Reinstalled Windows, how long does windows update take?

[mrfaces]

I just reinstalled win 7 home for my parents. I am running the windows update.

It has been a little over an hour and still 24% installing 19 of 74. It has been stuck on that number for a long time.

Any advice?

Thanks.

Specs.

It is a Dell i7 920 processor, 12 gigs of ram, regular 500 gig HD 7200rpm
I only have Microsoft Security Essentials installed and running.

 

[geofelt]

First update seems to take a long time as I recall. I think it is gated by the speed of the hard drive.

Is it still progressing?
Is the hard drive activity light still blinking?

Unless it is definitively stalled, I would let it continue tor a few more hours.

 

[mrfaces]

Yes the HD activity light is still blinking.
It is also still at 24% and 19 of 74 items.
I am just surprised it is taking this long and is not even a quarter of the way done.
So you think this may take hours longer to install?
Is this normal?

 

[geofelt]

It may be installing sp1 or some large update. I would hope that the 24% number would move.

If you have to redo it, select the updates one at a time to find the problem one.

 

[mrfaces]

It is still 24% should i just interrupt the update now and install them one by one?
Safe to do it?

 

[mrfaces]

Update:

Last night interuppted the update. Started d/l updates at one to a few at a time. 62 in all.
Errored on a couple. I tried disabling Microsoft Security Essentials, the errored updates seemed to go through.
I proceeded then to keep MSE disabled as I d/l and updated a few windows updates at a time.
I only have one left and it is the big one with SP1 that states 79-800 mb.
It was getting late and just will do it later this afternoon after work.

Thanks.

 

[geofelt]

Can you still boot into windows?

If not, I think you are stuck with re doing the install.

If you can, run windows easy transfer which will save all your data and settings.
You will only need to reinstall the apps then.

 

[The_Prophecy]

Update:

Last night interuppted the update. Started d/l updates at one to a few at a time. 62 in all.
Errored on a couple. I tried disabling Microsoft Security Essentials, the errored updates seemed to go through.
I proceeded then to keep MSE disabled as I d/l and updated a few windows updates at a time.
I only have one left and it is the big one with SP1 that states 79-800 mb.
It was getting late and just will do it later this afternoon after work.

Thanks.

For next time, download SP1 beforehand and install it separate from Windows Update right away. That will knock off a lot of the other patches Windows Update needs to pull down.

 

[mrfaces]

The_Prophecy - ah shoot, didn't know that, thanks for letting me know for future referance.
I'll finish d/l the last update (SP1) when I get home from work.

geofelt - Thank you for your input as well.

 

[geofelt]

For what it is worth, a ssd will make such updates painless. Application installs go much quicker.Your folks will appreciate the much improved everyday quickness of their pc.

 

[mrfaces]

Yeah, I just bought the new vertex 3 ssd. It's great.
I'll be building my parents next computer, so i'll probaby end up getting them an ssd. Hopefully they will come down more in price by then.