Question Windows 7 updates - some failed to install, many (?) missing ?

[hondochica]

Greetings;

I pulled out my old desktop that hasn't been used in 8+ years. It's a Win 7 home premium 64 bit system w/ service pack 1 installed. Before I put it in storage - I (tried) to install all the updates available as of 11/2015. I now see that many of those updates failed. And I haven't gotten updates after that date.

1) I'm assuming I need to find and re-install those updates that failed - is the downloaded file saved on the hard drive somewhere, that I can 're-run'? - or do i need to re-download/install?

2) I found the Microsoft Update Catalog - this could take HOURS - to find, download and install all those updates issued after 11/2015! If I Have to take this route: I'm assuming I have to start at the oldest update and work forward. Is there a quicker fix? Do I need ALL the 'win 7 updates listed in the catalog?

3) I see "hotfix"es in the catalog: have never seen these before - are they critical?/necessary?

4) Perhaps most important: I'm thinking I should back-up/create a restore point - whatever - before I undertake this monumental task - what's the best option?

I would appreciate any guidance you can provide. thanks so much

Kelly

 

[Ralston18]

Full system hardware specs?

What is the driving requirement to install Windows 7?

Support ended in January 2020 except for some security updates that ended in January 2023.

Very likely that after such a long period of disuse there is a good chance that some component will fail.

Probably (per Mr. Murphy) right after you get all the updates etc. installed.

My guidance is to forgo the project, salvage what you can, and responsibly recycle the rest.

 

[hondochica]

@Ralston18 - thanks for the reply. I'm not 'installing' win 7; it's been on this computer since 2010; just trying to update the OS. I like Win 7 and I really don't have the time/interest in learning a new OS - even if it's still windows. My sister has Win 10 and I HATE working on her computer. so here I am.

basic specs:
Windows 7 home premium 64 bit (x64) - 6.1.7601; Service Pack 1; Build 7601
AMD Athlon II X2 250 processor 3.0 ghz dual core;
Memory -RAM: 4.0 GB
Nividia GeForce gpu

I certainly get the Murphy's law conundrum - however - like I said - I'm more willing to put time into this computer than upgrade/change - maybe I'll get lucky! I use this computer for basic stuff: internet; movies/tv; email - nothing special.

so . . .

Kelly

 

[Ralston18]

Without knowing how your sister has set up her Window's 10 computer it is indeed still her computer.

And many people find it difficult working on someone's computer.

Consider that if you move to Windows 10/11 then you can set up your computer your way....

Any way, fair enough, but do be thinking ahead for when you will ultimately need to change.

 

[USAFRet]

I pulled out my old desktop that hasn't been used in 8+ years.

So this Win 7 install isn't updating properly. Not unusual, for an OS that is long out of support.

What have you been using in the interim?

 

[BFG-9000]

WindowsUpdate servers for Win7 were shut down Jan 16th 2023 so when you go to manually install a driver, it can't check the WHQL certificate to see if it's genuine/authentic. Fortunately it's a lot easier to disable driver signing in Windows 7.

legacyupdate.net has a working mirror/WSUS proxy server of the old WindowsUpdate catalog for Windows and Office to restore WindowsUpdate functionality. There's also an executable there to replace the WindowsUpdate link in the start menu to go directly to Legacy Update

While the security improvements of such obsolete updates doesn't make online usage any less iffy as these updates are very old, it wasn't just security fixes in them but also some compatibility issues that were found and fixed

 

[BFG-9000]

Legacy Update is pretty much just like the manual WindowsUpdate run in Internet Explorer for previous versions of Windows. If you last updated in 2015 then it would probably be a good idea to first manually install the Convenience Update from 2016 that most people call SP2.

BTW your CPU has POPCNT in SSE4a, so is compatible with but not supported by Windows 11 24H2 and later (earlier CPUs such as Core 2 are not). Windows 10 is fully supported on that system but goes end-of-life October 14th 2025. And 4GB of RAM is kind of the minimum nowadays.

You can make Windows 10 or 11 look like Windows 7 without the Aeroglass effects using utilities such as Stardock Start11 or WindowBlinds 11. Unfortunately the code for Aero was removed from Windows 10 back in build 1909.

Why go through the trouble of updating? Chrome of course quit being updated in Windows 7 as of v109 in January 2023 but Firefox 115ESR is still sort-of kept updated in the same way Firefox 52ESR mostly kept working after the end of Windows XP/POSReady2009--it just got glitchier with more and more broken things over time, because it wasn't the main branch that got all of the attention. If you only wanted to use it offline then Windows 7 works as well as it ever did, but internet; movies/tv; email is a pretty tall order that will get worse over time especially if any banking or shopping is involved.

If you do want to try Windows 10 or 11, I'd suggest buying a SATA SSD and disconnecting your Windows 7 drive before installing anything, so you can always go back to exactly the way it was. The days of free upgrades from Windows 7 are long past so just install it without a key (the installer for 11 must be made with Rufus or Tiny11) and put up with the nag watermark for now as you are only trying it out. If you can get it to where it's tolerable to you then that's great, and if not then you have a handy extra disk to copy backups of your data to.

 

[DSzymborski]

The thing is, you can make Windows 10 look and function basically like Windows 7 with things like Start10.

 

[hondochica]

wow! ok . . . . Ya' Know . . . I started all this cuz I can't install my Bitdefender software w/o additional updates . . . NOTHING is easy anymore!

@USAFRet - thanks for the reply. I had (have) an 8+ y/o laptop (refurb hp elitebook) that I bought/set up when I put my desktop (and my life) in storage for what I thought would be a year or two! HA!! Life Intervenes . . . anyway - the laptop gave up the ghost last week - I think the battery finally died - it just won't charge - hence start - anymore. so I pulled out my desktop.
OMG! I have a perfectly functioning HD w/ the same version of Win 7 on it (from my laptop) - I took the HD out of the laptop and put it in an external case so I could get to the files.

Can I run the laptop HD on the desktop - swapping out the current desktop HD - I'd have to change drivers for . . . everything . . hmmmmm this probably won't work either . . .

(BTW USAFRet - Love the image! - So True - - - So True . . .)

@BFG-9000 Thanks for your replies - You are really making me reconsider my HATRED of Win 10. You are right - I'll be losing more and more support for other programs. I've just been Dreading making the change. Back in another life - I used to build computers (boy - that was a long time ago!) Now . . . I just want the damn thing to work - and I Don't want to Learn anything new! I have enough on my plate and I ain't gettin' any younger!. SIGH . . . . .

If support for Win 10 doesn't end for another 1.5 years - that might be the temporary fix - I'm at least somewhat familiar with that interface. And it sounds like I won't have to spend time/money right now upgrading my desktop (components anyway). I've just REFUSED to upgrade for Soooooo Looong - it's kinda ingrained in my little brain now. Guess I have some 're-wiring' to do - ;-))

So do I have to 'buy' a win 10 upgrade? or are they still free?? (not likely) - Yes - I would buy 'yet another' HD (sata drive) and start clean. Guess I'll need to peruse the Win 10 forum.


@DSzymborski - thanks so much for the note (and to others who pointed that out) - Looks like I'm making the switch, and that little tip may save some of my sanity!

Cheers to all and thanks so much for your precious time!

Kelly
(putting my life back together)

 

[BFG-9000]

The upgrade isn't free anymore*, but unlike previous versions of Windows, you can use Windows 10 or 11 indefinitely without activation. You just won't be able to customize things like the desktop wallpaper, and will get a nag notice on the lower right of the desktop. This essentially means Windows is now closer to nagware than the previous time-limited trialware.

If you manage to configure 10 before end-of-life well enough to your liking to activate it, all you'd have to do is buy a key and install that. 11 is trickier to install, and probably not worth activating because unofficial support could end with any build given your machine is lacking some rather important required features like UEFI, Safe Boot and TPM. So 11 is probably more beta experimental because nobody is testing it on such ancient platforms--meaning you would be first to encounter any problems.

*if you ever had an install of Win10 activated on that machine from when it was free, its credentials are still in the cloud

 

[USAFRet]

Can I run the laptop HD on the desktop - swapping out the current desktop HD - I'd have to change drivers for . . . everything . . hmmmmm this probably won't work either . . .

That is highly unlikely to work.