Patch Tuesday updates are out – are your scans any faster?

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MS just released the Patch Tuesday patches, and there’s a big bunch of them. Security bulletin summary is here: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/li
[See the full post at: Patch Tuesday updates are out – are your scans any faster?]

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I did not install the rollup with KB3161647. I can confirm that nothing previous has fixed anything.
Win7 scan has been running an hour now – nothing yet.

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Can ya give a direct link to the updates that’ll help with speeding up Windows Update scans?

I have a windows 7 64 bit computer.

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YES! Much much faster to check if there were updates – three minutes. A little slower to download (could be my connection) and install (varies with the computer). But overall from check to reboot was about 45 minutes, a vast improvement.

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It’s… complicated. See http://www.infoworld.com/article/3086811/microsoft-windows/microsoft-releases-kb-3161647-kb-3161608-to-fix-slow-windows-7-update-scans.html for details.

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Looks like you’re going to want KB 3161647, and all of the drivel that comes with it.

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Windows 7 Home Edition x64 SP1 – I installed KB3161647 and it /does/ seem to help. I turned on my computer and almost immediately got a message about new updates being available.

Lets hope it will stay this way!

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Had searched for over 30 minutes before I saw this new post. I thought I had installed all the Windows 7 update scan speed up patches but I didn’t have 3161608/3161647, because update checks were speedy with the older fixes until today. After installing 3161608 and restarting, scan took about a minute and found 9 updates. So the fix is working

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Yes: much faster scan for me on Windows 7 (x64) than in recent months, with KB3161647 installed. 3-5 minute scan time.

I’m seeing .Net security updates in the mix this month, so if and when I install them I can see the patch process taking longer than ‘normal’ due to the large amount of tiny files .Net uses.

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Interesting. It is 2:27 PM EDT and no updates yet.

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It takes them a while to roll out.

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Okkkkayyy so what ones do I gotta download? Both of em or one of them?

I’m confused myself?

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25 minute scan time… mostly new numbers that I am now suspicious of.

Fortran, C++, R, Python, Java, Matlab, HTML, CSS, etc.... coding is fun!
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First, you have to install last year’s servicing stack update, KB 3020369, before you can install the speedup patch. Microsoft doesn’t document that anywhere, but various reports indicate that you need it installed. Note that there were problems with KB 3020369 triggering a “Stage 3 of 3” hang. There’s a description and a workaround in my post from a year ago.

Second, Microsoft doesn’t have a download for the Win7 scan fix by itself. The only way you can get KB 3161647 is by installing the update rollup KB 3161608. KB 3161647 contains the “fix for a Windows Update error 0x8007000E on some computers while they are updating” as well as “some reliability improvements.” The update rollup KB 3161608 includes four fixes that are completely unrelated. Confused yet?

This means Windows 7 users must install six unrelated patches in order to get Microsoft’s Win7 updating mess untangled — seven unrelated patches, if you include KB 3020369. If one of those seven patches isn’t to your liking, sorry bucko, you’re relegated to the eight-hour-wait list.

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Scanned again at 2:30PM EDT and there they are: 4 for Office 2010, 1 IE Cumulative update, 2 for .net 3.5.1 and 4.6.1, 2 for Win7-64 Pro, and the MS MSRT.

All were security related except for the IE11 which has a number of non-security components.

On hold for now.

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Okay I got KB3020369. So all I gotta do is install KB3161608 and then install KB3161647 after that is installed.

So I just gotta download two. First KB3161608, restart when installed and then install KB3161647.

That’s a simple way of explaining it right?

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All searches took under 3 minutes. I installed the Speedup patches on July 5, so I guess they do work.

Thanks for your ongoing guidance and info on the WU speedup for Win7 issue, and all your other work.

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After Aug 2.
One of the updates on Win8.1 is a servicing stack update. Assume there will be the same on Win7. Wonder how that will affect WU.

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And do I gotta uninstall any updates before installing the new fix? Or leave 3161664 or something as it is or uninstall it?

I need clarification.

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This month’s update for win32k.sys is KB3168965.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3168965

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Just did another check for updates. Took less than 2 minutes and shows 6 IMPORTANT updates. Time to hold my nose and wait.

Dave

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With June 14 Patch Tuesday, Windows Update check for updates took one and a half, and two hours on my two Windows 7 systems.
June 24, I installed KB3161608.
Today, July 12, Windows Update check for updates took only one or two minutes to find six Patch Tuesday updates.
(Downloading and installing took 20 minutes.)

So, did installing KB3161608 help?
Absolutely!

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I’d be very wary of installing the roll-up patch just to speed up the updating process, there is little or no evidence that it is any more effective than the individual monthly updates that have the same purpose, or that its effect is any more permanent.

Meanwhile you’re (a)installing a load of other updates you may neither need nor know about, and (b) having to track down an update for a manual download that is not necessarily recommended or offered on your machine, something that is usually advised against because it represents a purely optional update that in the case of roll-up patches is really only intended for complete OS installations.

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Actually, KB3161608 article had been updated a week ago and 3020369 is listed as Prerequisite

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So does 3161608 contain 3161647 within itself Vois and Jezuz?

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was 3161647 contained within 3161608?

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Yes.

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Yep.

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Interesting. I hadn’t noticed. Thanks.

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Yup, the KB3161608/KB3161647 fix did the trick for Win7 SP1. Took 4 minutes to display a list of available updates for Win7 SP1 on my family’s Dell Inspiron 620 desktop PC using an Intel i5-core 2310 CPU.

And a new WIN32K.SYS update (MS16-090) KB3168965 is out – the KB3161664 fix does not work anymore for Vista SP2 & Win7 w/out KB3161608/KB3161647 as of July 12. Vista users (and Win7 users w/out KB3161608) will have to manually download & install the KB3168965 win32k.sys update to once again temporarily fix the slow WU scan problem from July 12 to August 8.

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Reasonable admonition – but KB 3163647 works on both June and July updates. Fingers crossed it’ll continue to work.

Microsoft may just be forcing folks to take the other six patches if they want to get the one good one.

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Thanks!

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No need to uninstall anything.

Note that we’re just talking about speeding up the check for updates. I do NOT recommend you install any updates right now.

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When you install 3161608, the goodness in 3161647 comes along for the ride. No need to install 3161647 separately. (In fact, it isn’t possible.)

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My crystal ball says:
Soon, maybe after MS gets through the Win 10 Anniversary Update frenzy, all Win 7/8 update patches will become rollups like Win10.

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Never10 and GWXControlPanel both say today’s patches were clean.

Fortran, C++, R, Python, Java, Matlab, HTML, CSS, etc.... coding is fun!
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Could happen. That’s what 3161608 is all about.

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Thank you.

I really do not want to install all the other crap just to get the fix. I’d need the pre-requisite update as well since it’s still on my hidden list after the problems originally reported about it.

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So should I wait until Sunday or next tuesday to install the KB needed to speed things up, then check for updates and then uncheck those that are suspicious?

I’m gonna wait until Sunday Night or Tuesday night to do updates. I’ll first install the KB monday night and then do the process tuesday or do the KB sunday night, restart and check for updates.

I’m gonna keep my windows update off until sunday or next tuesday to ensure things are alright.

If you guys detect any win 10 last installing updates hidden in the patch please notify about it.

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Is 3168965 specifically for Win 7 or 8 Max… or does the same KB# apply to both of them?

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Watch the MS-DEFCON rating. When it’s down to 3 or 4, then it’s safe to install updates. Usually it takes most of the month before all the bugs shake out.

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@Woody,

Has anyone discovered/figured out what the KB 3161608 rollup contains-includes beyond the “fix” for slow update scans? It’s a pretty sizable patch at 27mb.
Just curious.
TIA

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Test 1 – Win7 SP1 w/Office, KB3161664 — scanning for updates spiked the CPU and after about 1/2 hour I stopped the WU service.

Test2 – Win7 SP1 w/Office, installed KB3168965 — scanning took about 10 minutes and completed

Test3 – Win7 SP1 w/Office, installed KB3161608, KB3168965 not installed — scanning took 8 minutes and completed.

So although it appears that the updated WU Agent achieved its objective the 3168965 update will also work to make scanning for updates bearable (at least for this month).

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@Ed

” Ed says:
July 12, 2016 at 3:05 pm

Is 3168965 specifically for Win 7 or 8 Max… or does the same KB# apply to both of them?”

I downloaded and tried to install it on my Win8.1 and it threw the notice it was not for my system.

Guess it’s just Win 7
JF

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Yes – the KB3161608 (which included KB3161647 Windows Update) has worked wonders for the checking for updates for both the JUNE batch and the JULY batch. Roughly 2-4 minutes to complete checks (compared to the many hours without KB3161608/KB3161647). I know folks are worried about the other fixes bundled into KB3161608, but I have seen absolutely no ill effects. To me, KB3161608/KB3161647 has been a godsend. I will agree that I think KB3161647 should have been offered standalone instead of bundled. Maybe a future standalone WU Client KB will be offered containing the speed-up changes.

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I haven’t seen any detailed analysis.

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I download patch KB3168965 (Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-090) and manually install it. Scanning of new Windows update finished almost as soon as it began.

About KB3161608: I removed the dreaded Jun-2016 roll up (KB3161608) from my laptop prior to installing KB3168965, as KB3161608 hosed the loading of Intel Bluetooth drivers.

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Start at this page and you’ll see that it applies to Vista all the way through to Win10:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/Bulletin/MS16-090

Download the one(s) that applies to you.

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I installed KB3161608 rollup at the end of June and today it took 1 minute to find the updates instead of hours and the download/install of what I allowed was fast also.

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QUESTION:

I’m sure that we are all weary of discussing the KB3161608 roll-up patch, however I would like some advice on the procedure please.

The prerequisite update from last year is already installed.

Do I do the “check for updates” and let the computer go through the lengthy process of doing that BEFORE I DL & install the KB3161608? I don’t think that the fix is going to work until I do the “check for updates” thing.

I think I’m getting “burn out” to have to ask a question such as this. I know there’s time
to get it done, however I would like to get it over with (in the event something goes awry).

Thank you to Woody, and all who contribute so much.

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why is microsoft doing this?
Cant they fix the update detection?

it RIDICULOUS!!

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M$ is really annoying me
http://i.imgur.com/ijRR2iM.jpg

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ooops, sorry, i think i missed a step
—-

so, if we go the KB3168965 route, is it the same old drill?

1) download KB3168965

2) unplug from internet

*** 3) stop WU process using Task Manager

4) install KB3168965

5) restart and plug back into to internet

oh, and is there an easier way to search for installed updates than visually scanning down the list… i couldn’t find any way to use the Search function to find a specific update KB number… kinda a hard to find a specific KB in a list of hundreds

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I think you can unplug, or stop the service. I don’t think you need to do both.

The only method I know to scan for updates is to sort them and look alphabetically.

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Nope. Follow the instructions here and manually download KB 3161608

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3086811/microsoft-windows/microsoft-releases-kb-3161647-kb-3161608-to-fix-slow-windows-7-update-scans.html

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Is it terribly hard to imagine Microsoft doesn’t want you liking how Windows 7 works any more?

-Noel

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For those of you who still can’t access WU in a timely fashion, or have misgivings about installing KB3161608, it might not be needed, see http://wu.krelay.de/en/ where it’s not listed.

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Did you get the Bluetooth back after removing KB3161608?

I have the same issue with a Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E440 with the Intel N7260 adapter.

Thanks

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I also found this info. See the comment in French. https://websetnet.com/june-2016-update-rollup-windows-7-sp1-fixes-slow-windows-update/

Here is the translation: WARNING !!! Bluetooth problem! Installing this package KB3161608 on Windows 7 causes an inability to use, uninstall or install the Bluetooth Intel Wi-Fi cards, such as N-2230, N-7260, … Symptom: Bluetooth does not work at all. If you try to uninstall or update the drivers, a message appears “a problem with this windows installer package. A program run as part of the setup did not end as expected. Contact your support personnel or seller of the module “. After several days of searching, the ONLY solution: uninstall the hotfix package KB3161608 …

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AFAIK Win 8.x doesn’t have the slow-scanning-issue.

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To find if specific updates are installed….

Open a cmd prompt, type powershell and hit enter.

Use the command:
get-hotfix -id KBnnnnnnn

You can also search for multiple KB’s in one command by separating them with a comma and a space, like: get-hotfix -id KBnnnnnnn, KBnnnnnnn, KBnnnnnnn

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Searching for specific updates:

dism /online /get-packages | findstr KB2952664

If you need it, uninstall specific update:

dism /online /remove-package /PackageName:…..

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KB 3161647 works for me. Success on multiple PCs.

@Woody I just recently found out about your website and I wish I’d found it way earlier. An absolute treasure. Keep up the good work ^^

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Thank you so much, Woody, for your regular advice!
The fix worked splendidly for me – the scans as well as the update setup are much faster now.

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Thanks, folks. Spread the word!

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Woody – I just downloaded and installed 3168965 using the http://wu.krelay.de/en/ site you gave the link to above. Worked like a charm. I always turn off Windows Update in Services, then do the download and install and then turn WU back on. I do not have 3161608 installed and probably won’t install it since this has given me the ability to get Windows Update to search for updates in about 4 minutes. Thanks for all you do Woody – you’re the light at the end of a very long and ugly tunnel!

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After I delay patch Tuesday, MSE updates start to slow and fail – every week.

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Thank you Woody for bringing me out of my “burn-out”. I see the update in my “optional” updates, so I assume that I can just click on that and it will do its thing.

I will try it later, and hope and pray that all goes well. No time to do it now. Thank you so much for your patience, and invaluable help!

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WAIT!

There’s no reason to install ANY of the patches that just came out.

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The folks at krelay.de do an excellent job.

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Worked perfectly here too! I tried a manual check before installing it and bailed out after 45 minutes. Installed KB3168965 and ran a manual check again and had the list in 9 minutes. NOTE: after the check completed KB3161647 is no longer in my list of available updates.

As staunch as you’ve always been over the years about not installing anything other than what’s NEEDED Woody I’m still having a hard time swallowing you advising everybody to install the “Rollup” with 7 other unnecessary patches to reach the same goal as one stand-alone patch!

Have you become so engrossed in your love of Windows 10 that these “Rollups” containing a slew of tag-along patches are the best option available now?

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Naw, I’m trying to find something that’s easy for most Win7 users. Installing a new KB every month just for speedups – and having to search around for it – is just a pain in the neck.

Wish MS had a clean way to fix their problem….

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Woody:

I only intend to install the KB3161608. Nothing else ever gets installed without your “Okay”. I assume that the usual, definitions and the “Malicious software removal tool” are “always” okay to install, however nothing else “moves” until you have given the “all clear” on the monthly updates.

I’ve had the KB3161608 update sitting in the “optionals” for quite a while.

Thank you so much for the invaluable help you provide to everyone! It’s good to see new members of your “Fan Club”. WELL DESERVED!!

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We all have “MS wishes” Woody but it seems like every month somebody has provided direct download links here and the instructions for installing them never changes.

Here’s the links for both the 32 and 64 bit stand-alone patches, the installation instructions below the links are the same as all the previous ones.

KB3168965 (32 bit)
https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b24023e8-1b71-4f91-8b52-bb5066b0b00b

KB3168965 (64 bit)
https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9b8cd23a-53cc-4c3f-805d-ae2a70ff3252

Download the file.
Disconnect from the internet.
Restart your computer.
Stop the Windows Update service.
Install the patch.

Any idea why KB3161647 isn’t available anymore after installing this one? It was still there the last time I checked a few days ago.

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No idea. Perhaps it was superseded by the one you installed????

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For me, sadly, this months speedup KB didn’t work like it has in previous months. 90 mins searching for updates, d/l and installing MSRT is coming up to 60 minutes.

Needless to say, I’m disappointed!

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Did you install KB3161608 and/or KB3168965?

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@Woody, @Ed,

“Any idea why KB 3161647 isn’t available anymore after installing this one (KB 3168965)? ”

If I’m not mistaken KB 3161647 was never available or even visible since it was a single patch contained in the KB 3161608 rollup.

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I manually installed KB3168965 only. Still unsure about KB3161608.

…and (even more) sadly for me, it is now 12:55am!

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GACK! Yes, absolutely, you’re right.

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Worked for me also. After being stuck the entire day, searching for updates came up with results within 5 minutes! Thank you!

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I picked up KB3161608 through WU on the desktop last night and got updates quickly. OTOH, trying to do the same thing on the laptop this morning got me nowhere. (Lots of CPU activity and no download for an hour…) I went to MS and got the MSU package and after a half hour, it installed.

Curiously, part of the installation included getting the Patch Tuesday list, but that took only 30 minutes.

I hope this is the permanent fix, but I’m not counting on it…

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Just uninstalled KB3161608. I have the N-7260 Bluetooth and my Bose Mini speaker back. Since it was not a security update, I figured I would go ahead.

I do not notice any difference in my WU scans. They still ‘appear’ to be quick. Time will tell.

I almost pulled the pin with Linux Mint 18 for this laptop, but really like the familiarity of Win7-64SP1 Pro, so I kept it.

Mint will go on the Asus netbook though after live testing showed an improvement over Ubuntu 16.04LTS in application launch speed. I believe Unity is a resource pig compared to Cinnamon, but the launcher in Unity is so convenient.

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Installed 3161608 to speed up update search (it worked). D/l and installed all patches picked, and so far so good.

Then I uninstalled 3161608 rebooted and checked for updates and found a couple of old ones. So I installed same and rebooted again.

Now, w/o KB3161608 installed my update time is about 4-5 minutes on an old ThinkPad T7 Pro.

What gives? It seems I can keep KB3161608 off for the time being.

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… ThinkPad Win7 Pro

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Absolutely. If your speeds are fine, there’s no reason to install 3161608.

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My Win7 scan was quite fast again this month. Should I wait to install important updates or follow the prior instructions “Click the link that says “XX important updates are available.” CHECK the boxes next to items that say “Security Update,” “Windows Defender” and “Malicious Software Removal Tool.” UNCHECK the boxes next to any items that aren’t specifically marked as “Security Update.” ?

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So I have the June patch (KB3161664) installed (not the KB3161608, which was in my list of uninstalled updates), I had my updates set to check for updates but let me decide when to download and install. I turned on my Windows 7 64-bit laptop today and an hour later my fan was still running overtime and my new windows updates had not come through like they always did. I assume that I am experiencing that “stuck issue”.

I stupidly changed the Windows update setting to “Never check” and restarted my laptop, when it rebooted all the updates (Including KB3161608) disappeared. So I turned the Windows updates back to “check but let me” and I have been stuck “checking” for over almost two hours now. What do I do now?

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I experienced issues for June and July patches with a virtual machine patched in full up to and including February 2016 patches. I tried to update this machine in a managed environment and on Windows Update with the same results – never ending scans.
While I cannot easily tell what would fix the issue on Windows Update, I tend to believe the guys at http://wu.krelay.de/en/2016-07.htm because their recommended patch KB3168965 supersedes a lot of older patches and as such takes much of the load from the calculations performed by svchost.exe. The supersedence can be seen either in WSUS (the official one, not offline) or on the Microsoft Catalog web site under Package Details for the relevant patch.
In a managed environment with Microsoft WSUS, things are somehow easier. The issue is easily resolved by declining the unneeded superseded (obsolete) patches.

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WAIT!

We know almost nothing about this month’s patches. There’s nothing pressing.

WAIT until the MS-DEFCON setting changes.

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Thanks Woody

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@Karen,

“What do I do now?”

Just reboot.

Then go read my story on Woody’s site.

https://www.askwoody.com/2016/july-2016-patch-tuesday-lots-of-hype-not-much-cause-for-alarm/#comments

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I have rebooted twice and each time the fan goes into overdrive and never shuts off and the CPU temp stays up around 61-65%, I assume that Windows is searching for updates? I am not tech savvy at all so I am in panic mode and lost in what to do.

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The above scan on my Win7 machine finally showed updates after slightly less than two hours of high CPU searching. I hid KB2952664, KB3173040 and the rollup KB3161608. On that machine I have had “Give me recommended” checked all along and have hidden my list of telemetry, compatibility and Win Client Update patches. I also have GWX CP blocking GWX and OSUpgrade.
I installed all of the rest of the available patches – including one non-security Win7 patch KB3170735.

Today, I did a manual search for updates on that machine and it took all of two minutes.

I hate to be discouraging, but I believe the download/manual install of whatever patch that is deemed to be the lifesaver of search time that month is what lowers the search time (temporarily), not the patch itself. I have installed the security patch that is supposed to be the fix along with the rest of the updates each month and yet my search time was initially two hours this month. I did not install the rollup, but after the rest of the patches installed, the search time drastically dropped.

The lower search time appears to me to be because there’s nothing left out there to search for (or MS has changed something). And it will be fast until next Patch Tuesday when the list again increases (or MS sets the bits for long search again). I still can’t assign the responsibility to an individual patch.

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Win7x64 laptop-After waiting for over an hour and a half, updates downloaded for me and I chose KB3168965, it downloaded and installed quickly and fine and upon reboot I was notified right away there were other updates available which I won’t do until I see an all clear here..Thanks for your informative helpful site, Woody!

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Soooo wait? SO we don’t gotta download 3161608? We just gotta Install 3168965? Sorry-I need to know what one to download to help make windows update run fast. I have it off now and now I am confused on what KB to install.

I got a windows 7 64 bit Toshiba Satellite laptop.

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@woody Wish MS had a clean way to fix their problem….

Install everything, including Windows 10
It is THEIR way.

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No need to disconnect from the internet. Just set to Never check for updates. You cannot stop Windows Update service as the msu file would not install.

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@louis is right, there was never a KB3161647 on offer as it is packaged inside of KB3161608

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Try all the patches on http://wu.krelay.de/en/
You may be missing a few.

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Willingly assimilate into the borg, eh?

(I’ve done it, but it ain’t for everybody.)

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You can indeed safely stop wuauserv (windows update service). This aborts the 6 hour prep to check for updates, upon trying to install a manual update it is restarted and its first task is the install (1-3 minutes). Any new checks for updates are queued.

You CANNOT disable the service and expect to install anything.

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@ch100, I have all of the five patches listed installed, from Sept ’15 through to July ’16.

For a few months now I have been manually installing the so-called monthly speedup patch and it has worked. Not this month though!

As I said before I’m reticent to install the roll-up at this point even though some have commented it has worked.

gts

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You are completely right Bob, it behaves exactly as you described. I just didn’t want to make it too complex for the original poster.

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Install both if you don’t use Intel Bluetooth, and most people never use it on a PC. Otherwise, try 3168965 only and see how it goes.

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Maybe try all patches from http://wu.krelay.de/en/ if you are far behind with patches. Give it a try, all those patches need to be installed anyway.

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