Windows 7 SP1 not being offered on Windows Update
I have no option to install Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) on my computer. Why is the option to install Windows 7 SP1 missing from Windows Update?
I'm less interested in why the option is missing, and more interested in how to diagnose why the option to install Windows 7 SP1 is being hidden.
Following the suggestions in KB2498452 - You do not have the option of downloading Windows 7 SP1 when you use Windows Update to check for updates:
Confirm that Windows 7 SP1 is not already installed and that you are not running a prerelease version of Windows 7 SP1
I am not already running SP1, or a pre-release SP1:
Check for pending updates Update 976902 may have to be installed on your computer before Windows 7 SP1 will be offered in Windows Update.
I already have 976902 installed:
Verify that an incompatible version of SafeCentral is not installed on your computer Windows SP1 may not appear in Windows Update if certain versions of SafeCentral are installed on your computer. SafeCentral is a security program that is manufactured by SafeCentral, Inc.
I do not have SafeCentral installed (I've never heard of such a thing):
Check whether you have Intel integrated graphics driver Igdkmd32.sys or Igdkmd64.sys and whether you upgraded the driver
I do not have an Intel GMA:
Make sure that you did not use vLite to customize your Windows 7 installation
I did not use vLite to customize my Windows 7 installation. Again, I've never heard of such a thing.
Update One:
Here's proof that I've checked for updates "today" (3/2/2011):
And that I'm not being presented the option of installing SP1 (I dispatched an update to Silverlight and a fix for Internet Explorer 9 being hosted in a Direct2D or Direct3D application; so updates themselves do work):
Update Two:
I tried the Windows Update Troubleshooter:
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is still not available.
Update Three:
Here is the tail end of windowsupdate.log. It speaks of Evaluating application rules:
Found 2 updates and 65 categories in search; evaluated appl. rules of 1324 out of 1832 deployed entities
These must be the rules that say I'm not allowed to see in SP1:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:091 924 db4 AU Triggering AU detection through DetectNow API
2011-03-03 09:21:08:091 924 db4 AU Triggering Online detection (interactive)
2011-03-03 09:21:08:091 924 950 AU #############
2011-03-03 09:21:08:092 924 950 AU ## START ## AU: Search for updates
2011-03-03 09:21:08:092 924 950 AU #########
2011-03-03 09:21:08:093 924 950 AU <<## SUBMITTED ## AU: Search for updates [CallId = {8517376A-B8A3-488B-B4D4-67DFC75788C8}]
2011-03-03 09:21:08:093 924 ca8 Agent *************
2011-03-03 09:21:08:093 924 ca8 Agent ** START ** Agent: Finding updates [CallerId = AutomaticUpdates]
2011-03-03 09:21:08:093 924 ca8 Agent *********
2011-03-03 09:21:08:093 924 ca8 Agent * Online = Yes; Ignore download priority = No
2011-03-03 09:21:08:093 924 ca8 Agent * Criteria = "IsInstalled=0 and DeploymentAction='Installation' or IsPresent=1 and DeploymentAction='Uninstallation' or IsInstalled=1 and DeploymentAction='Installation' and RebootRequired=1 or IsInstalled=0 and DeploymentAction='Uninstallation' and RebootRequired=1"
2011-03-03 09:21:08:093 924 ca8 Agent * ServiceID = {7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D} Third party service
2011-03-03 09:21:08:093 924 ca8 Agent * Search Scope = {Machine}
2011-03-03 09:21:08:094 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\muv4wuredir.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:097 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:287 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\muv4wuredir.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:289 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:292 924 ca8 Agent Checking for updated auth cab for service 7971f918-a847-4430-9279-4a52d1efe18d at http://download.windowsupdate.com/v9/microsoftupdate/redir/muauth.cab
2011-03-03 09:21:08:292 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\AuthCabs\authcab.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:294 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:354 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\AuthCabs\authcab.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:356 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:356 924 ca8 Setup Checking for agent SelfUpdate
2011-03-03 09:21:08:356 924 ca8 Setup Client version: Core: 7.3.7600.16385 Aux: 7.3.7600.16385
2011-03-03 09:21:08:357 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\muv4wuredir.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:359 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:418 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\muv4wuredir.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:420 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:422 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate\wuident.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:424 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:655 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate\wuident.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:658 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:659 924 ca8 Setup Skipping SelfUpdate check based on the /SKIP directive in wuident
2011-03-03 09:21:08:659 924 ca8 Setup SelfUpdate check completed. SelfUpdate is NOT required.
2011-03-03 09:21:08:808 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D\muv4muredir.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:810 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:872 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D\muv4muredir.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:08:874 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:08:876 924 ca8 PT +++++++++++ PT: Synchronizing server updates +++++++++++
2011-03-03 09:21:08:877 924 ca8 PT + ServiceId = {7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D}, Server URL = https://www.update.microsoft.com/v6/ClientWebService/client.asmx
2011-03-03 09:21:13:958 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D\muv4muredir.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:13:960 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:14:083 924 ca8 Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D\muv4muredir.cab:
2011-03-03 09:21:14:085 924 ca8 Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2011-03-03 09:21:14:087 924 ca8 PT +++++++++++ PT: Synchronizing extended update info +++++++++++
2011-03-03 09:21:14:087 924 ca8 PT + ServiceId = {7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D}, Server URL = https://www.update.microsoft.com/v6/ClientWebService/client.asmx
2011-03-03 09:21:14:395 924 ca8 Agent * Added update {414642E2-5F20-4AD1-AA5A-773061238B5F}.101 to search result
2011-03-03 09:21:14:395 924 ca8 Agent * Added update {56D5FC3D-9AC8-44F1-A248-8C397A24D02F}.100 to search result
2011-03-03 09:21:14:395 924 ca8 Agent * Found 2 updates and 65 categories in search; evaluated appl. rules of 1324 out of 1832 deployed entities
2011-03-03 09:21:14:396 924 ca8 Agent *********
2011-03-03 09:21:14:396 924 ca8 Agent ** END ** Agent: Finding updates [CallerId = AutomaticUpdates]
2011-03-03 09:21:14:396 924 ca8 Agent *************
2011-03-03 09:21:14:404 924 ce0 AU >>## RESUMED ## AU: Search for updates [CallId = {8517376A-B8A3-488B-B4D4-67DFC75788C8}]
2011-03-03 09:21:14:404 924 ce0 AU # 2 updates detected
2011-03-03 09:21:14:404 924 ce0 AU #########
2011-03-03 09:21:14:404 924 ce0 AU ## END ## AU: Search for updates [CallId = {8517376A-B8A3-488B-B4D4-67DFC75788C8}]
2011-03-03 09:21:14:404 924 ce0 AU #############
2011-03-03 09:21:14:404 924 ce0 AU Successfully wrote event for AU health state:0
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU #############
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU ## START ## AU: Refresh featured updates info
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU #########
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU No featured updates available.
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU #########
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU ## END ## AU: Refresh featured updates info
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU #############
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU No featured updates notifications to show
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU AU setting next detection timeout to 2011-03-04 08:03:53
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU Setting AU scheduled install time to 2011-03-04 08:00:00
2011-03-03 09:21:14:405 924 ce0 AU Successfully wrote event for AU health state:0
2011-03-03 09:21:14:406 924 ce0 AU Successfully wrote event for AU health state:0
2011-03-03 09:21:14:407 924 db4 AU Getting featured update notifications. fIncludeDismissed = true
2011-03-03 09:21:14:408 924 db4 AU No featured updates available.
2011-03-03 09:21:19:396 924 ca8 Report REPORT EVENT: {633538B3-030E-4CAD-BE6B-33C6ED65AFF1} 2011-03-03 09:21:14:395-0500 1 147 101 {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} 0 0 AutomaticUpdates Success Software Synchronization Windows Update Client successfully detected 2 updates.
2011-03-03 09:21:19:396 924 ca8 Report CWERReporter finishing event handling. (00000000)
Update Four:
Here's the view from Device Manager (including hidden devices) showing I have just one graphics card:
If I do have a second video adapter, Windows doesn't know about it. And if a second video adapter was preventing Windows Update from offering me from Service Pack 1, then it should be visible is some log file somewhere.
I'm less interested in why the option to install Windows 7 SP1 is missing, and more interested in how to diagnose why the option to install Windows 7 SP1 is being hidden.
The KB article says that SP1 will not be offered if your machine doesn't meet some secret special criteria. How can I discover what that secret criteria is? I presume it is logged somewhere.
Nor am I particularly interested in a direct download link. I want to learn here. I want to be able to diagnose (i.e. in the future) why an update is not being offered.
I'm a superuser here. Rather than others coming up with a checklist of things to try, I want to be able to come up with the checklist.
Are you sure you do not have the mentioned version of the Intel Graphics driver installed? It might be disabled so it does not show in DxDiag.
In my case this was the reason for SP1 not being offered by Windows Update. I once used the onboard graphics so the Intel driver was installed at some time. Then I added a PEG graphics card and disabled the onboard device. So the driver was present but could not show up in DxDiag. I enabled the onbord graphics card again in bios and after rebooting Windows Update found an update for the Intel driver. I installed it and after rebooting and searching for updates again SP1 was offered as it should.
OP Update: This turns out to be the answer. Even though i didn't have the Intel GMA adapter "installed" i did have the "old" driver on my system. Disabling my nVidia PCI Express video card in the BIOS, and enabling the built-in (Intel) adapter, and the Intel graphics card was then installed in Windows:
A check of available updates in Windows Update showed me an update to the driver for my Intel GMA graphics adapter:
Applying the update, restarting, and now i have Windows 7 Service Pack 1 available on Windows Update:
It's unfortunate that no Windows Update Log, or the Event Log, showed that the presence of an old version of a driver is preventing the publishing of an update. i would have hoped that the issue could have been debugged, rather than inferred.
Microsoft was providing SP1 group by group during it's initial release to keep from DDOS and too many people downloading at once which is normal for large deployments like this one. So that might still be in effect (not sure though)
One thing I did notice was some people were having to manually "check for updates" in order for it to be listed. I don't know if this was "by design" for SP1 or if it's because it's not considered a Push deployment update (push deployments automatically update when the user sets up Microsoft Update for auto download/auto install). Major releases like Service Packs generally do not get a push deployment by Microsoft until a year after it's released. This is due to Microsoft providing businesses time to insure SP1 works with all their software. This was done for SP1 and SP2 of Windows Vista and SP 1,2 and 3 of Windows XP. It was done for SP 4,5 and 6 on Windows 2000 but not on SP 1,2 and 3 of Windows 2000. It was never done for previous versions of Windows as they did not receive SP updates.
Your update catalog could be corrupt, to reset the Windows Update Catalog, there is no way to diagnose this other than to reset it, then try Windows Update again.
Follow the instructions in this link, use the "Let me fix it myself" section
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058
.
Ignore the "Applies to" section if you have windows 7, it works for W7 also.
Source of information
.
Edit:
Free Windows Update support from Microsoft via email
https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?LN=en-us&gprid=6527&x=18&y=11&st=1&wfxredirect=1&sd=gn
.