Windows 7 SP1 not being offered on Windows Update

Question

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Answer 1

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.

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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.

Answer 2

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

.

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

The quickest and easiest repair option is the Windows Update Troubleshooter. Open Control Panel, click in the search box, and type troubleshoot. Click the Troubleshooting link at the top of the search results, then click System and Security, and finally click Windows Update. The troubleshooter runs quickly. On my system, which had no noticeable issues with recent updates, it detected a minor problem and fixed it.

If that Fails try this

Source and full article: Here

Answer 5

That's really odd and no doubt frustrating. The only thing I could suggest is to scrub this attempt and maybe try to get it from the site directly: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=c3202ce6-4056-4059-8a1b-3a9b77cdfdda if you haven't tried that already.

Answer 6

Even though you don't know what vlite is about (I didn't either, but this solved my problem), search for this key in the Registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\vlite

If you find it, just delete it (and all other 'child' keys). That solved my problem after hours (days?) of searching and wondering what was wrong, in which I included some not-so-smooth repair installs (all of them unsuccesful), several sfc /scannow (maybe 15 in different moments?) which did not solve it either, or even copying some files from installation DVD to Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository and to Windows\winsxs, as recommended in some forums around.... Nothing but erasing that key solved it.... So give it a check ;)