Solved "Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer" error in Windows 7 Professional SP1 OS (Rev: 1.1)

For the Lenovo W510 (type: 4391-BK1) ThinkPad notebook with Windows 7 Professional SP1 Operating System (OS), I had used Windows Update to check and install all the available Windows 7 patches. After that, I had also used Lenovo ThinkVantage Toolbox application to update all the Lenovo software files (including updating to latest BIOS version 1.45) for the Lenovo W510 ThinkPad notebook.

On the next day, when I try to use the Windows Update to check for Windows update again, it will show a “Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer” error. Restart the Lenovo W510 ThinkPad notebook does not solve the problem because it will still shown the same Windows Update error.

I had opened a Command Prompt to check the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and Windows Update (wuauserv) services, and both services are already running (both the services startup type were set as "Automatic (Delayed Start)" in the Computer Management -> Services and Applications -> Services):

# sc queryex bits
SERVICE_NAME: bits
        TYPE               : 20  WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS 
        STATE              : 4  RUNNING
                                (STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, IGNORES_SHUTDOWN)
        WIN32_EXIT_CODE    : 0  (0x0)
        SERVICE_EXIT_CODE  : 0  (0x0)
        CHECKPOINT         : 0x0
        WAIT_HINT          : 0x0
        PID                : 1220
        FLAGS              :


# sc queryex wuauserv
SERVICE_NAME: wuauserv
        TYPE               : 20  WIN32_SHARE_PROCESS 
        STATE              : 4  RUNNING
                                (STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, ACCEPTS_PRESHUTDOWN)
        WIN32_EXIT_CODE    : 0  (0x0)
        SERVICE_EXIT_CODE  : 0  (0x0)
        CHECKPOINT         : 0x0
        WAIT_HINT          : 0x0
        PID                : 1220
        FLAGS              :


I had also checked the Windows 7 Professional SP1 OS registry under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BITS,
and all the BITS and sharedAccess services registries were already existed.

Below is the export registry content of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BITS:

-------------- Start ------------------------------

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BITS]
"DisplayName"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\qmgr.dll,-1000"
"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
  74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
  00,76,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,73,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2d,00,\
  6b,00,20,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,73,00,76,00,63,00,73,00,00,00
"Description"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\qmgr.dll,-1001"
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000002
"DelayedAutoStart"=dword:00000001
"Type"=dword:00000020
"DependOnService"=hex(7):52,00,70,00,63,00,53,00,73,00,00,00,45,00,76,00,65,00,\
  6e,00,74,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,00,00,00,00
"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001
"RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,47,\
  00,6c,00,6f,00,62,00,61,00,6c,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,\
  67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,72,00,73,00,6f,00,6e,\
  00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,\
  00,00,53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\
  00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,00,\
  72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,72,\
  00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,\
  63,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,51,00,75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,50,00,72,\
  00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00
"FailureActions"=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
  00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,01,00,00,00,c0,d4,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BITS\Parameters]
"ServiceDll"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,\
  00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,\
  71,00,6d,00,67,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BITS\Performance]
"Library"="bitsperf.dll"
"Open"="PerfMon_Open"
"Collect"="PerfMon_Collect"
"Close"="PerfMon_Close"
"InstallType"=dword:00000001
"PerfIniFile"="bitsctrs.ini"
"First Counter"=dword:000007d2
"Last Counter"=dword:000007e2
"First Help"=dword:000007d3
"Last Help"=dword:000007e3
"Object List"="2002"
"PerfMMFileName"="Global\\MMF_BITS_s"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\BITS\Security]
"Security"=hex:01,00,14,80,90,00,00,00,a0,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,34,00,00,00,02,\
  00,20,00,01,00,00,00,02,c0,18,00,00,00,0c,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,\
  00,00,20,02,00,00,02,00,5c,00,04,00,00,00,00,02,14,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,01,00,\
  00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,\
  20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00,00,00,14,00,8d,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,04,\
  00,00,00,00,00,14,00,8d,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,06,00,00,00,01,02,\
  00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,\
  00,20,02,00,00

-------------- End ------------------------------


Solution

In the end, the solution to solve the “Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer” error is to update the Windows Defender signature file. In Windows 7 Professional SP1 OS, you can start Windows Defender at Start -> Control Panel -> Windows Defender.

Windows Defender includes a command-line utility, MpCmdRun.exe which can be handy if you want to automate the use of Windows Defender and is located at
%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe:


# cd %programfiles%\windows defender

# mpcmdrun -signatureupdate
(To update the Windows Defender signature file)

[JackNg: If the Windows Defender signature update produces an "ERROR: Signature Update failed with hr=800106BA", please refers to 'Solved Windows Defender "ERROR: Signature Update failed with hr=800106BA" & "Windows Update cannot currently check for updates because the service is not running" errors in Acer Aspire X5900 pc with Windows 7 Home Premium x64 OS'.]


After updating the Windows Defender signature file, the “Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer” error automatically disappeared and Windows Update works normally again.