content: Stuck on Windows updates (Windows 7)? Try these instructions. I see lots of people on Voat sticking with Windows 7 for various reasons, and I get that, but there's also a percentage that whine how Windows Updates is a broken pile of shit, or conspericy theory that MS has gimped it for these poor souls. Personally I think it's a Speggeti-Monster of code having carried this accross so many different builds of Windows. Doesn't matter, my title promised instructions not comentary, so here we go.  So um... how does one x-post? Seperate posts? NOTE: This fix for Windows Updates applies only to Windows 7 (x86 or x64), and does not apply to Vista, Win8, Win8.1, or other flavors. Step 1: Go into Windows Update settings and change it to "Never check for updates." Then restart your computer. Step 2: Open Windows Powershell. Type the two following commands: These two commands are to check  if your system has these two particular hot-fixes installed on your system. If BOTH commands returned: Then this fix will NOT apply to you. If you are having Update issues then you have a larger issue at hand with your system -- what that issue may be, I don't know as it could be a few different things.  IF one or both commands returns:  Then one or both of these updates are not yet installed on your system. Get the updates manually: MS Support page for KB 3020369 MS Support page for KB 3172605 Step 3: Install missing updates downloaded from Step-2. NOTE: Run the updates in numerical order, and if it asks you to reboot system then reboot. Step 4: Go back into Windows Update settings and re-enable Windows Updates  to your personal perference. Windows Updates should now find all your updates in the magnitude of 10-20 minutes. If you're still having updates issue then your system has other issues. Perhaps currupt update catalog or munged registry from virus or Malware - I can't say from this scope. As for the other (older) flavors of Windows I haven't found a silver-bullet fix for them yet. My current workaround is to use: 3rd-party app: WindowsUpdatesDownloader I wish I could give credit to orginal source but my I lost the URL were I found this solution set. If you tried this and it doesn't work - sorry, you've larger issues with your OS and Windows Update not functioning is just a symptom of those issues. ***Edited for type-o's