update first then install KB3168965?

 

[Vista1972]

I'm not up-to-date (last update was June 30). I need to update first then install KB3168965?

If you were up-to-date on June 30th, you should be able to download KB3168965 and install first before running WU manually.

Stop Windows update before installing KB3168965. Restart. Run Windows update manually.

Good-luck!

 

[Mooly]

The Windows 10 upgrade offer expires July 29, and next month I intend to check for updates the old-fashioned way to see if this problem has miraculously disappeared by then.

Although that may be so, the start of August sees 'W10 anniversary edition' launch. This as far as I have been able to ascertain is classed as an 'upgrade install and will be an essentially full OS download of several Gb in size. Ho-hum......

 

[VFN]

If you were up-to-date on June 30th, you should be able to download KB3168965 and install first before running WU manually.

Stop Windows update before installing KB3168965. Restart. Run Windows update manually.

Good-luck!

Thanks. I'll try this later, maybe tomorrow. Will let you know how things worked out.

 

[lmacri]

I'm not up-to-date (last update was June 30). I need to update first then install KB3168965?

Hi VFN:

The step-by-step instructions posted on 16-Jun-2016 in m#l's thread Updates not working, it has been searching for updates for hours in the MS Answers forum might be helpful. They are based on Dalai's workaround at Search for Windows Updates takes forever? - A possible solution and include hints on how to pre-install the five Windows kernel-mode driver (Win32K.sys) updates listed on Dalai's webpage before running Windows Update if any of those Win32K.sys are missing from your system .

Microsoft releases a new Win32K.sys update each Patch Tuesday, so Dalai's download links for his list of recommended Win32K.sys updates changes on a monthly basis. As of 12-Jul-2016 Dalai's full list of five required Win32K.sys updates for Step # 2 of those step-by-step instructions is now:

KB3078601 (rel. 18-Aug-2015); KB3109094 (rel. 07-Dec-2015); KB3145739 (rel. 12-Apr-2016); KB3164033 (rel. 14-Jun-2016); KB3168965 (rel. 12-Jul-2016)

So Vista1972 is correct. If you managed to install all your June 2016 Patch Tuesday updates last month, the only Win32K.sys update on that list that is likely missing from your system is KB3168965 (rel.12-Jul-2016). Once you pre-install the standalone update package (.msu file) for that KB update your July 2016 Patch Tuesday updates should run much faster.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0.1 * NIS v22.7.0.76 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[albertz]

After searching through the registry I found KB3168965

You can find installed updates in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\ApplicabilityEvaluationCache

From the Windows Explorer - C:\Windows\servicing\Packages

Windows Update history may only have a partial listing if it has been repaired or changed somehow, part of it's history may have become deleted. The above 2 search methods should list what's actually installed on your operating system.

As for Windows Update's standalone MSU installers I haven't had any luck running them. They also become stuck displaying a message "Searching for Updates"

 

[lmacri]

As for Windows Update's standalone MSU installers I haven't had any luck running them. They also become stuck displaying a message "Searching for Updates"

Hi albertz:

Did you save the .msu installer to your desktop and then try Woody Leonhard's hint mentioned at the bottom of the instructions at Updates not working, it has been searching for updates for hours to disconnect from the internet and re-boot before double-clicking the .msu file? I don't know if installing while disconnected helped but I tried this method today and the installation of Windows6.0-KB3168965-x86.msu ran to completion and requested a system restart in under two minutes. The update configuration during the restart took longer than the actual .msu file installation.
-----------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0.1 * NIS v22.7.0.76 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[VFN]

I left Windows Update running for over 7 hours and no updates. I haven't tried installing KB3168965 yet but I guess I'll have to. Is there a way to see what a Vista system's Tuesday updates are and to download them manually?