How long? (Win 7 SP1 + Updates + Drivers)

[steve2267]

I am working (or I should say I have NTLite working) on integrating all Windows 7 updates plus Dell drivers on a Windows 7 SP1 ISO image. It is presently processing KB3125574 (that's the Win 7 Rollup, isn't it?) and has been for the last hour. It is stuck at 7%. I cannot tell if it is doing anything, or if it is stuck.

Windows Task Manager has NTLite pegged at 12-13%. My laptop is a Dell m4600 with an Intel Core i7-2960XM (2.7GHz, quadcore), 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB Samsung 850 EVO SSD running Windows 7.1 (fully patched -- rebooted after having just run Windows Update.) The HDD light keeps flashing intermittently / irregularly.

Question: How can I tell if NTLite is slogging its way through KB3125574 (~480MB update) and its just going to take a while, or if it is stuck?

How long should integrating KB125574 take? How long should the entire integration process take?

Background:

I purchased a (refurbished) Dell Precision m5520 with a Kaby Lake core i7 processor. After receiving it, with Windows 10 Pro, I went about looking at installing Windows 7 Pro x64 on it... as I have several engineering software packages that will not run correctly on Windows 10. That was when I discovered that Microsoft has disabled (or attempted to make it as difficult as possible) to run Windows 7 on Kaby Lake. After much Googling, it appears that Windows 7 WILL run on Kaby Lake, but I am going to have to slipstream drivers and updates into a Windows 7 x64 ISO image.

I was able to find and download Windows 7 x64 drivers from Dell, so I am trying to slipstream those drivers plus the Windows 7 Updates (downloaded via the Windows Update Downloader per the Raymond.cc article: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/create-an-integrated-up-to-date-windows-7-install-disc/view-all/)

Any help / pointers / counsel (e.g. be patient...) / appreciated.

Thx.

 

[Kasual]

I don't integrate KB3125574 (because it includes many networking bugs and prefer stay safe), but i had integrated before the cumulative with a bigger size and all the needed updates plus drivers (audio and graphics excluded), i'm not sure if all that took 2 hours, but it never got stuck.

I have an old Dell Inspiron 3421 with a core i3 @ 1.8GHz 500 GB HDD, 12 GB RAM and ADATA SSD (used DVD drive bay).


For your Kaby Lake there is a workaround to keep receiving updates, i read some about it last week but didn't pay to much attention how to apply the "patch".

For the integration, don't matter if you add first the updates or the drivers to the list.

Did you check all the process running in the task manager or focused in NTLite only?

 

[steve2267]

UPDATE: After running for an hour or two, NTLite finally crunched past KB3125574. After about 3-4 hours, it is now towards the bottom of the list of Updates. It is presently working on KB4038777 (whatever that is).

SUGGESTION: In addition to the progress bar that is present in NTLite 1.4.15675, I humbly suggest that some sort of log file be created. An option to create the log file or to display the log file would be useful. My idea is that the more impatient (?) or curious could check that logfile, or check an option to view the logfile (equivalent to linux / unix "tail -f" command) to ensure that NTLite is still chugging away.

I'm not sure if a RAMdisk would help here or not. My update process does not appear to be disk bandwidth limited, at least, as best I can tell -- with a Samsung 850 EVO reported by Samsgun Magician to be in good condition. FWIW.

I don't integrate KB3125574 (because it includes many networking bugs and prefer stay safe), but i had integrated before the cumulative with a bigger size and all the needed updates plus drivers (audio and graphics excluded), i'm not sure if all that took 2 hours, but it never got stuck.

So Kasual, if I understand you correctly, you are stating that KB3125574 -- the Microsoft Convenience Update / Rollup -- introduces network bugs!?! Do any of the patches that came after KB3125574 correct (i.e. fix) the bugs thus introduced???

For your Kaby Lake there is a workaround to keep receiving updates, i read some about it last week but didn't pay to much attention how to apply the "patch".

My research suggested (revealed?) that someone rolled their own patch that prevents KabyLake systems from being cut-off from Microsoft Update. Additionally, I believe someone figured out which Micro$oft patch created that problem in the first place, and supposedly, if you do not install that patch, you do not have that problem. I do not, at the moment, have those patch numbers at my disposal.

For the integration, don't matter if you add first the updates or the drivers to the list.

This is good to know. Thank you.

Did you check all the process running in the task manager or focused in NTLite only?

I only focused on NTLite processes. I did not (nor do I) know what other processes for which to look.

 

[Kasual]

SUGGESTION: In addition to the progress bar that is present in NTLite 1.4.15675, I humbly suggest that some sort of log file be created. An option to create the log file or to display the log file would be useful. My idea is that the more impatient (?) or curious could check that logfile, or check an option to view the logfile (equivalent to linux / unix "tail -f" command) to ensure that NTLite is still chugging away.

If you have a custom temp dir, then there are the NTLite_dism (for updates integration) & NTLite (everything else) log files, otherwise, look in the windows user temp dir.

if I understand you correctly, you are stating that KB3125574 -- the Microsoft Convenience Update / Rollup -- introduces network bugs!?! Do any of the patches that came after KB3125574 correct (i.e. fix) the bugs thus introduced???

There are workarounds, read here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3125574

I only focused on NTLite processes. I did not (nor do I) know what other processes for which to look.

I think there is DISM involved when updates are being integrated or features state are modified.

UPDATE: After running for an hour or two, NTLite finally crunched past KB3125574. After about 3-4 hours, it is now towards the bottom of the list of Updates. It is presently working on KB4038777 (whatever that is).

2017-09 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB4038777)
This update has been replaced by the following updates:
2017-10 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB4041681 direct download link)

I'm not sure if a RAMdisk would help here or not. My update process does not appear to be disk bandwidth limited, at least, as best I can tell -- with a Samsung 850 EVO reported by Samsgun Magician to be in good condition.

Maybe it would help, i have seen that processing 1 GB of small size files takes a lot longer than 1 GB file.

My research suggested (revealed?) that someone rolled their own patch that prevents KabyLake systems from being cut-off from Microsoft Update. Additionally, I believe someone figured out which Micro$oft patch created that problem in the first place, and supposedly, if you do not install that patch, you do not have that problem. I do not, at the moment, have those patch numbers at my disposal.

Found in a spanish site that the first updates blocking windows updates are KB4012218 & KB4012219 (and later Security Monthly Quality Rollup as KB4041681).
Patch:
https://github.com/zeffy/wufuc

The guy (or girl) who made the patch states that some updates could download an updated dll belonging to Windows Update that checks en blocks the updates.

I have seen that *.MSU files includes the windows update services, to avoid the update of Windows update, i do recommend to extract the files with 7zip or winrar and use only the Windows6.1-KB#######-x64.cab update.

 

[nuhi]

It shouldn't take that long.
Check the task manager for processes taking the CPU (sort them by CPU usage), my guess is some kind of antivirus is scanning all.
I recommend to add the image and temp directory (File-Settings) used for images to the antivirus exclusion list.

There is %temp%\ntlite.log and ntlite_dism.log.

 

[Clanger]

On a quad core amd apu(3.1ghz, 7200rpm hdd) it takes roughly 15 minutes to integrate 3125574 on the apply page, thats 3125574 on its own.

 

[crypticus]

it takes 10-15min on ssd? with a good cpu..

 

[nuhi]

Yeah I don't think SSD matters much except for the first stage when extracting.
Single-core performance is all that matters in image editing, unfortunately.