Fresh Win7 install, updates hanging

[LetsPlayThisBro]

I did a fresh install of Win7 on a friend's laptop. I grabbed the Ethernet driver from another PC so I could get his online. I was able to get it to go online fairly easily.

Then, when I go to Windows update, it downloads the installer update, I restart the system, and then I try to install updates it tells me it's "checking for updates" and just hangs there, I let it run for an hour and it just hangs as "checking for updates" I've done multiple attempts, multiple reboots.

I wonder if it's something on the Windows update side of things, or if there is a problem with his rig in some other way, it didn't seem to have any issues up to that point. The internet connection was strong so I don't understand the hang. I could understand if it was in the process of downloading/installing updates, but it seems to hang just attempting to acquire the list of available updates.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[azaran]

One thing that can ah heck up updates is the time/date settings. Usually if this is the case it'll give an error code, but I've had it do that endless cycle that you're running in to. Default settings should of course work, but if you in and change the "Internet Time Settings" from time.windows.com (the default) to time.nist.gov it can kick Windows in the ass to update correctly.

 

[noidea_77]

It simple takes a hell lot of time to identify the updates and that may take over an hour. Download the SP1 and installed it, if it's not part of the install DVD. You may also download the newest IE and media player this way.

 

[LetsPlayThisBro]

Going to try the time set change, even though when I installed it prompted the accurate time. The Win7 distro I have is SP1 so I don't think that's the issue, but after I do the time thing I will also let it roll for at least 90 minutes just to see if it's a matter of needing more time to process the updates.

If neither of those things work I don't know what my next step would be.

 

[noidea_77]

Going to try the time set change, even though when I installed it prompted the accurate time. The Win7 distro I have is SP1 so I don't think that's the issue, but after I do the time thing I will also let it roll for at least 90 minutes just to see if it's a matter of needing more time to process the updates.

If neither of those things work I don't know what my next step would be.

open resmon.exe and monitor the network activities. No connection to a M$ server after a while points to another problem. Take a look in event viewer as well. You may find hints to the root cause there.

 

[LetsPlayThisBro]

Good idea, dunno why I didn't think of that. I'm just having all kinds of bad luck with computers this weekend, my main gaming rig's SSD bought it, at least I think that's the root cause on that one, so I'm down to my laptop with good'ole Ubuntu on it. I would have never offered to help my friend with his laptop if I knew my main SSD was going to buy the farm. But here I am dealing with both issues when I thought I was just going to have a lazy weekend.

 

[LetsPlayThisBro]

Ok, I powered down that system about 3 hours ago and I was able to access the internet through the ethernet port after I installed the drivers for it. I turn the thing back on and suddenly it's not recognizing the connection, again. It tells me the cable isn't plugged in, same thing it said before I installed the driver in the first place. So I uninstalled and reinstalled all the drivers I used last time to get it to work, and reboot, no good, can't get on the net. I'm ready to give up and get him to get Dell to deal with it. I've never had so many problems with any computer ever before, everything I try that I know usually works is just no good for it.

 

[noidea_77]

Ok, I powered down that system about 3 hours ago and I was able to access the internet through the ethernet port after I installed the drivers for it. I turn the thing back on and suddenly it's not recognizing the connection, again. It tells me the cable isn't plugged in, same thing it said before I installed the driver in the first place. So I uninstalled and reinstalled all the drivers I used last time to get it to work, and reboot, no good, can't get on the net. I'm ready to give up and get him to get Dell to deal with it. I've never had so many problems with any computer ever before, everything I try that I know usually works is just no good for it.

So what was the reason for the initial re-install? Maybe the root cause for all this is a dieing harddrive or so?

 

[LetsPlayThisBro]

He had some kind of wacky virus/malware nonsense going on and the whole rig was sluggish and had a bunch of crapware on it he never used. I suggested a fresh version of Win7 that didn't have all the Dell crapware and then decide if he wanted to go to 10. I had to find his windows key because he wore off the printed one on the underside of it due to it being several years old.

I've done fresh installs of Windows/Ubuntu multiple multiple times with all laptops/pc's I've owned personally, I figured oh it will take 6 hours but will hopefully fix his issues. I need to figure out and show that his hard drive is failing if that's the real cause of all this. I'm not sure how keen he is about laying out any money for a new hard drive when in reality he may need a whole new laptop anyway. I'm not sure how I prove to him that it's the hard drive other than to tell him to take my word for it because after all this that seems to be the obvious thing, some hardware issue most likely the hard drive.

It's an AMD processor and he never used a cooling pad of any kind with it, so it could just be everything is starting to burn out or it would explain the short HD lifespan.

 

[noidea_77]

He had some kind of wacky virus/malware nonsense going on and the whole rig was sluggish and had a bunch of crapware on it he never used. I suggested a fresh version of Win7 that didn't have all the Dell crapware and then decide if he wanted to go to 10. I had to find his windows key because he wore off the printed one on the underside of it due to it being several years old.

I've done fresh installs of Windows/Ubuntu multiple multiple times with all laptops/pc's I've owned personally, I figured oh it will take 6 hours but will hopefully fix his issues. I need to figure out and show that his hard drive is failing if that's the real cause of all this. I'm not sure how keen he is about laying out any money for a new hard drive when in reality he may need a whole new laptop anyway. I'm not sure how I prove to him that it's the hard drive other than to tell him to take my word for it because after all this that seems to be the obvious thing, some hardware issue most likely the hard drive.

It's an AMD processor and he never used a cooling pad of any kind with it, so it could just be everything is starting to burn out or it would explain the short HD lifespan.

Last chance: http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/SLN129400/EN

 

[LetsPlayThisBro]

Ha, funny thing, one of his issues was a lack of hard drive space, so I removed the dell partition and merged them before I even did the fresh 7 install. I ran error checking on the drive before I ever even did that and it said it was functioning normally. I think he's going to need to order the Dell Recovery crap but I don't even think it's worth it because after paying for that I think he will find the laptop is ready to die.