Solution to ‘Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer’. Dec 2017

Question

I have seen many people experiencing the problem of ‘Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer’.

Today, 11th Dec 2017, I have had exactly the same problem with going in to Windows Update on Win 7 PC’s and getting this same scenario when I try to update windows.  I go in to Control Panel and Windows Update.  There is a red X in the box and when I click ‘Check for Updates’ I get the message

‘Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer’.

I restarted the PC and still had the same the same problem and I also checked the Update Service was running and it was.

I have One laptop and 4 PC’s at home all running Win 7 so I tried the same procedure of updating and all but one had the same issue as above.  I contacted a few friends whom I know have PC’s running Win 7 and when I asked them to try updating Windows they had the same problem I had.  The settings in Windows Update varied from ‘Download updates but let me choose when to install them’ ,  ‘Install updates automatically ( recommended)’, ‘Never check for updates ( not recommended)’ .  Ironically, the only PC I found I could check for updates was the one set to ‘Never check for updates ( not recommended)’. So we changed the settings on all the PC’s to‘Never check for updates ( not recommended)’ and then rebooted & then tried to check for updates and we could in all instances.**  We then changed the settings back to our preference of either *‘Install updates automatically ( recommended)’*or ‘Download updates but let me choose when to install them’ and all is well again. So, it looks as though there has been a common problem with a previous Windows 7 Update that caused this update problem recently.  

Can anyone from Microsoft please look in to this as there may be many people thinking their PC's are being updated and they aren't!

Since posting this a year ago it's obvious from the responses that the above fix doesn't work for everyone but it's certainly worth giving the above solution a shot as it's so simple, if it doesn't then follow one of the other solutions mentioned further on in the discussion.  Once you have the updates working again the problem does not reoccur so obviously Microsoft fixed the problem in a subsequent update. I also notice that one year on and some people are still only just discovering Windows has not been updating all this time, so guess it pays to check updates are being installed occasionally!

Answer 1

Hi dandm2015, I was given this link by Shawn'Cmdr' Keene.

Normally the diagnostic will reset Windows Update -- but let's try this instead:  Windows Update - Reset

This was my reply to him and I had assumed you would have seen it from the post (apologies for that). If you click the link you will see my concerns on downloading correct solution.

Hi Shawn 'Cmdr' Keene, thank you for link 'Windows Update-Reset'.

It has solved my problem. Only extra advice I can add is that anyone using this link (Seven Forums) ignore first link on page **"Windows 7: Windows Update Reset. Recommended"**and scroll down page to option 2. this worked for me. Read and follow instructions for solution. It might also be beneficial to read options 1 and option 3.

Thank you Shawn 'Cmdr' again for this solution.

Thank you dandm 2015 for your help. I trust that any others with this problem will now be able to rectify it. It took some time but in the end we got there.

Regards Rob.

Answer 2

LiamAstle  I found solution easy to follow. Download whichever option you need (option 2 should be adequate if same problem as mine) and then open from that file. The instructions explain better than me. I do emphasise that you download from the options partway down the page. The download that says 'Recommended' is a paid for solution with other extras so avoid. The three options below are straightforward and clean. I did find that you need to be patient with install as it takes a little while but once installed install box will close. I hope this helps, I am sorry my explanation is not so technical but I am not a techy. Good luck.

Answer 3

I am not the one to ask as I am not in the loop. The solution given to me was by Shawn'Cmdr' Keene (MVP) and was reliable source.

Answer 4

Has Windows issued some sort of statement about this update problem?  I feel like this is something people need to know about.

Answer 5

Were those updates easy to find?