Parallels 11 & Windows 7: Windows Update not working

So I got Parallels for the first time and installed a copy of Windows 7 that I bought. Works great! However, when I got to Windows Update, it first gave me a code 80244019 error, so I re-tried, but now it just hangs there at "checking for updates".

The internet connection is working, although it is acting a bit weird. Like when I downloaded iTunes and opened it up, it had problems connecting to Apple's server, and Chrome was saying that some websites weren't safe to browse, even though I know that's not true.

Restarting Parallels doesn't work. Any help?

 

Hi Craig, please run MS Fixit for the issue related with Windows updates. And regarding the issue with websites unable to open, do you get any error message?

 

The MS Fixit tool didn't work. Windows Update still hangs. As for the websites, there weren't error messages. Chrome would just show a red screen and say that it's an unsafe website, even though it's not.

 

Hi Criag, please try this solution.

 

I have exactly the same problem, I've tried the solutions above but Windows Update just hangs and will not even show me the list of available updates...
I presume this is not down to the fact that I'm currently only using the trial version of paralells?
Windows 7 Pro 64 bit on a Macbook Pro running OS X El Capitan 10.11.2

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/gp/windows-update-issues/en-us
After using the tool linked above, the problem is now fixed for me, so looks like this is a Windows issue....

 

Sounds good @Paul3 !!

 

The link provided by Paul3 on Feb 3 no longer works. Can you please tell me if the tool referred to is still available?

 

Hi JohnC24,
Please perform the steps outlined at this link and let us know how it goes. Thanks.

 

Hi, we've received your reply, Please let us know if we can help you with Parallels Desktop VM

 

Hello
I could not update my windows 7 either. Same symptoms: Windows update keep searching for hours without finding anything.
I have tried the "fix it" solution, but it does not help. I have also tried the method "2" but when I type "net stop wuauserv", it replies "access denied".
I am running Parallels Desktop 12.1.1 under Mac OS Sierra.

 

Hi, did you get the same error code: 80244019?

 

No. So maybe I did not post in the correct topic!
But maybe you have a solution anyway? I really need Windows 7...

 

OK, did you get any other error messages?

 

I have problems with the first update my Win7 professional installation is doing. Parallels 11 works fine. The problem is that I do not get an error
nor am I able to access windows anymore. The screen just says 191 of 211 updates installed. It just hangs. Maybe there is not enough virtual disk
space for the updates. The problem: with windows in that state I was not able to shut it down. It resume after each shutdown.
Without shutdown I cannot increase the disk space in the virtural machine. I fear that my only solution is to delete Parallels 11 from may
Mac again and reinstall it. Or is there any other solution for this problem?

 

I'm seeing a similar problem to some others. I have a clean install of Windows 7 installed in Parallels 11.2.2. I just installed it in the fall of 2016 (I use Windows infrequently - maybe once a month - through Parallels), so I don't believe Windows has ever been successfully updated. Therefore, Windows wants to run "Windows Update." The heart of my problem is that the update program displays "Checking for updates..." endlessly. (I let it run over night to ensure that it wasn't simply trying to put order in a massive list of updates or something. No dice.)

I followed https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/gp/windows-update-issues/en-us. If there ever was simply a software tool at that page, it appears not to be there now. Now it's an FAQ. The last question in the FAQ, as of 1/13/2017 anyway, is "What can I do if I'm having problems installing updates?" The answer to that question provides a link to download "Windows Update Troubleshooter." I downloaded and ran it and got a message that "Troubleshooting couldn't identify the problem."

I also went to the Paralells KM link provided by Dhana on Sept. 20, 2016. (http://kb.parallels.com/122613). That link addresses this general category of update problems and provides two solutions: one automatic, and one involving typing long lists of commands into a command prompt. I tried the automatic solution first, but as of 1/13/2017, it simply linked to a generic Microsoft support page ("What can we help you with?"), not a dedicated tool for Windows 7. Can Parallels update this KB link to point to the correct tool again?

Then I tried the command-prompt incantations, following the Parallels KB article's instructions. (Again, http://kb.parallels.com/122613.) I ran aground almost immediately. The very first step says "Click State, Click Run, type cmd." There is no "Run" option in my Start menu. (Perhaps time to update this instruction?). I searched for "Run" instead, found it, and typed "Cmd" as instructed. But the first three commands produced various kinds of error messages: entering "net stop bits" told me "The Background Intelligent Transfer Services service [sic] is not started. More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3521." [Typing the help code just gets the command prompt to repeat the error message.] Typing the second command - "net stop wuauserv" - produces the result "System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied." Typing the third command - to delete a particular qmgr*.dat file - produces an error telling me that the system "could not find" the file. Do I need to change directories or something before entering these various commands to ensure they're effective?

From the Microsoft FAQ pages I've seen, it sounds like errors with Windows Update is a problem well known to Microsoft and one that they've put some resources toward solving. However, the generic troubleshooter they provided didn't work for me. Parallels has a knowledge base article on the problem, too, but its automatic solution points to an apparently-outdated link, and its manual solution produced nothing but error messages for me. Not sure what to do next. I feel very unsafe using Windows without security patches - it goes against all of what I know about using Windows in the age of the internet. I hope some of the Parallels staff can provide some up-to-date help here?

Perhaps relatedly, Windows Defender (whatever that is? It was new to me in Windows 7.) also checks for updates for a very long time (nearly 2 hours) and eventually gives me an error message saying it "can't check for definition updates." I've been through that cycle twice now. Could there be some kind of Parallels-Windows firewall issue that's preventing these programs from reaching the internet?

Help appreciated. Thank you!

 

I was having the same problem. Running Parallels 12 on OSX Sierra (running on a Macbook Air 2013). I tried to run Windows Update, but when it looked for new updates it simply hung, continuously looking no matter how long I waited. I was experiencing the same issue when I was running Parallels 9, and I was hoping that updating it to 12 would fix the issue, but sadly not.

So, I performed every single step on this page: http://kb.parallels.com/122613
I also performed all the steps on this page: http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/cannot-run-windows-update-on-a-windows-7-pc/

All of the above has worked for me, and Windows is finally updating itself. Unfortunately, I did all the above at once, so I can not pinpoint what the individual thing was that made the difference.

 

I have successfully got Windows 7 Professional Update working running on Parallels 11 (after much time and frustration trying different "solutions" such as the Windows Update Fix tool with no success).

This worked for me and was straight forward...

1/ I followed instructions in this article .. http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/cannot-run-windows-update-on-a-windows-7-pc/ up to and including deleting files and folders in SoftwareDistribution folder. I did NOT run Windows Update at this point, instead i ...

2/ Followed the instructions in this article https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...sing-the/c2c7009f-3a10-4199-9c89-48e1e883051e to download bundled updates together to Windows SP2.

3/ Once bundled updates were installed, Windows Update worked again for me and I was able to update Windows as normal to current.

 

Thanks for sharing this info!

 

RichardP9, thanks a lot for your info.
I wasted a lot of time trying, before reading your post!