Problem with Windows Update

[Sly Boots]

Hey, strange issue has arisen with my machine since New Year's Eve.

Each day my Windows Update service tells me there's stuff to download, I click ok and then it just sits there doing nothing, not downloading a single byte of information.

I ran the Windows Update Troubleshooter tool, but it's the same deal. It initiates and looks like it's starting to do something, and it just sits there on the 'looking for updates' bar doing nothing.

Has anyone had this issue before and knows how to fix it? I ran a CC Cleaner and Malwarebytes scan the other day as I saw a suggestion online somewhere that might sort it, but still the same deal.

Running Windows 7 64-bit.

[Me]

Windows 7 update routine has a fault which causes it to occasionally take over a dozen hours to find the updates it wants. Just leave it going for as long as it wants. I've had several Pcs at work that we've had to leave all day and all night to get updates.

[Mantis]

It happens to me too. I generally just give up and shut down when it drags on for too long and then by the time I get around to updating again it sorts itself out.

[Sly Boots]

Hm... I generally turn mine on the morning (8ish), when I start the update process, and leave it on until I go to bed (11ish), and in that time it's not doing anything. Loath to leave it on overnight as it's in the bedroom and makes a bit of noise, but will maybe have to give it a go.

[Sly Boots]

It happens to me too. I generally just give up and shut down when it drags on for too long and then by the time I get around to updating again it sorts itself out.

Yeah... this has been a daily problem for the last 10 days, though, so getting a bit concerned something else is going on.

[DjchunKfunK]

It's Microsoft's way of telling you to upgrade to Windows 10.

[Sly Boots]

Never!

[Prey]

Windows 10 isn't bad. Honest.

[Sly Boots]

I daresay when I eventually upgrade my machine in a couple of year's time I'll get whatever is the newest decent OS then, but quite happy with 7 on this machine for the foreseeable future.

[Mantis]

Funnily enough this problem only started for me around the time that the Windows 10 free upgrade kept trying to force install itself onto my PC.

[Me]

Its been an issue with windows 7 update routine for years, it gets worse with each update created for windows 7.

[Sly Boots]

This is so weird but maybe someone technically minded could explain?

This problem has persisted for the past 6 months, periodically try to run the updates but it neither checks for new ones or downloads the ones it found on Dec 31st.

Today I plug in a new router as we've finally upgraded to fibre, and the Windows update immediately comes alive to say it's found 9 new updates (previously was 3), and not only that is now merrily downloading them.

Any idea what the issue might have been?

[Mantis]

Couldn't fit it all through the old pipes clearly.

[Sly Boots]

That's literally all I can think. Except the fibre hasn't been turned on yet...