- Windows Update Cannot Start Because Service Not Running
- Windows Can't Update Service Is Not Running
- Windows Cannot Update Service Not Running Windows 7
- Windows Update Cannot Currently Because Service Not Running
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’.
Click Start, type Windows update in the search box, and then click Windows Update in the Programs list. In the left pane, click Change settings, select Never check for updates, and then select OK. Restart the computer. “Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer.” Keep in mind, Windows Update isn’t only good for getting the latest Windows features and bug fixes. Its most important use is patching your PC with security fixes, making this an issue you absolutely should NOT.
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!
If you receive the following error when you try to check for updates on Windows 7 'Windows update cannot currently check for updates because the service is not running' then follow the steps in this guide to easily fix Windows Updates Error.
How resolve 'Windows Update cannot currently check for updates – Service not running' error:
Step 1: Stop Windows Update Service.
1. Open Windows Services control panel: To do that:
- Press Windows + R keys to open the run command box.
- In the Search box, type: services.msc & click OK.
- (Accept the UAC warning if appears).
2. In Services control panel locate the Windows Update service.
Windows Update Cannot Start Because Service Not Running
3. Right-click on Windows Update service and select 'Stop'.
Step 2: Delete SoftwareDistribution folder.
1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to: C:Windows folder.
2. Find and Delete the 'SoftwareDistribution' folder (or rename it. e.g. to 'SoftwareDistributionOLD') .
Windows Can't Update Service Is Not Running
Step 3: Start Windows Update Service.
1. Now go back to Windows Services control panel:
2. Right-click on Windows Update service and select 'Start'.
Windows Cannot Update Service Not Running Windows 7
3. Try to check for Updates again.
Windows Update Cannot Currently Because Service Not Running
That's all!
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