Windows 7 update

[talos]

Just tried to do an update on win 7  with no luck, I looked in to see when the last update installed and it was ages ago so I've not had an auto update for a long time, when  I try a manual update it tells me the service is not running, is it Microsoft or me that's stopped it ? If its a fault at my end has anyone any idea how to put it right ?

[Simon]

Come to think of it, I haven't had one for a while either.  At least, not that I've noticed.  I'll check this evening.

[sparky]

Installed my last update on 22nd September. ?

I still seem to get them.

[Simon]

I checked mine and the last update I received was December 2017!   

I also had the error saying that the service is not running, so after a bit of Googling, I tried going to Windows Update > Change Settings, and changed the update settings to 'Never check for updates (not recommended)'.  It them allowed me to perform a manual Windows Update check, and is currently downloading 12 'Important' updates.  I've changed the update setting back to what it was (Download updates automatically but let me choose when to install them), and the update seems to be continuing.

I can only guess that this was a dodgy update back in December, which broke Windows Updates, but Micro$oft couldn't be arsed to tell us as they were too busy infiltrating our computers with Windows 10.   

[talos]

Thanks Simon, Ill try that 

[Glenn]

Only got 15 months left before Windows 7 is 'End of Life' on 14/1/20, Windows 8.1 has until 10/1/23.

[talos]

Thanks Simon, Ill try that 

IT worked  Thanks again Simon 

[talos]

I'm dreading having to go to Win 10 , but Ill avoid it for as long as I can

[Simon]

You might want to do another couple of manual update checks, Bob.  Mine found some more this morning. 

[john]

I don't use my Windows 7 laptop very often but when I do it takes about half an hour to boot up, 20 minutes of that is down to a Windows update. I think I'll uninstall it and go back to MS-DOS ;-)

[Clive]

Now you are talking John!  I was using DOS at work and Win 3.1 at home.

[john]

I've just remembered that I think I may still have an old desktop machine running DOS which uses 5¼" discs in the loft (I'm a confessed hoarder who doesn't like to throw kit away ). I've also got an old Dell laptop running Windows XP which I think still works except the power socket for charging is worn out so it no longer powers up. I did have a Dell Windows 95 desktop which I bought circa 1995 and had, if memory serves me right, a 'massive' 40Mb hard drive, but I'm sure I did throw that away as it had stopped working, although I still have the hard drive somewhere!

[Glenn]

The Nimrod Yellow Gate (detects other radar signals) suite used to load via modern 8" 320kb disks, the Radar and Navigation 64kb ferrite core systems were loaded via tape drive.

[talos]

Still got an old laptop in the loft with 3.1 on it with an integral floppy drive , it still boots up Ok terrible screen and weighs a ton with a battery life of a whole hour  might be a valuable antique one day

Simon : updates are coming thick an fast now automatically , soon as one lot finish it finds more.   

[Glenn]

Strange isn't it, people complain that they don't get auto updates with Windows 7, but they also complain when they receive auto updates with Windows 10.

[Simon]

Well, at least there is some control with Windows 7, and I think perhaps a 'complaint' is justified when updates haven't been delivered for the best part of a year.

[Technical Ben]

I don't use my Windows 7 laptop very often but when I do it takes about half an hour to boot up, 20 minutes of that is down to a Windows update. I think I'll uninstall it and go back to MS-DOS ;-)

My Win 7 PC boots in 2 seconds. 

[Glenn]

I don't use my Windows 7 laptop very often but when I do it takes about half an hour to boot up, 20 minutes of that is down to a Windows update. I think I'll uninstall it and go back to MS-DOS ;-)

You could try it as a Chromebook https://www.neverware.com/#introtext-3

[Clive]

My Asus laptop has been brought out to replace the failing but ancient Dell laptop which has claimed for nearly two years that the hard disk is shot.  It was upgraded from Win 7 to Win 10 but has not been updated since 2017.  Now it's refusing to update.  It's running Home not Pro.   

[john]

My Win 7 PC boots in 2 seconds. 

So does mine if I've got my walking boots on 

You could try it as a Chromebook https://www.neverware.com/#introtext-3

I have, this one http://www.toshiba.co.uk/discontinued-products/toshiba-cb30-b-104/?categoryNameProductPage=laptops they're brilliant and I bought another for my wife Unfortunately its now discontinued (the Chomebook, not my wife ) but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Chromebook.

[Clive]

My Asus laptop has been brought out to replace the failing but ancient Dell laptop which has claimed for nearly two years that the hard disk is shot.  It was upgraded from Win 7 to Win 10 but has not been updated since 2017.  Now it's refusing to update.  It's running Home not Pro.   

I take it all back.  At last it's starting to download updates. 

[andrue]

One of the updates for my W7 server trashed the user profile and couldn't be recovered except from my backup. I turned updates off after that. A couple of years later I tried to apply them but it just stalled.

Then last year I had major disaster and after restoring from backup decided to try and upgrade to W10. That didn't work (impossible to say why) but for a laugh I ran the W7 update repair tool. Amazingly that fixed Windows Update and it proceeded to pull down several hundred megabytes of updates (three maybe four years worth). I still haven't enabled automatic updates though.

I suspect this is not considered ideal IT policy since the box is my email server and under hourly attack by script kiddies. Hopefully the Billion firewall will keep them all at bay