Windows Update - long time to check for updates

@amarildojr I am glad to hear that your AutoPatcher experience went well. I had been using it for something like 10+ years now and it has always been reputable, efficient and well trusted. Especially if you have to update many machines, since it can save a lot when it comes to both bandwidth and time as well.

EDIT: LOL I just saw your signature when I finished typing my comment.

 

Hey all, just FYI regarding WSUS Offline Updater - the command line version has an option to skip dynamic update resolution, and just try to apply everything. (Or nothing if all patches are blacklisted.) The one you want is '/skipdynamic'.

e.g.

Code:

cd path\to\wsusoffline
cd client
Update.cmd /skipdynamic

Rinse and repeat until it no longer installs anything. This took about 20 minutes on my laptop, compared to several hours with dynamic resolution.

 

I just wish those guys would digitally sign their software.

 

I can not seem to find the proper place to post this so will do so here. If admin. wishes to relocate it please do so.

Why are the updates for Windows7 taking an innate amount of time to be accomplished? This appears to get worse and worse each month. I am talking about only the important and critical updates, the optional ones I do not even want to appear. The 13 I had this last time took over two hours to be found and installed. I do not allow automatic updates either.

Always,
Wildman

 

I had discovered this issue on two recent fresh installs of Win 7 (around the time this thread began). Today it happened with two Win 7 PC's that are in daily use and kept up to date with security updates.

I have searched high and low and found no answers yet, but I did discover this thread. I do have some observations ...

The two Win 7 Pro (32-bit) PC's have completely different hardware, but there is not much difference in the delay with Windows Update. One is a 10 year old Pentium 4 3.0Ghz 2 with GB ram, that I keep around as a Media Center (still works, ha!). But the other is a 3rd Gen Intel Core i3 3.4Ghz with 4 GB ram and a 250GB SSD, my main workstation.

Earlier today, I installed KB3138612: Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: March 2016, on each, in the hopes it might speed things up. I specifically installed this alone, and rebooted, then checked for updates again. Almost an hour later, the rest of the March updates appeared again. So not much difference.

Observing Windows Resource Monitor during the update check, the P4 used around 50% CPU, & grabbed a large chunk of ram. But saw very little in the way of disk or network access during the wait.

The Core i3 only used 24% CPU, but everything else was about the same as P4 regarding disk or network access.

So it really looks like either the delay is in the CPU (algorithm?), or the Windows servers.

As a side note, my broadband network is running smooth with 16Mbps down/1.0Mbps up. The P4 was plugged directly into my router, the i3 uses wifi to access the same router.

Just for grins, I booted up my laptop with Win 8.1-64, and turned off all auto updates, rebooted. Manually checked for updates ... got the list back in under a minute. The CPU is only a mobile i5 at 1.7 Ghz.

Shaking my head ... is Win 10 going to be the only patch for this?

 

I have only seen and heard of this issue going on in Win 7 and Vista. I have used Win 8.1 and Win 10 and no such problem occurs on either of them. I'm almost sure it's an issue that could be fixed by MS, but they are deliberately choosing NOT to fix it, in hopes that this might drive people to upgrade to Win 10. It's pretty crazy.... and very annoying.

 

Agreed that's the very reason MS chooses to ignore the issue.

 

Agreed. That's a tempting conclusion to draw based on the observed behavior. Plausible deniability for Microsoft, or whatever.

Not sure it's going to drive me to Win10, though, other than as a VM for development use. Too many question marks so far, & lack of transparency, to consider that to use as personal computer. Might pick up another copy of Win8.1, for my Windows 7 workstation. Already have 8.1 on a laptop, kind of meh, but it works if you peel away the crap.

I have a dedicated Linux workstation that I find somewhat liberating. I am beginning to use it more day to day for my personal use. Unfortunately the Windows ecosystem has a solid grip on me, so don't see ever abandoning it completely. I can see keeping Windows around in some form, but only for the apps that cannot be duplicated on Linux ...

 

That seems to be the only reasonable conclusion. It's not that long ago that checking for updates in Vista and 7 did not take forever. There doesn't seem to be any good reason why the check for updates so often takes a very long time now.

 

Yep, agreed..

 

With the update I'm definitely seeing improved times on both my w7 PC's

 

New to this forum but hoping for some guidance. (And I'm not tech-savvy). Have to upgrade Windows 7 due to purchasing a new accounting program. Last night I downloaded 200 updates. Do I just pick those for Windows 7 first? Do I install one at a time or just let the computer do its thing with all of them? If it's one at a time, how do I pick. Help, please!

 

Thank you. Is there any possibility that the updates installation can cause problems and I won't be able to use my computer?

 

My son's laptop took forever to find updates the other day. I may use an imaging tool next time...which one do you all recommend?

 

I recommend Macrium Reflect Free if you need it only to cretate occasional backups.

 

Is it pretty simple to use?

 

Yes IMO it's easy to use. You can try and see of you like it .Otherwise you can still remove it.

 

Will give it a shot. Thanks

 

http://www.zdnet.com/article/sticking-with-windows-7-the-forecast-calls-for-pain/

""Slow" does not even begin to describe the glacial pace at which Windows 7 works before even displaying the list of available updates."

"There is a workaround, as I discovered. Download two updates before starting the installation process, KB3083710 and KB3102810, and copy them to a USB flash drive...."

 

Strangely enough, after last month's updates (3/8/16), my check for updates is now very fast and back to normal. I'm not sure if they fixed it with one of the updates or what. I'll have to really test it when the April updates come and see if it's still fast then.

 

Check to see if update KB3138612 was installed on your PC, that was the fix for the delays in MS updates for W7.

It helped me, time is drastically reduced now.

 

Was it your conclusion that KB3138612 was the fix for the delays in MS updates for W7,
or was there an article that says so?

 

Yes, it was! Great, that probably means it's fixed. Excellent... The real test will be next month though, when patch Tuesday arrives again. We shall see. But I'm hopeful.