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General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Peterjay on Friday 01 April 16 08:28 BST (UK)
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Hello,
I have just purchased a S/H laptop and setting it all up etc to my liking I have found there are 210 Windows updates !!!
I spent all day yesterday and only managed to install 3 leaving 207 to go which is running now, and is going to take forever.
When you see all the updates listed you have all of the boxes ticked for you, if I untick them and say select just a few to install say 7 would the remaining 200 still be there to come back to and do a few at a time or would they disappear.
SO WOULD THE REMAINDER STILL COME UP FOR ME.
Many thanks.
Peter.
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I used to find that if I unticked all then just ticked those important ones that o'k till next time.
Be aware though Windows 10 could be lurking in the background! ;)
Brian
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Oh Peter I fear the worst...I tried to stop Win10 but it still crept in when I left my machine for a while!
Carol
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There is a recommended update which installs the Win10 "screamware" (as it is often referred to as). I can't remember what the KB number is off the top of my head (I'll have a look), bit if you hide the update, it won't install, although they do have a habit of reissuing it every so often.
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I believe KB 3035583 is the one to hide.
I left my old Win7 laptop running all night to install updates, and there were still more the next time I checked. I suspect many of these are slowly adding Win 10 features to Win 7 so that the upgrade is faster when/if it comes. Otherwise, I can't think why there should be so many. The good news is that it seems to have settled down now and after being off for a week there were only a couple of new updates.
Many older laptops seem to have driver problems if you try to upgrade them.
Mike.
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Mike, yes that KB is the one to hide. No harm doing that as it can be easily unhidden. And MS have a habit of reissuing that update so its worth checking each month for ir.
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If you want to stop KB3035583 installing at all even its been reissued by MS, then have a look at the post #34 on this page - http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread.php/170897-Lost-Windows-Update-Icon-in-System-Tray/page3 - and use the 2nd option as its safer than editing the registry. This also restores the Windows Update icon (for new updates available) appearing in the start tray if it has disappeared.
Edit - The configuration change in the above article is to Windows itself and does not require installing any additional 3rd party software.
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As already mentioned KB 3035583 is the most important update to hide; I think it has now been re-issued 3 times. (Microsoft are very persistent!). Other KB's that also should be hidden are 2952664, 3021917 and 3068708.
A useful piece of free software that goes a long way to preventing the downloading of these Windows 10 related updates is GWX Control Panel. It informs you whether your computer is at risk of being open to these downloads and also allows you to control this.
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Thank you wyndham,
I've just run GWX Control Panel. I shall monitor things but I'm somewhat reasssured now that my Win7 is not going to be updated against my will. Stuff Win10.
alanmack
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A useful piece of free software that goes a long way to preventing the downloading of these Windows 10 related updates is GWX Control Panel. It informs you whether your computer is at risk of being open to these downloads and also allows you to control this.
The link in my previous post avoids having to install GWX Control Panel and does exactly the same thing. Its easy enough to follow.
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I have had lots of trouble trying to download and install 100s of Win 7 updates, many of these have either failed or cancelled (loads of them) my Belarc Advisor tells me I have no critical updates pending, and the update history tells me these failed etc ones are important or recommended.
Now, the big question is should I try and attempt the Windows 10 free upgrade using the icon or could this be a disaster being as the failed updates are not in place, how would I install the failed ones anyhow.
Many thanks.
Peter.
P.S no new updates showing for download
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Have you done Check for updates?
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If you intend to go the W10 route the W7 updates are not relevent as W10 will install all of its own requirements.
The usual caveat applies re using a new operating system in that you should make sure everything will run after the changeover , although my own experience is that W10 is more tolerant than some of its predecessors some people have had problems.
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Peter, is Windows Update showing a recent check for updates? If its not a recent date, as Hallmark has enquired, have you tried getting it to check for updates?
Something that can happen is that it will show more updates than it needs and fail or cancel some of them, but the next time it checks with microsoft a number will disappear because they have then been superceded by others that had installed first. To be honest, with that number of updates, its not that unusual for it to take several goes at installing them all and unfortunately you just have to bare with it. How many times has it tried installing those that are failing or being cancelled?
However, if its having problems updating anyway, there could be a wider issue that could cause problems with the Win10 update. Its difficult to say.
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The reason I ask is that... forgetting about W10... some of those updates require Update/Shutdown, then when one boots up one of gets 'Installing Update'... then one got other updates which may need same processes until it gets up to most recent!!
So.. if you go for W10 and it doesn't work, what will you be reverting to?? A very unupdated W7???
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True Hallmark, but I've seen it with a long list whereby the more recent updates supercede the previous ones that were also in the list and they then show as failed/cancelled until it checks for updates again. Its not unusual in those circumstances, especially if its been checking for a while and they've just not been installed.
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Yes that's the problem... without the PC in front of one it's not really possible to advise!
Not used W7...but can all the updates (failed etc) be deleted?
Then check for updates!! Install any... then go for W10
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As Hallmark says, it is really difficult to help without access to the actual machine. However, I found that, if you keep running Windows 7 Update manually, with all the necessary restarts, it does eventually sort itself out. I believe failed updates are either re-installed or deleted automatically if they have been superseded. It can take a few hours, or even days, before everything settles down.
I think Microsoft originally said you need an up to date system before you upgrade to 10 :-\
Mike.
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Even doing that..... do so many, shut down and restart a few times or it could jam
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Updates don't jam, they just effectively end up queued and show as failed or cancelled at the end of the process. Its rare for an update on Win7 to require a reboot before another is installed, it can happen but tends to be for things like service packs or major updates. That said, as Mike has also said, you just let it get on with it and they will eventually clear but it may mean several attempts and reboots. However, if an update is superceded by a later version, it will show as failed and then disappear next time a check for updates is done (or often after the reboot).
There is a way of forcing a PC to reconnect to Windows Update by running a couple of commands from a command prompt. That resets it and then the second command tells it recheck with windows update. This definitely works on Win7 and earlier, and may work on later versions I just haven't got a later O/S at present.
If you click on Start, select All Programs, then select Accessories.
Click on Command Prompt (a black window will appear with a prompt to type)
At the prompt type:
wuauclt /resetauthorization
(there is a space between the t and the /)
then press return, it should have a moment return to the prompt.
Then type:
wuauclt /detectnow
(again there is a space between the t and the /)
press enter
What this does is tell Windows Update to run a full check with Microsoft as to what updates are required. Its possible one of the updates causing the problem isn't required but later ones won't install either because of it.
It may take a while to complete but then it will tell you in Windows Update the number of important updates required.
Sometimes its necessary to change WU to automatically install updates, if you don't already have it set to this, before running these commands, and can then switch back after they have completed (assuming you don't want it to automatically install them).
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I upgraded several pc's to windows 10 from windows 7. Each time I downloaded All important updates to windows 7 and then windows 10 upgraded problem free. As you have so many to do, I would do them about 15 at the time. Be sure to set the sleep option to never. Let each batch update, restart and repeat.
The Windows 10 upgrade website allows you to download the complete upgrade file onto a usb flash drive. You may be able to just download the file from there. There are a lot of video's on YouTube that will show you how to upgrade using this method, I have not done it this way myself.
No matter which way you go - " set the sleep option to never to ensure all updates happen without interruption"!,
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Because of the problems I've encountered with updates - there seems to be more, the size of some of them - can't help wondering if they're something to do with "10" - and my PC is 10 years old + and, like me, is slowing down with old age! I decided to "bite the bullet" and am in the process of going over to Apple as I don't want "10" at any price! ;D
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Both desktop pc's and the laptop migrated from Windows 7 to 10 problem free. I personally prefer the 10 version. But I have heard of problems on older machines. Perhaps it's to do with the system requirements.....
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Personally I will be staying with Windows 8.1 as it is supported until 2023. By that time this laptop will need replacing and I will bite the bullet then. I do not want to risk downloading Windows 10 to a laptop that has not been built with Windows 10 in mind (all manufacturers did not issue Windows 10 ready laptops/desktops etc. until late Jan 2016).
My father (bless him, he is 84) downloaded Win 10 onto his laptop because he did not like Windows 8 that he had. Result - he stopped using the laptop because it was even slower than before - I did tell him off for not talking to me first!!.
Windows 7 is also on extended support until 2020, so you will continue to get security patches until then - if you are happy with what you have at the moment then I would advise sticking to it until you need to replace your hardware - then worry about it:o)
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Because of the problems I've encountered with updates - there seems to be more, the size of some of them - can't help wondering if they're something to do with "10" - and my PC is 10 years old + and, like me, is slowing down with old age! I decided to "bite the bullet" and am in the process of going over to Apple as I don't want "10" at any price! ;D
I'm sure the updates are connected with 'upgrading' to 10. Why else would there be so may for an obsolete system?
I have now replaced my old Win7 laptop, which was at least 10 years old (previously upgraded from XP). The old one was left turned off for a couple of weeks, and when turned on again it went through the same 3 hour update check yet again, taking up 95% of system resources for the duration, which renders the machine useless >:(
Having transferred my important stuff to the new one I have installed "Lubuntu" Linux on the old one and now use it mainly for web browsing. The installation was very easy and took less time, even with downloading and burning to DVD, than Windows 7 spent not updating itself. So I now have a spare laptop which is a joy to use once again :)
Mike