Question windows7 update feature is stuck

[toha409]

running windows 7
64 bit
sp1

when i go to control panel and select the windows update icon i get the dreaded hanging spinning wheel which wont stop.
a restart will allow access back into the update feature 50% of the time so that work around is hit or miss.
even if i can get into update module update history is always blank.
i do not know when the last update was done. in reality how important is updating?
i would hate to cause problems as my computer is otherwise doing fine.

if i can eventually update is there a specific way to select only vital updates without having to wait for all the unnecessary ones to install?
of course my main concerns are firewall security.

i see this is a common issue as there is a lot of information on this topic.
unfortunately it all seems surrounded by a grey area as to what works or not.

thanks

 

[helpstar]

Try this:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/10164/fix-windows-update-errors

updates can get you better performance as well as security issues of older versions of windows 7 could be fixed

 

[SkyNetRising]

If windows 7 was reinstalled recently or has not been updated for ~2 years, then windows update initially is broken. To fix it, several hotfixes have to be installed manually.
Stop windows update service before installing hotfixes.
First this:
https://www.howtogeek.com/255435/ho...l-at-once-with-microsofts-convenience-rollup/
Then install hotfixes from this list:
http://wu.krelay.de/en/2016-07.htm