Win 8 Slow Update

SeaYawl
NewLounger
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 Nov 2016, 20:12

Win 8 Slow Update

Post by SeaYawl »

Has anyone experienced a slowdown of Windows Update for 8.1? Woody Leonhard recently pointed me to a patch that restored speed of my Win 7 Update. Thank you Woody!

My other Win 8.1 computer searched for Updates for 9-1/2 hours with no result. Otherwise, this computer (Asus X202E, 4MB RAM, Win 8.1 64 bit, healthy per Norton 360 full system scan) works just fine. (BTW, but for N360 update, this computer has been off-line and not updated for well over a year).

My web searches yield many problems and patches for Win 7 Update, but little about Win 8. Is Win 8.1 having Slow Update issues too? Have any remedies surfaced?

Many thanks for your help.

User avatar
HansV
Administrator
Posts: 78236
Joined: 16 Jan 2010, 00:14
Status: Microsoft MVP
Location: Wageningen, The Netherlands

Re: Win 8 Slow Update

Post by HansV »

Welcome to Eileen's Lounge!

Updating of various Windows versions being slow is a tenacious problem, hard to solve. See 100% Solved:Checking for updates stuck and Updates taking long time to install in Windows 8.1 for some suggestions (the latter is relatively old, but it might still be relevant).
Best wishes,
Hans

SeaYawl
NewLounger
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 Nov 2016, 20:12

Re: Win 8 Slow Update

Post by SeaYawl »

Thank you HansV for links to possible solutions. I had found these in my own search, but would not have tried them without your recommendation.

PROGRESS REPORT:
I tried the first link 3 steps of 4. Hopefully I have done no harm operating at the DOS prompt. On Windows Update page, "Most recent check for updates:" and "Updates were installed:" now indicate "Never," which I hope is normal result of ipconfig /flushdns or the other updates in the process. So far, Windows Update continues as before to run over 1 hour with no results.

QUESTION:
My question is about the safety of step 4. Apparently it wants me to connect to a German website and download the updates that I need for Windows 8.1, thus bypassing the Microsoft update. Is this site safe? Do we have assurances that the code is clean?

Thank you for your help.

Sea Yawl

User avatar
HansV
Administrator
Posts: 78236
Joined: 16 Jan 2010, 00:14
Status: Microsoft MVP
Location: Wageningen, The Netherlands

Re: Win 8 Slow Update

Post by HansV »

ipconfig /flushdns merely clears the cache of internet addresses from your computer, to make sure that you visit up-to-date addresses. It doesn't do anything with your update history.
That Windows Update shows no history indicates that there is something wrong with the update mechanism on your computer.
I'd try the steps from Method 2 on Updates taking long time to install in Windows 8.1 first. This should repair the update mechanism, hopefully.
Best wishes,
Hans

SeaYawl
NewLounger
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 Nov 2016, 20:12

Re: Win 8 Slow Update

Post by SeaYawl »

Very good. Thank you Hans. I will try Method 2.

User avatar
stuck
Panoramic Lounger
Posts: 8127
Joined: 25 Jan 2010, 09:09
Location: retirement

Re: Win 8 Slow Update

Post by stuck »

You should also look at the advice on this page:
http://wu.krelay.de/en/
which can be simplified to:

First: Ensure your PC is NOT running the Windows update service in the background. Simplest way to do that is got to WU in the Control Panel and set WU to NEVER Check for updates and reboot

Second: install KB3177467 (Win 7) or KB3173424 (Win 8.1). This should NOT require a reboot but hey, this is WU so do it anyway.

Third: install KB3172605 (Win 7) or KB3172614 (Win 8.1). This will require a reboot so restart when requested.

Once that's done you can go back to the Control Panel and check for updates. It should take about 15-mins to complete the search.

Ken

SeaYawl
NewLounger
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 Nov 2016, 20:12

Re: Win 8 Slow Update

Post by SeaYawl »

Hans, Ken,
Yippee! SUCCESS! Windows Update now finds all necessary updates for my computer in less than 15 minutes.

Per Hans' link, I ran Methods 1 & 2 from "Updates Taking Long Time... " at Windows Community. No change: endless "Searching for updates..."
Then per Ken's link, I attempted to download a Servicing Stack Update and a July Rollup. For whatever reason, the July Rollup was unsuccessful.
I then went back and repeated Methods 1 & 2. Results were the same as the first time.
Then, on attempting again the Win 8.1 July Rollup (KB3172614), the download was successful.

At this point, Windows Update found all the updates necessary for my computer in less than 15 minutes.

I love a happy ending.

Thank you both for your help.

SeaYawl

User avatar
Rudi
gamma jay
Posts: 25455
Joined: 17 Mar 2010, 17:33
Location: Cape Town

Re: Win 8 Slow Update

Post by Rudi »

TX for the update and feedback.
Glad you came right. :cheers:
Regards,
Rudi

If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.

User avatar
stuck
Panoramic Lounger
Posts: 8127
Joined: 25 Jan 2010, 09:09
Location: retirement

Re: Win 8 Slow Update

Post by stuck »

SeaYawl wrote:...
I love a happy ending...l
Please do bear in mind that this fix will only last until the next time MS breaks it. At which point you need to go back the page I linked to and get the latest advice on which patches are required before attempting to check for updates.

Ken