The KB numbers given below are for Windows 7. Windows 8 has it’s own different number version of most of them, and i think those are given in the linked thread below from sevenforums. As i do not have Windows 8 (i saw MS coming!) i do not have a list of those to share sadly, you’ll need to do your own research into them.
It is becoming a pain, but an essential one if your wanting to stick with 7 for the time being. Not all windows 7 users have an issue with updates, and the problems seemed to really become common during the whole ‘you will update to 10’ era, so it ‘might’ be related to some of those updates that are about getting your windows 7 turned into 10?
Whatever, this thread i will link has some great info in it in relation to avoiding those updates that are aimed at turning 7 into 10 (if you do not want that):
I would say the OP to that is not upto date, so you have to do a bit of trawling through that link to get the latest info on which updates to ignore in 7, my list is currently around 30 updates but i’ve not been keeping fully upto date on those details over recent weeks.
I can still get updates no problem (no slowdown, no non-action, no eternal stuck doing nothing etc) for my 7 installations, but i’ve been very careful to avoid the zombie windows 10 for 7 updates.
Edit: Here is my list of updates i avoid based on the info in most of that thread
KB2506928
KB2545698
KB2592687
KB2660075
KB2726535
KB2876229 SKYPE (I don’t use it)
KB2923545
**KB2952664 **Very persistent, will require multiple uninstalls and setting ‘ignore this update’.
KB2970228
KB2990214
KB2994023
KB2999226
KB3021917
KB3022345
**KB3035583 **- if you have this, uninstall can freeze PC at ‘do not restart your pc’! Hard reset required.
KB3046480
KB3050265
KB3065987
KB3068708
KB3075249
KB3075851
KB3077715
KB3080149
KB3083324
KB3083710
KB3086255
KB3097877
KB3097966
KB3102810
KB3112343
KB3123862
KB3135445
KB3138612
KB3173040 - final(?) Windows 10 update nag screen
There might be a few others? It should also be noted that while the bolded KB’s are the ‘Windows 10 update’ specific files, many of the others are about adding the telemetry to Windows 7 that Windows 10 comes with as standard. So MS have been trying hard to turn Windows 7(and 8) into the same kind of spy tool that Windows 10 is for those trying to avoid getting Windows 10.
mod note: this post was originally a reply in this thread.