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Question

Windows update stuck on searching for updates

by Sep 21, 2016 6:10AM PDT

I have Windows 7 and an Acer Aspire laptop. Recently I have been unable to download windows updates because it just continues to search for updates and never stops. I ran the update troubleshooter and it said that it was fixed, but it is not. Also, and I don't know if the problems are related, I can no longer update my Microsoft Security Essentials virus and spyware definitions. Thanks for any help and please keep it basic for me.

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4 Posts
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Answer
There Have Been A Few Recently That Require HOURS....
by Forum moderator Sep 21, 2016 9:28AM PDT

...or days to scan and find those updates. You're not alone here as we've had a few folks with similar problems. In most cases, after they let the machine scan for a couple of days, eventually the machine found the updates. Most feel it's because Microsoft may have transferred most of their bandwidth/resources to the new Windows 10, therefore previous versions of Windows are suffering. Also, if you're referring to Windows Defender definition updates, they also come from the standard Windows Updates process. It's all part of the same scanning process.

At this point, keep on trying and let it search longer.

Hope this helps.

Grif

Post was last edited on September 21, 2016 9:28 AM PDT

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Just last week one took a few days.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Sep 21, 2016 9:43AM PDT

My advice is to set it to automatic and check on in in a few weeks.

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Thank you
by elunceford Sep 21, 2016 10:11AM PDT

It's already set to update automatically, but it hasn't in a month. I'm going to follow Grif's advice and let it keep searching. Maybe eventually it will find the updates. Thanks for the advice.

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Thank you Grif!
by elunceford Sep 21, 2016 10:09AM PDT

That's a relief to hear. I will let it scan until (hopefully) it finds the updates. It hasn't done an update in a month, and that's way to long. Thanks so much for your help.

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