Windows 10 - Problem Downloading Updates

[OJAS]

For the past couple of weeks I have been informed that the following 2 updates are available for download to my laptop:-

* Update for Internet Explorer Flash Player for Windows 10 Version 1511 for x64-based systems (KB3133431)

* Security Update for Internet Explorer Flash Player for Windows 10 Version 1511 for x64-based systems (KB3132372)

However my laptop is steadfastly refusing to download these 2 particular updates for some mysterious reason, with "Downloading updates" not budging from 0%.

What, if anything, can I do in order to secure the downloading of these updates, please? I've tried rebooting the laptop several times, but this makes no difference.

[TheCruncher]

This not particular Windows 10 related, but when I recently installed a new Windows 7, the first time it would take more than 5 hours before the selected updates started downloading.

It would also take a similar time for complete a search for updates.

I posted a thread at that time and got replies from other members that experienced the same.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Click here and then scroll down to the answer..

[NeverSure]

Mine is also failing to download and install those. I think something is broken with update. This is an entirely different issue from where updates can take hours to begin to download and install.

[Chicog]

I'd start by running the Windows Update Troubleshooter.

Open Action Center, All Settings, search for Troubleshoot, and you'll find it there.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Post #3

[OJAS]

I'd start by running the Windows Update Troubleshooter.

Open Action Center, All Settings, search for Troubleshoot, and you'll find it there.

Where can I find Action Center, please? Not immediately obvious when I click on the Settings icon.

Mine is also failing to download and install those. I think something is broken with update. This is an entirely different issue from where updates can take hours to begin to download and install.

That's the impression I've got from Jiu-Jitsu's link in post #3 as well.

Edited January 11, 2016 by OJAS

[Chicog]

Same thing.

[OJAS]

Same thing.

No sign of anything labelled "Troubleshooter" under my Windows 10 Settings icon, I'm afraid.

And, when I search "Troubleshoot Windows Update" on the MS website, all that it comes up with is the following link which only applies to Windows 7 and, hence, is completely useless in my case:-

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Open-the-Windows-Update-troubleshooter

Clearly Microsoft seem to be of the view that Windows 10 is so ultra-perfect that no troubleshooting of this particular operating system is required on the part of its users. I strongly suspect that many of us may beg to differ on that point, though...

Edited January 11, 2016 by OJAS

[Pib]

Here's info on the Action Center: Link. More of a notification center more than anything else, but the notifications (if any) will sometimes has suggestions/link to attempt a fix.

Here a way to get to the troubleshooting menu. Right click on the Windows Start icon, select Control Panel, then under System and Security select the Find and Fix Problems subllink. Then pick whatever you think is appropriate.

Also, you might want to try running the Windows built-in System File Check command to check for and attempt any file corruption in parts of Windows that may be causing your problem. Do that by right clicking on the Windows Start command, select Command Prompt (Admin), then type in "sfc /scannow" If you never run it before in may take 20 minutes or so...faster in later runs. When finishing it will either say it didn't find in file integrity issues, found some and fixed them, or found some and couldn't fix all them all. Now don't go off the deep end if it finds some file integrity issues and can not fix them all of them if your computer is working OK as some issues it may find may not even being affecting your computer operation.

[OJAS]

Here's info on the Action Center: Link. More of a notification center more than anything else, but the notifications (if any) will sometimes has suggestions/link to attempt a fix.

Here a way to get to the troubleshooting menu. Right click on the Windows Start icon, select Control Panel, then under System and Security select the Find and Fix Problems subllink. Then pick whatever you think is appropriate.

Also, you might want to try running the Windows built-in System File Check command to check for and attempt any file corruption in parts of Windows that may be causing your problem. Do that by right clicking on the Windows Start command, select Command Prompt (Admin), then type in "sfc /scannow" If you never run it before in may take 20 minutes or so...faster in later runs. When finishing it will either say it didn't find in file integrity issues, found some and fixed them, or found some and couldn't fix all them all. Now don't go off the deep end if it finds some file integrity issues and can not fix them all of them if your computer is working OK as some issues it may find may not even being affecting your computer operation.

Many thanks for these tips.

Eventually managed to locate the Windows Update Troubleshooter via the Windows Start icon (it didn't occur to me previously to look there, I have to confess!). However I was informed that this couldn't identify the problem, even when I ran it as an Administrator.

Then ran the System File Check as you suggested and was eventually informed that Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

All in all I think that this reinforces the likelihood of the cause of my problem lying at the MS end.

Incidentally whenever I have run Windows Defender definitions updates manually this past fortnight, the download has proceeded so far then ground to a complete halt. Fortunately a complete reboot of my laptop has always resolved this particular issue (to date at any rate) - although I do wonder whether it might be part and parcel of the same Windows Update problem?

[Pib]

This may sound crazy but you might want to give it a try since it's easy, quick, and couldn't hurt. Switch to a different internet connection if possible or turn off/on your router/modem. Do this even if your internet browsing/emailing is OK.

Just today when checking for Windows updates on my Win 7 machine and after 10 minutes of the Windows update just trying to check for updates I switched the Wifi connection to my other access point in my house. I have separate access points for downstairs and upstairs. Once switching to the other access point and redoing the Windows update check it completed in about 30 seconds. But before I did the router switch I had been browsing on the internet no problem on the other access point. Computers can have very strange issues sometimes.

[thedemon]

If you have Settings/Time & language/Region & language//Country or region/ set to a country other than Thailand, try changing that to Thailand, reboot and run updates again.

If the updates then complete, afterwards you can revert to the previous country setting and future updates should still download OK.

[phazey]

It's to do with a previously failed attempt to download updates.

To fix, Right click on your C drive and select Tools

You're looking for "Disk Cleanup" and then "Cleanup system Files"

in the list is something you need to select like "previous system updates" - i'm at work so cant refer to a windows 10 device right now, but I have resolved a situation like you are experiencing now.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Here's info on the Action Center: Link. More of a notification center more than anything else, but the notifications (if any) will sometimes has suggestions/link to attempt a fix.

Here a way to get to the troubleshooting menu. Right click on the Windows Start icon, select Control Panel, then under System and Security select the Find and Fix Problems subllink. Then pick whatever you think is appropriate.

Also, you might want to try running the Windows built-in System File Check command to check for and attempt any file corruption in parts of Windows that may be causing your problem. Do that by right clicking on the Windows Start command, select Command Prompt (Admin), then type in "sfc /scannow" If you never run it before in may take 20 minutes or so...faster in later runs. When finishing it will either say it didn't find in file integrity issues, found some and fixed them, or found some and couldn't fix all them all. Now don't go off the deep end if it finds some file integrity issues and can not fix them all of them if your computer is working OK as some issues it may find may not even being affecting your computer operation.

Many thanks for these tips.

Eventually managed to locate the Windows Update Troubleshooter via the Windows Start icon (it didn't occur to me previously to look there, I have to confess!). However I was informed that this couldn't identify the problem, even when I ran it as an Administrator.

Then ran the System File Check as you suggested and was eventually informed that Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

All in all I think that this reinforces the likelihood of the cause of my problem lying at the MS end.

Incidentally whenever I have run Windows Defender definitions updates manually this past fortnight, the download has proceeded so far then ground to a complete halt. Fortunately a complete reboot of my laptop has always resolved this particular issue (to date at any rate) - although I do wonder whether it might be part and parcel of the same Windows Update problem?

Please tell me that you have already installed the updates manually.

If not, look here

Edited January 12, 2016 by Jiu-Jitsu

[Pib]

For KB3133431 MS says you can only get through Windows Update. See Note under How to install update. No mention of the second method offered many times where you can download the msu (Microsoft Update) file to manually install the update.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/894199

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3133431


For KB3132372 MS says you can only get if through Windows Update for Win10 (but you can get it manually for some earlier Windows versions like Win 8.1). See Note 1 under Method 1 in below link. But from what I've read KB132372 caused problems for a lot of people and KB3133431 was released a week later to patch/fix KB3132372.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3132372

Post #3 seems to talk primarily a different update of KB3087040

Edited January 12, 2016 by Pib

[OJAS]

This may sound crazy but you might want to give it a try since it's easy, quick, and couldn't hurt. Switch to a different internet connection if possible or turn off/on your router/modem. Do this even if your internet browsing/emailing is OK.

I access the internet through my mobile hotspot rather than a router/modem. I did, however, remove the SIM card from the mobile, placed it in a dongle and then accessed the internet again through that to see if this made any difference. It didn't.

If you have Settings/Time & language/Region & language//Country or region/ set to a country other than Thailand, try changing that to Thailand, reboot and run updates again.

If the updates then complete, afterwards you can revert to the previous country setting and future updates should still download OK.

My setting was already to Thailand.

It's to do with a previously failed attempt to download updates.

To fix, Right click on your C drive and select Tools

You're looking for "Disk Cleanup" and then "Cleanup system Files"

in the list is something you need to select like "previous system updates" - i'm at work so cant refer to a windows 10 device right now, but I have resolved a situation like you are experiencing now.

Right-clicked on C drive, then clicked on General tab followed by Disk Cleanup icon. Ran the disk cleanup after checking all unchecked boxes, but this did not solve the problem for me

[OJAS]

Please tell me that you have already installed the updates manually.

If not, look here

For KB3133431 MS says you can only get through Windows Update. See Note under How to install update. No mention of the second method offered many times where you can download the msu (Microsoft Update) file to manually install the update.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/894199

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3133431


For KB3132372 MS says you can only get if through Windows Update for Win10 (but you can get it manually for some earlier Windows versions like Win 8.1). See Note 1 under Method 1 in below link. But from what I've read KB132372 caused problems for a lot of people and KB3133431 was released a week later to patch/fix KB3132372.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3132372

Post #3 seems to talk primarily a different update of KB3087040

Looks like it'll be down to wifey's IT expert pal to sort out this problem for me then (if he can)!

[Pib]

Since you said you access the internet via a mobile hotspot you might want to check to ensure your Win 10 is not setup for a "metered" connection since supposedly that will prevent/delay download/install of certain updates I read somewhere.

See this link as to how to check and turn off/on metered connection. Link

[OJAS]

Since you said you access the internet via a mobile hotspot you might want to check to ensure your Win 10 is not setup for a "metered" connection since supposedly that will prevent/delay download/install of certain updates I read somewhere.

See this link as to how to check and turn off/on metered connection. Link

Ran your link only to discover that my metered connection was already turned off. So another dead end, it would seem, I'm afraid.

I was, however, wondering about whether how I install updates could affect things. At present this is the recommended Automatic setting, but what would be the implications of changing this to Notify To Schedule Restart? I already receive a prompt before my laptop can be rebooted to implement a particular update requiring this in any event!

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Since you said you access the internet via a mobile hotspot you might want to check to ensure your Win 10 is not setup for a "metered" connection since supposedly that will prevent/delay download/install of certain updates I read somewhere.

See this link as to how to check and turn off/on metered connection. Link

Ran your link only to discover that my metered connection was already turned off. So another dead end, it would seem, I'm afraid.

I was, however, wondering about whether how I install updates could affect things. At present this is the recommended Automatic setting, but what would be the implications of changing this to Notify To Schedule Restart? I already receive a prompt before my laptop can be rebooted to implement a particular update requiring this in any event!

Perhaps you should look at post #15 again, instead of allowing yourself to be distracted by other posters.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

For KB3133431 MS says you can only get through Windows Update. See Note under How to install update. No mention of the second method offered many times where you can download the msu (Microsoft Update) file to manually install the update.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/894199

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3133431

For KB3132372 MS says you can only get if through Windows Update for Win10 (but you can get it manually for some earlier Windows versions like Win 8.1). See Note 1 under Method 1 in below link. But from what I've read KB132372 caused problems for a lot of people and KB3133431 was released a week later to patch/fix KB3132372.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3132372

Post #3 seems to talk primarily a different update of KB3087040

You didn't click through post #15 at all, did you?

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Please tell me that you have already installed the updates manually.

If not, look here

For KB3133431 MS says you can only get through Windows Update. See Note under How to install update. No mention of the second method offered many times where you can download the msu (Microsoft Update) file to manually install the update.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/894199

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3133431

For KB3132372 MS says you can only get if through Windows Update for Win10 (but you can get it manually for some earlier Windows versions like Win 8.1). See Note 1 under Method 1 in below link. But from what I've read KB132372 caused problems for a lot of people and KB3133431 was released a week later to patch/fix KB3132372.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3132372

Post #3 seems to talk primarily a different update of KB3087040

Looks like it'll be down to wifey's IT expert pal to sort out this problem for me then (if he can)!

Words fail me....

[phazey]

This may sound crazy but you might want to give it a try since it's easy, quick, and couldn't hurt. Switch to a different internet connection if possible or turn off/on your router/modem. Do this even if your internet browsing/emailing is OK.

I access the internet through my mobile hotspot rather than a router/modem. I did, however, remove the SIM card from the mobile, placed it in a dongle and then accessed the internet again through that to see if this made any difference. It didn't.

If you have Settings/Time & language/Region & language//Country or region/ set to a country other than Thailand, try changing that to Thailand, reboot and run updates again.

If the updates then complete, afterwards you can revert to the previous country setting and future updates should still download OK.

My setting was already to Thailand.

It's to do with a previously failed attempt to download updates.

To fix, Right click on your C drive and select Tools

You're looking for "Disk Cleanup" and then "Cleanup system Files"

in the list is something you need to select like "previous system updates" - i'm at work so cant refer to a windows 10 device right now, but I have resolved a situation like you are experiencing now.

Right-clicked on C drive, then clicked on General tab followed by Disk Cleanup icon. Ran the disk cleanup after checking all unchecked boxes, but this did not solve the problem for me

Did you select the "clean system files" button at the bottom of the dialog ?

[Pib]

For KB3133431 MS says you can only get through Windows Update. See Note under How to install update. No mention of the second method offered many times where you can download the msu (Microsoft Update) file to manually install the update.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/894199

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3133431

For KB3132372 MS says you can only get if through Windows Update for Win10 (but you can get it manually for some earlier Windows versions like Win 8.1). See Note 1 under Method 1 in below link. But from what I've read KB132372 caused problems for a lot of people and KB3133431 was released a week later to patch/fix KB3132372.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3132372

Post #3 seems to talk primarily a different update of KB3087040

You didn't click through post #15 at all, did you?

Nope, I didn't. That does get KB31 downloaded.

[OJAS]

Since you said you access the internet via a mobile hotspot you might want to check to ensure your Win 10 is not setup for a "metered" connection since supposedly that will prevent/delay download/install of certain updates I read somewhere.

See this link as to how to check and turn off/on metered connection. Link

Ran your link only to discover that my metered connection was already turned off. So another dead end, it would seem, I'm afraid.

I was, however, wondering about whether how I install updates could affect things. At present this is the recommended Automatic setting, but what would be the implications of changing this to Notify To Schedule Restart? I already receive a prompt before my laptop can be rebooted to implement a particular update requiring this in any event!

Perhaps you should look at post #15 again, instead of allowing yourself to be distracted by other posters.

But the link in post #15 is not to an official MS website to the best of my knowledge! How can I be 100% sure that downloading update KB3133431 from the Softpoint site won't compromise my IT security and introduce bugs which hackers could exploit? And precisely on what grounds do you consider Pib's clear statements in post #16 that according to MS KB3133431 and KB3132372 can only be obtained through Windows Update (which then brings us back to my original post) to be distracting?

[OJAS]

Please tell me that you have already installed the updates manually.

If not, look here

For KB3133431 MS says you can only get through Windows Update. See Note under How to install update. No mention of the second method offered many times where you can download the msu (Microsoft Update) file to manually install the update.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/894199

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3133431

For KB3132372 MS says you can only get if through Windows Update for Win10 (but you can get it manually for some earlier Windows versions like Win 8.1). See Note 1 under Method 1 in below link. But from what I've read KB132372 caused problems for a lot of people and KB3133431 was released a week later to patch/fix KB3132372.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3132372

Post #3 seems to talk primarily a different update of KB3087040

Looks like it'll be down to wifey's IT expert pal to sort out this problem for me then (if he can)!

Words fail me....

Well, words certainly failed you in posts #3 & #15, when you merely provided a couple of links with zilch by way of any advice or explanation of your own to guide this particular IT simpleton!

[TheCruncher]

Since you said you access the internet via a mobile hotspot you might want to check to ensure your Win 10 is not setup for a "metered" connection since supposedly that will prevent/delay download/install of certain updates I read somewhere.

See this link as to how to check and turn off/on metered connection. Link

Ran your link only to discover that my metered connection was already turned off. So another dead end, it would seem, I'm afraid.

I was, however, wondering about whether how I install updates could affect things. At present this is the recommended Automatic setting, but what would be the implications of changing this to Notify To Schedule Restart? I already receive a prompt before my laptop can be rebooted to implement a particular update requiring this in any event!

Perhaps you should look at post #15 again, instead of allowing yourself to be distracted by other posters.

But the link in post #15 is not to an official MS website to the best of my knowledge! How can I be 100% sure that downloading update KB3133431 from the Softpoint site won't compromise my IT security and introduce bugs which hackers could exploit? And precisely on what grounds do you consider Pib's clear statements in post #16 that according to MS KB3133431 and KB3132372 can only be obtained through Windows Update (which then brings us back to my original post) to be distracting?

You can download any updates straight from Microsoft.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/search/result.aspx?q=kb+3133431&form=dlc

[OJAS]

It's to do with a previously failed attempt to download updates.

To fix, Right click on your C drive and select Tools

You're looking for "Disk Cleanup" and then "Cleanup system Files"

in the list is something you need to select like "previous system updates" - i'm at work so cant refer to a windows 10 device right now, but I have resolved a situation like you are experiencing now.

Right-clicked on C drive, then clicked on General tab followed by Disk Cleanup icon. Ran the disk cleanup after checking all unchecked boxes, but this did not solve the problem for me

Did you select the "clean system files" button at the bottom of the dialog ?

Indeed I did, But all it seemed to do was to take me through the Disk Cleanup process all over again (which I duly did, though)!

[Pib]

OP,

I can understand your concern about not being able to download directly for Microsoft, but with that being said here's another website (TenForum) where the KB31133431, which supposedly replaces the problem prone KB3132372, can be downloaded. Link.

I can also understand your concern about just getting the update(s) to download via Windows Update, because there will be more updates coming. A person wants the Windows Update function working.

Pib