How to make a Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup ISO with all updates up to 2016

[TechWizard]

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with this thread anymore. Figured I'd pop in to tell you guys that I have added the September Roll up and the Sept 2016 Service Stack update to my image... as well as Samsung NVMe drivers to both Professional and Enterprise versions of my installers and they are working flawlessly.

I think it is safe to assume at this point we can indeed continue to keep adding each update as MS releases them and they will work until they engineer one that breaks the entire chain. I even have the Windows Readiness Tool added out of order and it appears the Windows installer is intelligent enough to install that one in the correct order despite it being the 3rd to last - unlike with SP1, April Service Stack, and SP2. Each of those is dependent on the other and you WILL get an error if you try to add one before the other.

 

[trents]

So where are we with the larger project of developing a sticky that meets the needs of skilled and lesser skilled potential users?

 

[c627627]

I am finishing up my Windows 10 installation and the next thing on my list is this project.

 

[trents]

Had to do a destructive reinstall of Windows 10 yesterday. System started crashing frequently after a few days of intermittent BSOD's that were traced to bwcW8x64.sys. According to my research that file has something to do with Killer LAN. I then removed the Killer LAN software as I have always heard it was problematic. But the situation degenerated nonetheless. I had run chkdsk /f /r and sfc /scannow but didn't find anything and didn't help. I disabled the onboard NIC and added a PCI-e NIC but would only give me a local network connection - no internet. Checked modem and router and they were okay. All other devices in the home had internet connectivity. Tried a US Wifi dongle and still no internert connection. System files somewhere were corrupt. So I just reinstalled Win 10. Seems happy now.

 

[Alaric]

I've heard the same thing about Killer LAN. Seems the only thing the Killer kills is OS'. When I installed the mobo drivers on my W7 and W 10 installs I left that out. Device Manager seems to be upset over the lack of drivers for it, but I can live with that.

 

[c627627]

What is that software?
I just finished my Windows 10 Pro install. I was a Microsoft Insider on my last system but on this one I decided to do a retail Win 10 instead.

Tonight I still need to revert an old laptop from 10 to 7 just so I can use Windows Media Center, the *only* software in the world I can get to actually work easily to record TV.
Microsoft was truly on top of the world with Windows Media Center as far as DVR capabilities go, there is nothing, zero, alternative out there that actually works as good as Microsoft to record TV.

Since Windows 7 is the last version of Windows that has it out of the box, this project we are putting together will be useful for ages to come, even after Windows 7 reaches end of life for anyone wanting to DVR anything using a computer...


As soon as I am done, we will take this project to the next step... almost there.

 

[Alaric]

Yeah, both installs. I'm getting a 120 GB SSD Friday to reinstall W10 to try and solve another problem. W7/Media Center will be useful to me forever. I can stream Media Center recordings from W8 and W10 rigs on the local network, keeping W7 as a HTPC. I can keep W7 offline if need be and just use it for MC/HTPC duties. Just update the guide once a week. Hands down the best media software I know of, by a wide margin.

 

[trents]

I've heard the same thing about Killer LAN. Seems the only thing the Killer kills is OS'. When I installed the mobo drivers on my W7 and W 10 installs I left that out. Device Manager seems to be upset over the lack of drivers for it, but I can live with that.

I disabled the onboard LAN so device manager wouldn't complain.

- - - Updated - - -

c6, Killer Lan is some kind of LAN bandwidth optimizer for people gaming on a local area network I think. In reality, from what I have read, it doesn't deliver on the hype even for that use and it is unstable. Some Atheros chipsets use it.

 

[Alaric]

I have a separate ethernet port devoted to it.

 

[c627627]

The Windows 7 Laptop I am working on tonight was updated and imaged last time in April of 2015.
The Windows 7 update tonight is running and running... without listing updates for a very long time.

i gave up, then tried installing the April 2015 Servicing Stack Update for Windows 7 manually,
but manual installation itself just started scanning the laptop looking for updates... wut?
Then I rebooted and tried again and this time it went through... I immediately ran the installation of the 476MB Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup file after that without rebooting.


Clean install sure is easier than any updates, as expected... But doing a test just to see how update page will react after this...


I updated the laptop's Windows 7 image last time in April 2015.
Then I used the laptop until Windows 10 came out and switched it to 10. Then just today switched back to Win7 in order to use the Windows Media Center. I reimaging it back to April 2015...

Going to find out now first hand what you all were talking about.

 

[c627627]

This is actually perfect because it should be part of the article.

On already installed Windows 7 updated to April 2015, which *would not* update further, I

• successfully applied the April 2015 servicing stack update for Windows 7
• successfully applied the April 2016 Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup update file

Rebooted after being asked.

Now I am running Windows 7 Update on a machine on which the April 2016 Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup update has been applied and will leave Windows 7 Update running all night... to remove any doubt whether it is broken or not.
After that I will start with May 2016 Rollup, then onwards to see where the fix kicks in, if ever.

 

[trents]

The Windows 7 Laptop I am working on tonight was updated and imaged last time in April of 2015.
The Windows 7 update tonight is running and running... without listing updates for a very long time.

i gave up, then tried installing the April 2015 Servicing Stack Update for Windows 7 manually,
but manual installation itself just started scanning the laptop looking for updates... wut?
Then I rebooted and tried again and this time it went through... I immediately ran the installation of the 476MB Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup file after that without rebooting.


Clean install sure is easier than any updates, as expected... But doing a test just to see how update page will react after this...


I updated the laptop's Windows 7 image last time in April 2015.
Then I used the laptop until Windows 10 came out and switched it to 10. Then just today switched back to Win7 in order to use the Windows Media Center. I reimaging it back to April 2015...

Going to find out now first hand what you all were talking about.

This is what I experienced as well and what others were running into and reported. Where have you been? When the manual updater window pops up and starts spinning and spinning you'e dead in the water. Ain't nothn' gonna happen.

 

[c627627]

Hahaha. Yea, if I wrote that in a way that it seemed I was surprised - I wasn't.

Here is where I stand: This is really good, because personal independent confirmation of everything is great.
So if you do not do a clean install, which is easier and recommended, my results so far additionally confirm everything we have been saying.

• April 2015 servicing stack update for Windows 7
• 64-Bit April 2016 Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup update file
• May 2016 update rollup

DO NOT GET YOU FIXED.

I am now making a drive image in order to test TechWizard's theory of whether now pulled June 2016 Rollup is really required.


After imaging, I will apply the July 2016 Rollup which contains the June 2016 fixes, and test.
Then August 2016 and finally September 2016.

Looking to see where the fix pinpoint is.

I do want it to happen eventually, just to have that knowledge on what *exactly* is needed for a non-clean install too...

 

[TechWizard]

Looking to see where the fix pinpoint is.

It was after the August 2016 update for me when I did this test the first time weeks ago. Granted, I was indeed using the June AND July Roll up then.

I did go back and remove it, however, once we found the September Roll up release. I created a Slipstreamed Pro image last week and it worked perfectly without requiring the June Roll up - I had everything up to August installed on that Image at the time. Now all of my images have all updates slipstreamed up to/including the September Service stack. I should be getting a laptop delivered today to test it out on.

-- edit --

So to clarify - I do not use the June Roll up any more. It appears it was only required AT the time. They must have updated the July Roll up to contain whatever fix they required before removing the June Roll up download.

 

[c627627]

Glad you are following this, I now have an image containing everything we talked about PLUS May 2016 Rollup, which does not fix Windows 7 Update on non-clean installs.

Just applied July 2016 [which Microsoft says includes June 2016], and guess what, that's the one!

5-8 minutes after checking for updates after the July 2016 Rollup, it kicked in!!!

July 2016 is the one.


trents, you can add all this to the draft... if you'd like to use your own words.


So May 2016 doesn't do it, we all agree on that.
June 2016 has been pulled by Microsoft and is irrelevant because July 2016 includes June 2016 fixes and was tested to be the one.
I can repeat the test at any time, I have a post May 2016 drive image which doesn't work but as soon as the next monthly Rollup is applied [July 2016] - it gets Windows 7 working again.

 

[c627627]

This also clarifies a bit the theory you had trents regarding continuously updating Windows 7.
By (fortunate) chance - I had a Windows 7 image which was last updated in April of 2015. In April 2015, Windows 7 Update engine actually did work.

However, we can now freely say, based on tests, that if you did not update Windows 7 since April 2015, your Windows 7 Update is very likely very broken.
You need four things to fix it:

• April 2015 servicing stack update for Windows 7 file
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020369

• April 2016 Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup update file

• May 2016 update rollup
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3156417

• July 2016 update rollup file (which includes June 2016 updates).
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605



April 2016 Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup update file can only be downloaded using Microsoft Internet Explorer and no other browser from
http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Search.aspx?q=3125574

[You need to install the Microsoft Update Catalog Add-on to be able to Add the downloads to download "basket"...]
You need either a 32-Bit file or a 64-Bit file.
32-Bit Update for Windows 7 (KB3125574) 5/16/2016 316.0 MB
or
64-Bit Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3125574) 5/16/2016 476.9 MB

 

[trents]

Glad you are following this, I now have an image containing everything we talked about PLUS May 2016 Rollup, which does not fix Windows 7 Update on non-clean installs.

Just applied July 2016 [which Microsoft says includes June 2016], and guess what, that's the one!

5-8 minutes after checking for updates after the July 2016 Rollup, it kicked in!!!

July 2016 is the one.


trents, you can add all this to the draft... if you'd like to use your own words.


So May 2016 doesn't do it, we all agree on that.
June 2016 has been pulled by Microsoft and is irrelevant because July 2016 includes June 2016 fixes and was tested to be the one.
I can repeat the test at any time, I have a post May 2016 drive image which doesn't work but as soon as the next monthly Rollup is applied [July 2016] - it gets Windows 7 working again.

I'm not clear on what you want me to add. Have some of our previously slipstreamed elements become unnecessary? I had already added a comment that the June rollup was not necessary because it was included in the July rollup.

 

[c627627]

Sure, let me clarify.

Our original point was that it is not possible to install a working Windows 7 using *any* installation media officially released by Microsoft.
We therefore offered instructions on how to create installation media that will install fully working Windows 7.
Unless something changed recently, this still is the *only* thread on the internet that instructs you on how to fresh install a fully working Windows 7. You could not do that using any media or any instructions out there when this thread started.


Separate from all that, other people already had Windows 7 installed.
If they have not updated it in a while, it is as broken as if they fresh installed Windows 7.

Post above yours there ↑ lists what is required [four things] to get your already installed but broken Windows 7 working again.
That being different from our original intent, which is creation of working Window 7 installation media.


So in other words, we now know exactly how to both create a fresh install DVD/USB, and how to exactly make already installed Windows 7 working again, on systems where the update engine is broken, without using third-party software.

 

[trents]

That helps. Thanx. So these are the essential elements needed to get an in place updater broken Windows 7 installation to start updating again, correct?:

• April 2015 servicing stack update for Windows 7 file
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3020369

• April 2016 Windows 7 SP1 Convenience Rollup update file

• May 2016 update rollup
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3156417

• July 2016 update rollup file (which includes June 2016 updates).
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3172605

And the evidence of "brokenness" is the the absence of any updates since April 2015. Is this correct?

 

[c627627]

Yes, the definition of 'broken' is when you go to Windows 7 Update page, the search for updates is permanent, you are not able to see any list of updates to download.

We have discovered that four things are needed to be installed OFFLINE to fix the already installed, but broken Windows 7. You listed those four things correctly.
Working fresh install requires everything else we already listed, but a broken existing install can be fixed with those four.