This Dell laptop's OS was updated June of last year, but the updater hasn't worked since. I have an icon on the taskbar that indicates that updates are available, but when I open Windows Update, it never stops 'checking for updates'. It just runs and runs and never gets any further.
Before starting this thread, I downloaded SysInfo but it won't open and run. So something's wrong.
That was also something I tried earlier today but the Windows Update Standalone Installer does the same thing; just cycles and cycles, searching for updates. It went on for hours and never got anywhere. I do have IE9 and I downloaded and saved the first couple of updates to the laptop, but when I open the first in the installer, it never stops 'searching for updates'.
You need to stop the Windows Update service first before installing each of those updates.
If you don't, the "checking for updates" process will go on forever.
Besides the fact that Windows Vista SP2 has update issues, it's now "extinct" like Windows XP.
You really should move to a newer and faster desktop or laptop which is running Windows 7 or Windows 10.
Type services.msc in the search or run box, then press the Enter key.
When the "Services" window appears, scroll down to the Windows Update entry near the bottom of the list.
Right-click it, then click Stop.
After it stops, you can install an update.
Note: This process needs to be repeated BEFORE you install each update.
Although I think I installed two updates consecutively without a restart in between, and another time when I went to stop the Windows Update services, it was already stopped, but it must have all worked out because I was able to install the Flash Player, which was one of the original symptoms that led me here. The Flash works too! Thanks again.
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