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

[TechWizard]

Well if you F2 a file, you only get the file name highlighted - not its extension, right?


Absolutely (most) already running Windows 7 installations are functioning fine and will continue updating until 2020.
I am of the opinion, however, that fresh installations of original Windows 7 [or original Windows 7 with SP1 integrated] would still result in hours of inability to get your Windows 7 up to 2016 state.

I do not think this has to do with manual vs automatic.
it has to do with whether your machine's starting point is 2016 (with instructions above) or 2009 (original Win7) or 2011 (Win7+SP1) - if your starting point is 2011 or earlier installation, you are likely in for a multi-hour problem situation because Windows 7 Update itself needs to be newer than that (updated) to get hundreds and hundreds of patches through correctly.

That is why fresh install of 2016 Win7 iso is absolutely the quickest way set up Windows 7 on any machine.

Your start point doesn't matter. I'm finding even with my 2016 updated version of Win 7 Ent the updater being broken is still persisting.

I don't think you're hearing me when I say this isn't a guaranteed method on multiple machines. I've said it before and I will say it again that these updating issues vary model to model/machine to machine. Just because it has worked on 1 or 2 of your computers doesn't mean it is going to work cross platform on various brands and models. That's the issue I am running into. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.

 

[c627627]

Sure.
Let's clarify. "Starting point" means, format hard drive, install 2016 Windows 7 iso made as instructed in post#1. At least one person already posted that they did that and Windows Update only gave them a few updates to install, rather than hundreds, proof that this worked, for them.

So for what you are saying to be true, what's needed is for someone to have a blank hard drive, install 2016 .iso, and not be able to get updates - for us to conclude that there are more problems with Windows 7 then we think.
Until then, whatever happened to those machines before hand theoretically may influence their current state.


In other words:
This thread is supposed to address brand new fresh installation of Windows 7 *only*.
Not machines with already installed Windows 7 that you are trying to bring up to 2016.
We have established that those are in a world of pain, in many threads on the forums...

 

[trents]

Let me put it this way. I never see this issue on OEM machines with factory Windows 7 installations. In my experience, they all seem to get their updates without issue when left on automatic. The only time I have an update problem is when I have to reinstall the OS on such a machine or install it from scratch on a custom built computer.

 

[TechWizard]

Sure.
Let's clarify. "Starting point" means, format hard drive, install 2016 Windows 7 iso made as instructed in post#1. At least one person already posted that they did that and Windows Update only gave them a few updates to install, rather than hundreds, proof that this worked, for them.

So for what you are saying to be true, what's needed is for someone to have a blank hard drive, install 2016 .iso, and not be able to get updates - for us to conclude that there are more problems with Windows 7 then we think.
Until then, whatever happened to those machines before hand theoretically may influence their current state.


In other words:
This thread is supposed to address brand new fresh installation of Windows 7 *only*.
Not machines with already installed Windows 7 that you are trying to bring up to 2016.
We have established that those are in a world of pain, in many threads on the forums...

These machines are getting a brand new fresh installation on a fresh brand new hard drive. My company buys SSD's separate from the model of HP laptops they buy. I swap out the conventional HDD and swap in the SSD. I then install Win 7. I don't get how I am giving you the impression I am having issues with machines that already have Win 7 on them. I am doing everything from a fresh install and I have run into issues at different points on each machine.

Hence trying to create a build of Windows 7 Enterprise that starts you off at with Windows updated to May 2016. Which I have accomplished and installed on several machines now. I am now 5 for 5 with the updates being stuck with my new new new build on brand new fresh installs of Windows 7. I have built this image from scratch 4 times now just to be sure I am not making a single mistake.

I won't get to it today, but the new plan is to add the June, July, and August Roll Ups and hope for the best. I'm out of ideas after that will have to troubleshoot each computer individually if they don't display the updates correctly after that point. I have end users who WILL submit tickets if their updates are broken and will use it as an excuse as to why their laptop is "broken and can't get any work done".

 

[trents]

I was keying on your reply in post #16. Perhaps I misunderstood what you said or you misunderstood what I was asking. You said the automated as well as the manual updating was broken. If this is true, then why don't we see it on machines that have had Windows 7 installed for several years. What is the difference? I'm not trying to be contentious, I'm just trying to understand what is causing different behavior in these two scenarios. What happens that needs to happen in the machine using the slow, incremental over time automated process for several years that is not happening in the reinstallation scenario? Is it the time element itself? Does the process need days or weeks to take inventory of what has been installed before it can install new updates?

And even the manual install works fine up to and including SP1. it's broken as soon as SP1 is installed.

 

[c627627]

...or install it from scratch on a custom built computer.

So the hypothesis is that this will no longer be the case with 2016 Windows7Updated.iso.

TechWizard, are you talking about using the instructions in post#1, only with the word ENTERPRISE inserted instead of the word ULTIMATE and everything else is exactly the same when you create Windows7Updated.iso as posted in post#1?

In other words, you did this in step 4:
Dism /Mount-WIM /WimFile:C:\Win7SP1ISO\sources\install.wim /Name:"Windows 7 ENTERPRISE" /MountDir:C:\Win7SP1ISO\offline

Or are you talking about using installation media you made using instructions found on other web sites?

 

[TechWizard]

I was keying on your reply in post #16. Perhaps I misunderstood what you said or you misunderstood what I was asking. You said the automated as well as the manual updating was broken. If this is true, then why don't we see it on machines that have had Windows 7 installed for several years. What is the difference? I'm not trying to be contentious, I'm just trying to understand what is causing different behavior in these two scenarios. What happens that needs to happen in the machine using the slow, incremental over time automated process for several years that is not happening in the reinstallation scenario? Is it the time element itself? Does the process need days or weeks to take inventory of what has been installed before it can install new updates?

And even the manual install works fine up to and including SP1. it's broken as soon as SP1 is installed.

Yes, both form of updates have failed on me. It is random at best. The only consistency being it WILL break everytime after installing SP1. Now that I have an image that has SP1 installed on it that WORKS that is not the issue. It also has the Convenience Roll Up working as well - I can see both updates in "Installed Updates". It appears when the Updater is broken I cannot get Roll Ups to manually install (June, July, or August). They just do the same thing the Updater does and indefinitely "Search for previous updates". At this point I am giving up on the Updater and focusing on creating an image that installs Win 7 and ALL of the updates.

So the problem now is that even though both large packs of updates are working the Updater is still broken and will not fetch the last few updates it needs past May 16th 2016. I have no idea what the issue could be, other than Windows 7 Enterprise in particular is messed up beyond belief.

I honestly think if I left it alone over night it - might - find the updates. And that is a big might. I have left several computers over night searching for updates and came back in the morning to them still searching. I can't work with that, not at the rate I need to get these computers done. I really wish I could give you guys some useful diagnostic information, but unfortunately I know what I have been posting is extremely ambiguous and all over the place. Hence my frustration with the issue.

I think Windows updates is just plain broke on Enterprise and my only option is to inject every single update I need. I think it has to do with a very large bug in the registry. If I had the time right now I would sit down and start learning this so I could possibly get a handle on it, but I am hoping for a simpler solution by adding all the updates into my image.

TechWizard, are you talking about using the instructions in post#1, only with the word ENTERPRISE inserted instead of the word ULTIMATE and everything else is exactly the same when you create Windows7Updated.iso as posted in post#1?

In other words, you did this in step 4:
Dism /Mount-WIM /WimFile:C:\Win7SP1ISO\sources\install.wim /Name:"Windows 7 ENTERPRISE" /MountDir:C:\Win7SP1ISO\offline

Yes, I did this. The only difference being my file paths. I understand how to use DISM. I'm not knocking your guide by any means. I'm just saying this particular build is not working for the models I have at hand with Win 7 Enterprise.

I hope you guys aren't taking anything I am saying out of context. I'm not trying to be contentious either. I am just worn out on Microsoft's BS. I watched this issue develop and get worse and worse from June into July, until it was finally broken 100% across every computer I had with a fresh install of Windows after the Windows 10 update period ended on July 29th.

In addition, I had several computers that could not install updates well before the Win 10 update period ended, but these were computers I was monitoring remotely and do not know what has been done to them in the past. I think this problem is wider spread than it appears and is heavily effecting Enterprise users, but not many people notice or report it since it's a "work computer".

 

[c627627]

All I can say is that *multiple* times after making ever slight deviation from what was finally written, I also messed up the creation of the final iso.

However, once the final. iso is made, your machine should be in 2016 state OFFLINE before you ever get to Windows Update.

I am sorry for your frustration and hope that others don't experience the same thing.

 

[trents]

I just right click and choose "Copy" from the menu and then right click and "Paste" in the destination folder.

 

[c627627]

Copy file name or copy file... I am talking about file name.

 

[trents]

Copy file name or copy file... I am talking about file name.

Oh, sorry. I didn't catch that.

 

[Alaric]

The Update Catalog wants to install, with no option to just download and save it. The other two don't seem to be a problem. I'm doing this from in W10 if that makes a difference. Apparently I'm not as smart as a four year old. LOL

 

[knoober]

The Update Catalog wants to install, with no option to just download and save it. The other two don't seem to be a problem. I'm doing this from in W10 if that makes a difference. Apparently I'm not as smart as a four year old. LOL

I did mine from Win10

I also downloaded the update catalog with no issues. I will test it again and report back if any issues arise - perhaps there is something wrong with the link.

 

[c627627]

Alaric, sometimes you do what I do, which is do things *very quickly*.
Creating an all inclusive Windows 7 2016 .iso can be done in minutes if you slowly read things twice and pay good attention to every step.
Or it can take several hours if you try to make things quicker and make even a tiny mistake...

When I wrote the Internet Explorer part of instructions, for the first time ever, I skipped the 'four-year-old' approach to instructions and sure enough that's the one that came back as a problem.

Here are revised instructions, THANK YOU for posting about what gave you pause, and please post again, if anything else is not absolutely 100% clear.


This is the download link which only works with Internet Explorer and not other browsers:

http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Search.aspx?q=3125574

You should get an Internet Explorer pop-up at the bottom of the screen:
This website wants to install the following add-on: 'Microsoft Update Catalog' from 'Microsoft Corporation'.

Click on Install.

[You need to install the Microsoft Update Catalog Add-on to be able to Add the downloads to download "basket"...]

Click on Add next to these two entries:
Update for Windows 7 (KB3125574) 5/16/2016 316.0 MB
Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3125574) 5/16/2016 476.9 MB

Click on view basket > Download > Browse.... to where you'd like to save these two files > OK > Continue >

The downloads will begin to your chosen directory destination.

 

[Alaric]

Ahhh! I see (said Ray Charles). My error was in assuming the Update Catalog was the rollup. You nailed the "read fast" problem. Oops. You aren't the first one to find me coming up short in the 4 year old vs. me brain challenge. I have a couple ex wives who would high five you on that.

Downloading both now.

 

[c627627]

It was actually useful that you did so additional info can be added and clarified.
Be sure to post anything else that doesn't go 100%

 

[Alaric]

I'll be making an .iso from my install DVD with ImgBurn for this. Are there any known problems with that? Or do I need to get the .iso from M$? With my slow internet speeds it would be much faster to make the .iso myself instead of downloading it.

This (OS installation) is not normally a process which stymies me. LOL But having experienced the W7 broken updater first hand, I'm going at this as if this is the first time I've used a computer. You (c627627) have solved a lot of Winders problems here at OCF, so the process will be exactly to your specs. Hence, the seemingly dumb questions.

 

[c627627]

You can use your own Win7+SP1 if you already have it for Step 0.

 

[TechWizard]

I was finally able to get a chance to finish adding the June, July, and August Roll Ups to my image and it seems to have finally circumvented the updater being broken. Windows still finds and needs to install 71 updates, but this is far better than what I had been dealing with.

It looks like the largest updates left that it pulled was IE 11 and the Windows 7 Readiness Tool. I plan on adding both of those and maybe a few other updates above 50MB to my image. So this is method is doable with Windows 7 Enterprise you just have to acquire and inject SP1, April Service Stacking Update, the Convenience Roll Up, and June, July, And August updates.

 

[c627627]

Is there a May 2016 update or is May included already?
If you or someone else posted official links where to download the June, July and August 2016 updates, then it would probably help whoever hits this thread doing a search...