windows update just seems to hang while checking.

[Vista1972]

My post doesn't seem to show unless I'm logged in? Trying again...

Apparently there is an issue with one of the updates- KB3145739

The fix is to download KB3145739 as a standalone update and install it. After it's installed, you will be able to run Windows update and receive the remaining updates for April.

Choose from 32 or 64 bit:

https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/MS16-039

Before you install it, you'll need to stop Windows update from running. Open services and stop it. Run the KB3145739 standalone update. Reboot when prompted. Check for updates after restart. Took me under 10 minutes and showed as an icon notification while downloading. Either shutdown and install updates or double-click the notification to move focus to the Windows update app.

This also works with Windows 7

 

[ilikefree]

Doesn't work for everyone though

 

[Vistaar]

A question for affected Vista users. Does anyone experiencing these slow Windows Updates have the MS .NET Framework v4.6.x installed on their machine? The last .NET Framework security update delivered to my 32-bit Vista machine was KB3135996 (Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.2 on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Server 2008) and this update was installed during my March 2016 Patch Tuesday updates.

No, I don't know of any reason why I should install .NET 4.6.1 or why that would affect the time required to check for Windows updates. In addition to .NET 4.5.2, I also have the older .NET 3.5 installed; and that version did receive an April security update.

Other exciting news: KB3145739 was successfully installed without any issue.

 

[Vista1972]

Doesn't work for everyone though

That's too bad...wish it did!

For me, both Vista machines have been back to "normal" running Windows update. Last month it took longer than normal on patch Tuesday. This month it just hung until I installed the KB3145739 as a standalone update a few days later. It's been fine ever since. Until next month...ha-ha!

 

[ilikefree]

System Update Readiness tool
Windows6.0-KB947821-v35 v86.msu fixed mine

 

[lmacri]

System Update Readiness tool
Windows6.0-KB947821-v35 v86.msu fixed mine

Hi ilkefree:

That's good news. Could you please provide further details on how you tested this solution? For example, did you run the System Update Readiness Tool before you ran your April 2016 Patch Tuesday updates, or was it run after this month's Patch Tuesday updates were installed? Did the tool find and repair any errors in your Windows Update files or services? GateArray already mentioned this tool last month in post # 109 but didn't report back to say if their April 2016 Patch Tuesday updates installed normally after running this tool.

Could you also let us know if "Give me updates for Microsoft products and check for new Microsoft optional software when I update Windows" is enabled in your Windows Update settings?

My "Checking for updates..." phase only hangs on the first Windows Update I run after MS releases their monthly Patch Tuesday updates (i.e., only when there are a large number of updates pending for download) as shown in my images in post # 90 so I won't be able to test your proposed solution until next month's May 2016 Patch Tuesday updates are released.

Just an FYI for other users - MS has download links for this tool for 32-bit and 64-bit OSs (Vista and higher) in the support article the What is the System Update Readiness Tool? and the WindowsClub article CheckSUR: System Update Readiness Tool to repair Windows Update has a good explanation of how this tool works.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v45.0.2 * NIS v21.7.0.11 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[ilikefree]

I checked for updates as normal and it failed with an error message that I didn't really take much notice of.
I ran the Windows System Update Readiness Tool and after the restart it requested there were 31 update ready for me
Most were either security updates for vista or .net framework updates.
I had it check for updates then went out when I returned they were ready.
I told it to download and install them and went to bed, when I got up they were done and requesting another restart
The day before I had successfully installed Hotfix KB947821
I have windows set to check for updates and notify me before downloading and give me recommended updates as well as Important updates.
2 more were available today so I guess it is working properly again

 

[lmacri]

I checked for updates as normal and it failed with an error message that I didn't really take much notice of.
I ran the Windows System Update Readiness Tool and after the restart it requested there were 31 update ready for me
Most were either security updates for vista or .net framework updates.
I had it check for updates then went out when I returned they were ready.

Hi ilikefree:

Thanks for the additional details. If your Windows Update (WU) was failing with errors before you ran the System Update Readiness Tool then that doesn't sound like the same issue most users in this thread are experiencing. On my Vista machine, I don't have any errors when WU runs - the "Checking for updates..." phase can take 2 or more hours when I try to install my Patch Tuesday updates but WU eventually runs to completion without throwing an error.

Be sure to post back after you've installed your May 2016 Patch Tuesday updates (scheduled for 10-May-2016) and let us know if WU hangs at "Checking for updates..." again when there are a large number of updates to download.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v45.0.2 * NIS v21.7.0.11 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[ilikefree]

I had never had a problem with it before and don't seem to have a problem now as it has just downloaded and installed 2 updates with no delays

 

[MrPyle]

My experience ... we run a little repair shop here in my town. It's not very often we see Vista computers any more. But, every time a clean install is called for ... we run into this updating problem. Checking for updates and 100% svchost/wuauserv cpu use. Every time. And it takes hours upon hours to complete. So I am quite sure it's not malware related ... clean install with a SP1 disk, manually installing SP2.

Windows 7 has the KB3102810 which fixes the problem for windows 7. I'm curious if it's the same problem with Vista, but there's is no KB available to address it. Probably never will be.

 

[townsbg]

I just built a 2008 virtual machine for testing server software and checking for updates took almost no time at all even though there where over 200 of them. I have noticed that the time is significantly longer if office is installed but until this month I hadn't personally dealt with it taking an excessively long period of time except on brand new installs. Still though last release it took less time on Vista than 7. I'm not sure what's going on with Windows update anymore but I think that they are giving higher priority to 10. I am also starting to think that performing updates within the first week of release is a bad idea not only due to the demand but also take make sure that there aren't any major problems with the updates. I've avoided having problems with 2 updates this year alone because I read about the problems on this forum before attempting an install myself and hence didn't install them on my own system.

 

[lmacri]

The fix is to download KB3145739 as a standalone update and install it. After it's installed, you will be able to run Windows update and receive the remaining updates for April.

Choose from 32 or 64 bit: https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/MS16-039

Before you install it, you'll need to stop Windows update from running. Open services and stop it. Run the KB3145739 standalone update. Reboot when prompted. Check for updates after restart.

Further to Vista1972's suggestion in post #120, here are some interesting comments from the AskWoody.com article Slow updates for Vista? KB 3145739 solves that, too. Users running a fresh install of Vista should take note of the second paragraph:

"After several days of testing KB3145739 on Windows Vista SP2, the Vista version of that patch also worked in fixing the Windows Update “forever” problem. Got it working on the fourth or fifth try. Now WU is responding a lot quicker on Vista SP2.

The real reason why KB3145739 didn’t work on Vista on the first few attempts is because I installed it on a fresh or “clean” install of Vista and did not have the previous Vista security updates installed from August 2009 to all of year 2015. I had to use tools like Autopatcher or WSUS Offline Update utility to manually download & install the 150+ Vista SP2 security updates from 2009 to 2015 before the KB3145739 fix could actually work."

A few Vista users posting in the bleepingcomputer thread Windows Vista Update Hangs at "Checking For Updates" have also reported that installing KB3145739 improved the speed of their Windows Updates. This KB3145739 update was automatically delivered to my Vista machine via Windows Update during last month's April 2016 Patch Tuesday updates so I'm hoping (but still somewhat skeptical) that my May 2016 Patch Tuesday updates due 10-May-2016 will run much faster.

Windows 7 users should refer to Woody Leonhard's InfoWorld article Here's how to significantly speed up Windows 7 scans for updates for similar insights on KB3138612 and KB3145739.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v46.0.1 * NIS v21.7.0.11 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[townsbg]

That update installed just fine for me on my new 2008 VM on the first try.

 

[lmacri]

Further to Vista1972's suggestion in post #120, here are some interesting comments from the AskWoody.com article Slow updates for Vista? KB 3145739 solves that, too. Users running a fresh install of Vista should take note of the second paragraph:

"....The real reason why KB3145739 didn’t work on Vista on the first few attempts is because I installed it on a fresh or “clean” install of Vista and did not have the previous Vista security updates installed from August 2009 to all of year 2015. I had to use tools like Autopatcher or WSUS Offline Update utility to manually download & install the 150+ Vista SP2 security updates from 2009 to 2015 before the KB3145739 fix could actually work."

Hi townsbg:

Perhaps we're reading the second paragraph differently. I understood those comments to mean that KB3145739 didn't fix the problem with slow Windows Updates for that particular Vista user unless they first patched their fresh install sequentially with all previous security updates dating back to 2009, and not that it took multiple attempts to install KB3145739.

I only pointed out that second paragraph because there are a few users in this forum using a fresh install of Vista on a test bed or VM who have reported that they don't have an issue with Windows Updates hanging at "Checking for updates...". That might have something to do with the way they patched their installation e.g., by skipping certain security updates for the MS .NET Framework v3.x by patching with cumulative updates rather than installing monthly, sequential updates the way that most longtime Vista users would normally do.

As I noted in my previous post, KB3145739 installed successfully when I ran my April 2016 Patch Tuesday updates (well, at least after "Checking for updates..." finally finished ). I would be pleasantly surprised if KB3145739 fixed my slow Patch Tuesday updates, but there are quite a few Vista users posting in various forums this month who believe that KB3145739 is a possible fix.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v46.0.1 * NIS v21.7.0.11 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[Vista1972]

A few Vista users posting in the bleepingcomputer thread Windows Vista Update Hangs at "Checking For Updates" have also reported that installing KB3145739 improved the speed of their Windows Updates.

It definitely did for me. I just checked my laptop and the update check completed within the first four minutes of startup - WU set to automatic. I guess the "Big" test comes next week!

 

[lmacri]

It definitely did for me. I just checked my laptop and the update check completed within the first four minutes of startup - WU set to automatic. I guess the "Big" test comes next week!

Hi Vista1972:

I agree that the May 2016 Patch Tuesday updates will be a good test for KB3145739. I only see Windows Update hang at "Checking for updates..." when it detects a large number of available updates, but I have no problem running a Windows Updates after my Patch Tuesday updates are applied as shown in my screenshots in post # 90. That's why I've always suspected that Microsoft is throttling bandwidth on their Content Delivery Network (CDN) in certain geographic locations when Patch Tuesday updates are posted on their update servers to give a higher priority to Win 8 and Win 10 users.

That's also why it's so difficult to troubleshoot this problem - most users are unable to tell if any interim changes they've made to their system will actually solve the problem until the next Patch Tuesday rolls around.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v46.0.1 * NIS v21.7.0.11 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

 

[Vista1972]

That's also why it's so difficult to troubleshoot this problem - most users are unable to tell if any interim changes they've made to their system will actually solve the problem until the next Patch Tuesday rolls around.

Hey Imacri!

It seems that the "Vulnerabilities in Windows kernel mode drivers could allow elevation of privilege - Win32k.sys driver" Security Updates have a track record for botching things up.

I remember the February 2015 update KB3013455 that caused font corruption. At first, I thought I was having a stroke reading an online blog! WOW!

As far as KB3145739 solving the windows update isssue...I hope so but I wouldn't be surprised either to find out that Microsoft has indeed set an update priority based on OS. However, that wouldn't explain why my updates suddenly downloaded after installing KB3145739?

Also, IF KB3145739 is responsible for fixing the windows update issue, I wonder which update caused it? Here's a list of updates that KB3145739 has replaced starting from 2011:

Microsoft Update catalog - Vista 32 Microsoft Update Catalog

Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2567053)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2639417)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2641653)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2659262)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2660465)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2709162)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2718523)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2731847)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2761226)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2778344)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2778930)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2779030)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2808735)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2829361)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2834886)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2850851)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2876315)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2883150)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2893984)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2901674)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2930275)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2957503)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3000061)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3002885)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3013455)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3034344)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3057839)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3070102)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3087135)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3097877)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3124000)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3134214)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB3139852)
Update for Windows Vista (KB3065979)

 

[Vistaar]

However, that wouldn't explain why my updates suddenly downloaded after installing KB3145739? Also...I wonder which update caused it?

Hello Vista1972,

You had already checked for updates before installing KB3145739, right? Checking is terribly slow, but downloading is not; and like Imacri, my experience has been that checking for updates is only slow when there are actually a number of updates available.

If this issue was caused by an update, then the update must have been released in July 2015 because the issue appeared in early August. Way back in post #6, I expressed suspicion of this one: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3079904. But there is a major problem with the "caused by an update" hypothesis: Those who have reinstalled Vista since last August invariably report that the issue strikes once SP2 has been installed, which was released in 2009; so how could the issue be caused by a July 2015 update?

I suspect that checking for updates will still be a pain on Tuesday, but it would sure be nice if I am proved wrong!

 

[Vista1972]

Hello Vista1972,

You had already checked for updates before installing KB3145739, right? Checking is terribly slow, but downloading is not; and like Imacri, my experience has been that checking for updates is only slow when there are actually a number of updates available.

Yes. I tired updating the Vista machines for several hours...nothing. I also tried several more times over a span of several days hoping that Microsoft my have "fixed" the issue. After I installed KB3145739, it found the remaining updates and downloaded them within 10-15 minutes on both machines.

If this issue was caused by an update, then the update must have been released in July 2015 because the issue appeared in early August. Way back in post #6, I expressed suspicion of this one: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3079904. But there is a major problem with the "caused by an update" hypothesis: Those who have reinstalled Vista since last August invariably report that the issue strikes once SP2 has been installed, which was released in 2009; so how could the issue be caused by a July 2015 update?

Luckily, I missed that! The last time I reinstalled the OS was at the end of 2014 on a new SSD. No issues with updates at all. However, I do agree that the patch Tuesday updates have been slow for Vista over the past Six months or more but nothing like April - at least for me!

I suspect that checking for updates will still be a pain on Tuesday, but it would sure be nice if I am proved wrong!

Fingers crossed! Ha-Ha!

 

[GradeAbra]

Hello, I am having the same problem as the topic starter. Its been about 1 month and still not able to search for update even when i manual update it. Should i continue to leave it? It seems like theres no way to get through this.