<p>Microsoft has a tool called the "System Update Readiness Tool" available for Windows 7. Here is a link to the site with the 64-bit version: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20858</p>
<p>Make sure that sleep settings are disabled on the system, run the tool and let it sit overnight (check on it every once in a while) and it will get the system updated. If the above fails then the system most likely has a virus that is blocking access to Microsoft’s servers, in which case backup your data and do a clean install from scratch. The last time I installed Windows 7 was late last year and it took 2 days with a clean install to get it fully updated.</p>
<p><em><a href="#20066">In reply to Patrick3D:</a></em></p>
<p>Lovely. The old approach: reboot and try again. The new approach: reinstall and try again.</p>
<p>Yeah, Windows is a leader in user-friendliness.</p>
<blockquote><em><a href="#20198">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote>
<p>Sure as hell beats the Linux method of spend 3 days searching desperately for someone in a random forum somewhere on the Internet that managed to find the right combination of obscure terminal commands to fix low-level system shit that never should have broken in the first place. By comparison, Microsoft offers a free tool that you run, click a button, and it fixes the system for you.</p>
<p><em><a href="#20277">In reply to Patrick3D:</a></em></p>
<p>I’d agree with you if a .deb package had EVER caused me any problems. However, in my case, Linux runs fine, Windows is the serial f#$%-up. Gotta go with my own experience.</p>
<blockquote><em><a href="#20066">In reply to Patrick3D:</a></em></blockquote>
<p>System Update Readiness Tool fixes a lot of problems, but not this one, if it’s what I’m thinking of. It’ll do no harm to give it a try though. Windows Update in Windows 7 has been broken for months at this point, but once you finally get the newest version of the Update Agent things seem to work right. You should just need 2 patches (and you may have the first one):</p>
<p>April 2015 Servicing Stack Update: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020369</p>
<p>July 2016 Update Rollup (includes the latest Update agent): https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605</p>
<p>Try installing both of those and see if it fixes the problem. And yes, Windows 7 Updates are currently a nightmare and Microsoft should be embarassed and ashamed they’ve allowed things to be so bad without fixing them.</p>
<p>This has been an issue since April or so, part of the MS force feed of 10, "make them think win 7 is shot and maybe they’ll take the bait"</p>
<p>go here and follow the directions, if no joy do it again following ALL the directions, if still no joy crush 2 asperin and cram them into the CD tray and try again tomorrow morning. You’ll be tearing your hair out but it will surplrise you and work eventually. http://wu.krelay.de/en</p>
<p>I may be able to help with this. If you’re starting with a clean Windows 7 w/SP1 install, or possibly even a patched Winows 7 that stopped updating this may also work.</p>
<p>Try this:</p>
<p>Turn off automatic updates, end the svchost process that is using a full CPU core and a ton of RAM</p>
<p>Go to http://catalog.update.microsoft.com (This site requires IE because of ActiveX)</p>
<p>Search for KB3020369, download the one you need and install it</p>
<p>Reboot if it asks, then go back to the Update Catalog and search for KB3172605, download it and install it. Reboot if it asks.</p>
<p>Go back and set Windows update to Automatically check for updates, but let me choose when to install them. Check for updates and after 10-15 minutes (longer if you have many updates missing) you should hopefully have a list of updates ready to go.</p>