Updates taking a long time

[debby]

Hi guys...I'm back again!  We do not use our laptop very often.  The last time updates were done was Feb. 18, 2017.  Well, now I have 54 updates to do and I have had the computer on supposedly updating me, however, it has been over 24 hours. I clicked on to stop download but it said it hasn't finished.  After they are downloaded, then they need to be installed which doesn't take so long, I think.  Anyway, is this unusual for it to be going over 24 hours?  It says it is Downloading 54 updates, so far 0% complete.  It's a Dell Inspirion, Intel Core I-5-3210M CPU @ 2.50 GHz, Ram 8.00 GB 64-bit operating system.  It's Windows 7.

[Mark.]

that does seem excessively longer than usual, but with downloads, it's not your PC specs that are important, it's your internet speed.
and you do have 6months worth to catch up on!

you've given it 24hrs, I'd be rebooting the PC and checking for updates again.
maybe also unticking them all and just ticking a few at a time to see if they at least come through that way.

[demos]

Hello,

I have had the same problem with a computer; problems started after I had upgraded to W10, but reverted to 7 after (my notebook was not compatible with Windows 10 in some ways, so I had no option really). So, after going back to 7, from within 10, updates were broken for good. I have tried different "solutions" from the internet but nothing worked. The actual solution was to do a fresh install of Windows 7 (updates were good after that)

best regards

[debby]

Here it is, the end of August and I have still been trying to get this laptop updated.  It never stops, just keeps on downloading updates.  I finally turned it off after 36 hours and left it alone until now when my husband just went to use it and it told him it was still downloading.  I know it's a lot of updates, but taking this long?  Is this normal?  Do I just let it go on and on for days and see what happens?

[Mark.]

Windows 7 did go through a period where the update process (or an update specifically - can't remember) caused it all to choke up.
there's plenty of Google hits on ways out of that mess.


I was on Win7 at that time and simply decided to turn the auto updates off.


so you could either just forget them, not ideal, but hey, if it gets you over the hump...


what's your internet monthly allowance and general download speeds like?


what about just selecting a few at a time?

[debby]

See, the thing is, Mark, I am totally computer stupid.  I looked on what updates to do and not to do and I couldn't tell you beans about what it said.  Somehow, from last time I tried this, it did do six updates.  How do I know what speed my internet is?  I have Comcast and it is superfast usually.  I did try Verizon and couldn't stand it and it was slower than Comcast, so I went back to Comcast.  I use Windows 10 on my desktop and I know I drive BC_Programmer, patio, SuperDave, and others crazy when I ask questions, but all of you have been so helpful and so nice to me that I try to figure stuff out on my own as much as I can.  I do get stumped quite often.  Glad you all are here!  A lot of them say Security updates and some say Security Update for Microsoft.NET Framework and some are Update for Windows 7 x64-based system.  Is that any help?  I'm going to let it run for the night and check it in the morning.  If it still hasn't done it, it's getting shut down, and I'll just use it like it is.  It is so seldom used that I'm not too worried about it anyway.  Or do you agree?  I have had enough of it tonight, I'm going to get in my recliner and watch TV for a while and wind down.

[BC_Programmer]

I seem to recall having similar Windows Update issues WEith Win7 on several occasions and I resolved them by restarting the Windows Update service:

1. Start->Run "Services.msc"
2. "Windows Update" should be an entry in the list of services. You can right-click and select restart, then close any windows you have open showing WIndows update and re-open it and it might be able to restart and make progress.

It's worth noting that Windows Update on Win7 doesn't really have any concept of download progress. it will tell you 0%, but then won't tell you anything until 100%. It's really quite annoying as it appears to be frozen- And you cannot even tell if it's truly frozen or not, since it never tells you anything beyond 0% and 100%. As you've given it a full day I'd expect it should have completed even a few months worth of updates.

You might try simply rebooting the PC and trying again, and/or restarting the Windows Update service as I mentioned above. Mark's suggestion to only select a few at a time is good as well.

[Mark.]

I personally like speedof.me for testing internet speeds, but there are others.
I was only mentioning speeds as I thought, if yours was slow, you could take the PC maybe to a friends, neighbours, who has better speeds in the (vain) hope that the updates may download faster.


At the end of the day, if Win7 couldn't update, I wouldn't bust a gut over it.
As stated, they are good to get, maybe even recommended, but not the end of the world if you can't.


When I was having Win7 updates issues, I would show all the updates waiting to be downloaded, sort them in size order, unselect them all, then just select the first 5, 10 or so smallest ones.
Then repeat until they all came down.


I'd also leave the .NET framework ones till last (for no other reason than personal preferences) 

[pushbutton]

Hello. I procrastinated downloading updates and when I resumed updating my PC I had to wait a long period of time to get all the Windows 7 updates. Microsoft, however, mentioned that their servers were sometimes slow and not to worry. What perplexes me is when some updates fail and I am referred to a link which will explain the reason why and what I could do about it. I used to persue them. I used to have plenty of time. But now I don't have any time to chase down the reason for the update failure. I update manually as I do not like being in the middle of something and Microsoft posts an update alert. I check every week. I have four Lenovo laptops @ Win10 and 5 desktops @ Win7. Thank you.