Author Topic: Getting no updates (Read 47736 times)

Nomad · « **on:** January 29, 2016, 08:47:12 am »

Hi everybody

After some trouble in booting my notebook (Vista Home Premium), I restored the OS using a Macrium image I had burnt in June 2015.
Done that some days ago, it still doesn't get any updates from Microsoft. Windows Update says there are no updates and that the computer is up-to-date. I ran tweaking.com to correct any fault that could be in Windows Update but it didn't work.
I had restored this computer the same way a few times before, and updates were almost immediatly available as the restoring operation was finished.
What shall I do?

Boggin · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2016, 09:08:54 am »

It may be worth trying again later.

Did the Pre-Scan find anything that needed repairing ?

Nomad · « **Reply #2 on:** January 29, 2016, 12:23:30 pm »

Hi Boggin

Pre-Scan? Well, as soon as the restoration ended, the computer started running a CHKDSK, as I had answered to a Macrium question, asking should that be done after booting. CHKDSK said some corrections had been made, and the notebook booted normally.
Today I ran a system file check, no issues were reported, it was fine.
"Trying later", you mean keeping the notebook on, waiting for the updates?

Boggin · « **Reply #3 on:** January 29, 2016, 02:28:24 pm »

Sometimes MS servers are busy and manually checking for Windows Updates later may produce some, but they may just come on their own when you are using the laptop, but I would never leave a laptop on without good reason - and waiting for updates isn't one of them.

The only times I've left my Win 7 laptops on overnight was once when I was running a scan with a Kaspersky Recovery Disk and after a factory reset when I leave it on overnight for it to download/install the updates after I've vetted them.

Nomad · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2016, 11:06:05 am »

I've tried also putting Windows Update searching for updates and waited for some time watching the progression bar evolving, and... nothing happened.

So, I'll do as you say, and I'll tell if something I can't manage happens.

Thank you

Nomad · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2016, 04:13:21 pm »

Still nothing till now!!!
Doesn't seem having to do with MS servers.

Any ideas, please?

Boggin · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2016, 09:07:20 am »

Using an image that old may have caused some problems, but with "fresh" installs, checking for updates can take a long time and it's not just in Vista that this occurs.

You could run the appropriate SURT and then see what the log says.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows7/what-is-the-system-update-readiness-tool

The log can be found in C:\Windows\Logs\CBS then double click on the Checksur one which will open in Notepad.

RodgerOver · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2016, 01:28:20 pm »

Hi Nomad,

I had the same problem (on a WIN 7 64 bit machine) 2 days ago. I must admit, that I believe (not 100% sure) that the problem (impossible to do any windows update) came up AFTER running "Windows repair" !

After a lot of trial and error (I already wanted to reinstall), this solved my problem: http://christians-steffen.fr/telecharger/telecharger-windowsupdatediagnostic-diagcab/
(Don't worry about the French site, the program is in English).

Run both reapir alternatives offered by the program, one after the other ! I first only run the second repair (= windows update) and it did not repair all the errors. But after having also run the first repair ("background ... something"; sorry I don't recall exactly how it is called) Windows update" finally worked again.

Regards

Edit: sorry, the above link does not work to download; here is a link that works: http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9830262

Julian · « **Reply #8 on:** February 15, 2016, 01:07:46 pm »

@ rodgerOver

Quote

I had the same problem (on a WIN 7 64 bit machine) 2 days ago. I must admit, that I believe (not 100% sure) that the problem (impossible to do any windows update) came up AFTER running "Windows repair" !

It's ironic you say that because windows repair does the same thing the windowsupdatediagnostic.diagcab does

Nomad · « **Reply #9 on:** February 17, 2016, 02:19:35 pm »

Hi

After trying the "MicrosoftFixit wu.Run" which couldn't fix the problem, I have just had time, today, to
turn my attention to this issue again. So, RodgerOver, I downloaded from both the links you mentioned, but couldn't open any of them (which program is the right one?). Then I downloaded the one from Boggin's link; it ran for almost 45 minutes and no results.

This seems a hard issue indeed!

Thanks for your attention.

Boggin · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2016, 02:29:46 pm »

SURT will have produced a log which can be found in C:\Windows\Logs\CBS then double click on the Checksur one which will open in Notepad.

It will list anything it found amiss.

Nomad · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2016, 12:56:41 am »

It happens like this: going to the Download folder (in the administrator account), trying to open the file, it shows a very quick message which I could not read, and then it searches for updates, never ending...

Looking for the log in Windows\Logs\CBS, I got the message "Access denied!"

Boggin · « **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2016, 03:40:00 am »

Change the update settings to Check for but let me choose... then get on with your life.

This is what I do following a factory reset and in time I'm presented with the notification there are updates where I'll go to Windows Update and hide any I don't want to install.

Nomad · « **Reply #13 on:** February 18, 2016, 03:09:02 pm »

I don't need to change that because it's how it has been all the time.

As I posted before, every time in the past I restored my C partition with a Macrium image, I used to have almost immediatly the notification about new updates to download. This last time it didn't happen. And yet, after I ran "MicrosoftFixit wu.Run", every time I go to Windows Update it shows that red shield, meaning, I think, it is off, and says something like "last time updates were searched for -- never; last time updates were downloaded -- never".

Boggin · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2016, 03:18:11 pm »

I think the WU trouble shooter empties the SoftwareDistribution folder so there will no longer be a history of installed updates.

I once had the Check for updates in red and ran the Pre-Scan in Option 2 of WR and it found problems with the Environment Variables and after running the repairs for those in Option 2, Check for updates started working as it should.

Nomad · « **Reply #15 on:** February 19, 2016, 03:54:48 pm »

Boggin, I followed your hint, ran WR; no problems were found with the Environment Variables.

I suppose the lack of Windows Update history by itself would not put it in disfunction, I mean it could soon check for updates?

Boggin · « **Reply #16 on:** February 19, 2016, 04:21:01 pm »

Have you tried changing the update setting to Auto then to see if it gets rid of the red cross ?

Nomad · « **Reply #17 on:** February 20, 2016, 09:44:44 am »

I did that some minutes ago, the red shield is still there.

Then I ran "MicrosoftFixit wu.Run" again, as I remember it left some messages after conclusion to which I didn't pay much attention the other day.
And there were 2 messages: corrections not made, (1) Windows Update error 0x80070490 and (2) Problems installing most recent updates.

I searched for error 0x80070490 in a Microsoft site, which was telling there was a download to be done (update KB 947821) from October 2014. I didn't execute it yet, as my Vista image (not missing any update) was recorded in June 2015, it should have that update, so this probably could not be the solution.

What's your advice?

Boggin · « **Reply #18 on:** February 20, 2016, 02:41:51 pm »

Have you done a search for that KB in Installed Updates by entering it into the top right search box, but I would agree that given the date of your system image that it should already be installed.

The only suggestions from MS for this error code is to run a sfc /scannow followed by a scan with the System Update Readiness Tool (SURT) and Google only finds people who have reinstalled Vista to resolve.

Do you have a Recovery partition on this machine which you can use to factory reset ?

Julian · « **Reply #19 on:** February 22, 2016, 10:50:55 am »

you get a 80070490 error? that would be your cbs manifest
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-update-error-80070490#1TC=windows-7

Nomad · « **Reply #20 on:** February 24, 2016, 12:51:16 am »

I installed update KB947821, and yes, this time I got the CBS log which I attached to this post.

But, yet, Windows Update keeps in red shield.

Roof · « **Reply #21 on:** February 24, 2016, 12:06:28 pm »

Hi all. First time poster though I've been using the Windows Repair tool for awhile now.

Just wanted to suggest you download your updates from the Microsoft Download Center. Just browse through the pages and download the ones you want. I've done this a couple of times when I couldn't get updates and afterward I could get them normally again through Windows Update. Worth a try. I'd certainly try it before doing a factory reset.

I'm really not too sure how much I trust Windows Update anymore though. I don't know if it's giving me all the ones it should, and sometimes it takes forever. Almost faster and easier to just get 'em from the download center.

whiggs · « **Reply #22 on:** February 24, 2016, 04:28:34 pm »

Another alternative, this script will reset your windows update service completely back to default. Try if all else fails.

Nomad · « **Reply #23 on:** March 02, 2016, 11:28:04 am »

Hi

I tried Roof's suggestion; I didn't quite understand what really happened: I searched for a Vista Update dated from after June 2015, but it seems to me that it was not installed; Windows Update did not change anyway.
Then I also tried Whiggs suggestion, and again, Windows Update kept the red shield.

The last thing I did was reinstalling the same Macrium image, so I have Windows Update with green shield again and saying the computer is up-to-date...

Till some new idea lights up...

Boggin · « **Reply #24 on:** March 02, 2016, 03:02:26 pm »

It must have been a bad restore first time around.