I think it may be fixed now! (Windows 7 Update)

[trents]

The long-broken Windows 7 update, that is.

Today I did a clean install of Window 7 HP 64-bit SP1 on a laptop.

I disabled automatic updating as I always do and manually told it to search for updates. For several years when I have done this with a clean Windows 7 install it would download and install a few post SP1 files and a new version of Update. But at that point it would be broken. It always did this for me on many clean installs on many different machines.

But today it installed the new Update and immediately commenced to find, download and install 207 updates without a hitch. Manually launched update again and it found some more and installed them. I repeated this for several rounds and it all went down exactly like it should. I was shocked!

Now I know one experience with one machine is not enough to confirm this but it made me wonder if Microsoft has finally fixed this issue.

 

[caddi daddi]

come on Trents, M$ fixing windows is like generous motors fixing the chevette, aint never gonna happen.........

 

[EarthDog]

I'm confused, from that huge thread about the issue...I thought this didn't happen to everyone already? Do you have new install media?

I can't say I wrapped my head around the complicated fix(es) in that thread, so I am not sure if install media helped or if this was on the server side?

PS - Fixed your title to something searchable and relevant.

 

[trents]

No. Same install media I've used many times.

 

[EarthDog]

Cool, so something changed on their side.. wasn't a hitch in the media.

Again, was this is an issue that happened to everyone?

 

[knoober]

Again, was this is an issue that happened to everyone?

Mine didnt work until the fixes on the other thread. I seem to recall plenty of searching confirming it to be widespread

 

[caddi daddi]

I have two that I migrated to win 10 because of the glitch in updates so when I get some time I'll upgrade (?) them back to win 7.

 

[trents]

Cool, so something changed on their side.. wasn't a hitch in the media.

Again, was this is an issue that happened to everyone?

Can't say for sure. But what I can say is that it was always that way for me regardless of the media or the version of Windows 7 used. I think I can safely say it was a problem many, many Windows 7 users experienced.

 

[Alaric]

Ditto on the (previously? Yay!) broken Win7 Updater. I did multiple Win7 installs across several platforms for a few years and every one had the broken Updater. If M$ fixed this it will be a huge help. Especially those of us who have been putting off a clean install of a broken Win7 OS (I'm looking in the mirror).

 

['Cuda340]

Now I know one experience with one machine is not enough to confirm this but it made me wonder if Microsoft has finally fixed this issue.

Have noticed the same here.......Several installs over the last few weeks on varying hardware. All worked

 

[Tech Tweaker]

This is great news if true.

I tried three different install disks when I first noticed this issue, back around a month or two before the free Win 10 upgrade period ended. Had the same problem on all of them, but yet it was working on all of them some months before that.

I've been putting off a reinstall on one of my test systems just because I was dreading what I would have to go through to get updates working. Just because usually it takes me an hour or two to fix the updater issue, then another two or three hours to install all of the updates.

 

[c627627]

Given the fact that *every* installation media was broken for so long, it is pretty amazing that they managed to block *all* new Windows 7 installs all the way until March 2017.

If they wanted to fix this before, they could have, so the only reasonable assumption is someone filed (or threatened to file) a lawsuit which if won, would have then automatically included every Windows 7 legal license owner through a class action.


The only surprise here is the long length of time Microsoft effectively willingly blocked updates of all new Windows 7 installs, because _that's what was happening_ all this time...
Thanks for telling us about this news.

 

[Alaric]

 

[trents]

I used that same install disk I used in post #1 on a different machine this weekend and the updater worked flawlessly again.

I also tried a 32-bit Windows 7 install disc (without SP1) on an ancient laptop with DDR400 memory and only 512 gb of RAM and ran into problems with the updater. But the machine was so marginal it may have been the problem instead. I'll try it on a newer computer when I get a chance.

 

[trents]

Okay, 32-bit Windows 7 updater is apparently still broken. However, WSUS offline is working again for me. There was a period there a couple months ago it wouldn't work for me but other people reported no problems. Anyway, they have a newer version of WSUS offline that does work for me now.

 

[Alaric]

I'd like to throw a big "Thank you" out here to trents and c627627. They have gone above and beyond with all the Windows 7 update issues for more than a year and in multiple threads. Their efforts have saved a lot of folks from the Hell that is Windows 10 by helping them fix Windows 7 Updater. Thanks, trents and c627627. You and your work are appreciated.

edit: Fixed a poor post. I was in a hurry first time.

 

[trents]

Appreciate the kudos Alaric. But don't forget all the work that C6 (he did most of it) did and there were others who helped too, who served as testers, etc. like yourself.

 

[Alaric]

There were a few key people, but I saw you and c627627 still slugging away at it and thought you deserved a high five, at least. I was doing 5 other things and by the time I started typing I misplaced c6 in my memory. I meant to add him as well. I'll correct that immediately.

 

[habbajabba]

Hm. I left my tablet on manual update and not 2 days ago I saw the icon telling me it was downloading updates in the background (march rollup plus a couple others). Opened updates and it just worked. Went to my desktop same thing. Now at least I know to leave it disabled. God knows what bs mysterious updates ms has in store for 7 users who refuse 10. But I'm sure we'll all find out soon enough. Hello linux my old friend. Also a superspeed usb 3.1 drive makes a good live stick for windows or linux. I'm grabbing a 128gb version next week for my tablet backups as my wd 1tb elements drive has corrupted parts and spinrite is too little too late.