Colorado State University

We have noticed a bug in the update process for Windows 7 SP1 machines.  The pattern we see is when a machine hasn’t run updates since before October 2016, and when a current update is started, we sit on the “Checking for Updates” step for what could be hours and hours.  One solution is to just wait – it actually does find them after about a day or so.  A much better option was developed by Bob Childs, and involves a few manual installations to kick start the “Checking for Updates” process.

1) Install the update found here first: https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB3177467

Choose the download button for your appropriate version:

32 Bit: Update for Windows 7 (KB3177467)
64 Bit: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3177467)

If it doesn’t prompt you to do the install fairly quickly (I’ve found it will pop up in around 20-30 seconds), you may need to do a restart (I’ve had to do it 3-4 times).

2) Restart the machine.

3) Now, install the update found here: http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/search.aspx?q=kb3172605

Choose the download button for your appropriate version:

32 Bit: Update for Windows 7 (KB3172605)
64 Bit: Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3172605)

Again you may have to a restart if it doesn’t pop up the install this update prompt.

4) This will prompt a restart.

5) Finally, run the windows updater.  Sometimes it pops up the updates immediately, but sometimes you have to check in the start menu (and do the shutdown/install updates).  Either way, it will pop updates up in a couple of minutes instead of waiting for hours and hours.