Windows Updates has been Installing updates for 3 hours

Laura

Is something wrong?

Not necessarily. You would have done better not to have set the system such a large task. Using Automatic Updating results in the kind of experience you are seeing.

You can cancel the update and start again breaking the task into a number of smaller tasks. If there is a problem with one update it can greatly simplify how it is resolved.
http://www.ehow.com/how_8154225_stop-automatic-update-progress.html

Here are some notes that may help resolve problems encountered when installing Windows Updates.

The process of installing updates comprises downloading, installing and configuring the operating system to use the new updates. Some updates require the computer to be restarted and when this occurs configuring occurs as the system is shut down and is completed when the computer is restarted. It is important not to interrupt the configuration process as configuration involves making changes to the registry. If interrupted, the result can be a computer that will not boot.

A lot of problems arise from setting Windows Update to automatically update. You may prefer to change this setting. Select Start, All Programs, Windows Update, Change Settings. Under Important Updates is a box showing the current setting. Click on the Arrow down to the right and change the selection to “Check for Updates but let me choose whether to download and install them” and click on OK.

If you encounter problems updating or you are not using the Automatic Update you should manually update by selecting Start, All Programs, Windows Update, Check for Updates. Check the boxes before the updates you want to install, click on Install and click again on Install in the next window and the process of installing starts. You should let the process proceed without interruption. Multi-tasking at the time updating is in progress is unwise. The progress window will tell you what is going on. You need to be patient.

If you have a number of updates to install break the task of updating into two or more tasks. If you have been having problems with Windows Update run Disk CleanUp (or better still cCleaner) and Disk Defragmenter ( or better still Defraggler) before installing any large download.

If the measures above fail to resolve your problem select Start, All Programs, View Update History and post the Failure Code and Update reference number to the Windows Update Forum at Microsoft Answers.