Windows Update Repair Not Worked

[Dunflittin68]

I have just purchased a brand new Acer Aspire laptop but am having problems with the Windows Update facility.   I had replaced the McAfee Anti virus with Microsoft Defender after installing some programmes on my desktop so don't know if this has affected anything.

I have just completed the Tweaking.Com Repair for Windows but on the repair page only repaired the windows "update" files.   I did everything suggested in the steps leading up to the repair, rebooted in Safe Mode after leaking out the electricity from the laptop.   Did a Disk Check but nothing was found.   I did the repair twice and finally rebooted in Normal Mode, selected Update Check again but whereas before there were updates selected that I could not download, now those updates have disappeared.   The security ones I had received initially with my new computer did manage to download before the problem occurred when the updates stopped working.   Now my update download desk says there have never been any updates downloaded ever though they are visible in the Installed Update section.

When I try to run the update scan, it just hangs in the search operation but never finds anything or comes back to say there are none, it just keeps searching.

I am at the point of returning this laptop to Acer but any suggestions would be appreciated.

By the way when I first checked the updated already downloaded there were updates downloaded in 2014 and early 2015 already which might indicate the laptop was not new, would anyone agree ?

[Boggin]

I bought this Win 7 laptop in Dec. 2011 but it has SP1 as installed in 2010 - it really depends when it was imaged.

Which version of Windows did this machine came with and how did you uninstall McAfee ?

To fully uninstall any 3rd party AV program you need to run its Uninstaller. http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/mcafee_consumer_product_removal_tool.html

McAfee say you should activate it first before uninstalling but this laptop came with it pre-installed and I didn't bother.

I initially used IObit Uninstaller and then used the MCPR.exe to clean out any remaining bits - running it twice with a reboot in between.

The Windows Repair program removes the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder which removes the update history but doesn't affect any already installed updates.

It's possible that your machine is now up to date so there won't be any updates to download/install, but check for updates again after running MCPR.exe as remnants of McAfee could conflict with Windows Defender if you are using >=Win 8 and cause anomalous problems.

If you still have problems then you have the option of factory resetting it or taking it back and I assume they would factory reset it as standard to see if it was still problematic.

[Dunflittin68]

Hi there

Thanks for the info.   I had uninstalled it in the "Uninstall Programs" facility on Windows 8.1 which is what I have and thought that was sufficient, so I will now use the link you send to try to uninstall it completely.

I opened my computer this morning and it does seem like the update download is now working, although there are 93 to download and it doesn't show any that have been installed whilst it has been downloading for 30 minutes or more.   Don't know if that is because the size of the files being downloaded or the speed of my computer which I have to say I am not completely impressed with.   I had an Acer Aspire 5732Z previously and I have purchased an Acer Aspire ES1 512 mainly because I  thought it would be a bit better but similar and what I am used to.

If I have any further problems I will come back to you but as I said I think the Update is working now but slowly !

[Dunflittin68]

Just an update !

I had to reboot my computer after uninstalling McAfee with your link but the computer was installing updates whilst I did it.   I rebooted and went into updates installed and it didn't show the two files it had updated yesterday and none for today, but found them in "View the update history" when I selected the option "hide/unhide" updates where it showed in the "status" column that they had succeeded.   So don't understand why these two updates are not showing in the "Installed updates" file.

Also the "Windows Update" facility, when started afresh, appears to be "hanging again" in "Downloading updates" as it states beneath "Downloading 93 updates, 0kb Total, 0 complete", which seems strange to me as I always thought this showed the progress of downloads as they come through.

Am I going mad, or has the update facility changed in how it works ?

[Boggin]

It's never advisable to reboot a computer in the middle of installing updates.

Sometimes my monthly updates can seem to take an age before the progress bar shows any progress on their download.

If those updates aren't showing in Installed Updates then they probably didn't and may be re-offered later.

You could cancel the download, remove all power sources and hold the power button down for about 30 secs and try them again.

This is called a cold boot and can resolve some problems when a machine seems to be "tied up".

[Dunflittin68]

I did press the "Stop Download" but when I rebooted my computer and went in again it was still downloading.   Can it do this even though the computer is being rebooted?   These updates I have been trying to download since I had the computer on 2/12, the security updates went through OK but as I say, since the problem with changing over the anti-virus and the Update System not seeming to be working, none of the 93 updates have downloaded.   I will try leaving it on download until tomorrow and if none have gone through, I will try your suggestion of removing the power source and rebooting by holding down the button for 30 seconds.

[Dunflittin68]

Success at last !    First time I looked at it an hour or so ago it had downloaded nothing, just went in a few minutes ago and 99% had been downloaded and just checked again and it is "installing 28 of 93" !!   It took a long time but I got there in the end.

Thanks for all your help, without which I would be still pulling my hair out and thanks for the "Windows Repair" installation again without which I couldn't have got my updates working.

Cheers!    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family !

[Boggin]

Glad to see that you've gotten a result but it's Shane's hard work that has produced a program like Windows Repair.

Season's Greetings to you and yours also

[Dunflittin68]

Please pass on my thanks to Shane for his hard work, it was greatly appreciated!

[Boggin]

I'm sure Shane will see your gratitude