Win7 Stalling Windows Updates

[HarryM1BYT]

For many months, I have had problems with Windows Update repeatedly trying to download Updates and failing, complaining with an error code. Searching on that code and trying lots of fixes, had got me nowhere. Sometimes, I could get a single file/ single part to actually download and update, but usually it would stall at the 'Preparing to install, with the rolling green band below.

Worse still, the continual attempts to upgrade in the background were slowing my laptop to a crawl.

Due to the Win10 upgrade, I thought I ought to concentrate a bit more on solving the issue, so I then spent several evenings trying solution after solution, until I became fed up with the process.

Yesterday evening I found a fix, which does at last seemed to have fixed the problem. The folder C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution - if the entire contents of that folder is selected with Ctrl + A, right click then select delete and the entire contents deleted including all of the the sub folders, update began at last to work again.

The suggestion is that a file or files can become corrupted during download, which causes the problem.

[HarryM1BYT]

The above seemed to work for a few updates, but the win10 replacement for Win7 still complained. I just got around to having another look at the problem and I think I finally solved it completely - or at least Win10 is now installed and working fully.

It would seem to have been a virus, which affects just the Windows Update URL via a proxy setting. Other sites and other downloads worked fine...

After trying all the suggested fixes again for the problem, I came acorss one suggestion to run a scan with a free version of Malwarebytes. It found 75 PUP files and just one with a name of PROXY, which I suspect was the cause. Once it had deleted those, the Win10 upgrade went ahead at full speed. It found just one incompatible bit of software, which makes an emergency boot disk for Win7 which it objected to and uninstalled.

Win10 seems no faster and no slower than Win7. In some ways it appears to be a plainer visual interface than 7, which is a change in tack from Microsoft with each version offering a fancier visuals than the one before.

[Walter]

Have you got windows 10 up and running, if so update it ,then try re-setting computer. It will remove all of the old Windows 7 back up files which are stored on your PC, then you will get benifit of the Windows 10 operating system,have done this on 3 Pc desktops and much faster etc. Worth a try

[HarryM1BYT]

If you mean reboot it, when you mentioned resetting it - yes I have already done that a few times.

[Walter]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

If you mean reboot it, when you mentioned resetting it - yes I have already done that a few times.

no, go to settings ,page for checking for updates-click on recovery- and I personally never saved any files, it will install a fresh version of Windows 10, once its finished you download any apps etc you want, its a fresh instal. Have done on 3 hard drives and much better /faster computer

[Kennyeth]

Just a reminder about Win10.
Once you have it installed and your registered computer for the first time, you can reinstall again but this time when it asks what to save you tell it nothing and you get a clean install. From then on you can download and reinstall Windows as many times as you wish.
Please backup your stuff if you are going to do this.
Ken.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Walter

no, go to settings ,page for checking for updates-click on recovery- and I personally never saved any files, it will install a fresh version of Windows 10, once its finished you download any apps etc you want, its a fresh instal. Have done on 3 hard drives and much better /faster computer

Oh, I see now. No I could not do that, there is far too much on my laptop other than Win10. Years and years of emails, passwords and so on - it would take me months to get everything back in place.