Unable to install Windows Automatic Updates

Everything seems in order, installed fine on my other pc.

When I click to go through the install process, it comes up after trying to install the updates that they couldn't be installed and then the only option is to close the window. No error messages.

After I close it out, the yellow icon keeps re-appearing to install them.

I tried resetting IE7, but that didn't help either.

Not sure what to do, everything seems to work fine, but the updates won't install and the yellow icon just keeps re-appearing.

The first thing you will probably need to do is:

Right click My Computer and select Manage. Select "Services And Applications", then "Services" from the tree. Right click Automatic Updates and select "Stop". Leave the management console open.

Second step is to go to %SYSTEMROOT% and delete the whole "Software Distribution" folder. %SYSTEMROOT% is probably C:\Windows on your computer.

Go back to the management console and right click Automatic Updates again and select "Start". This will recreate the folder you just deleted and reinstantiate the updates. You will need to go out to Windows Update again to try your updates. Let me know if it continues to have problems.

Kaiser said:

The first thing you will probably need to do is:

Right click My Computer and select Manage. Select "Services And Applications", then "Services" from the tree. Right click Automatic Updates and select "Stop". Leave the management console open.

Second step is to go to %SYSTEMROOT% and delete the whole "Software Distribution" folder. %SYSTEMROOT% is probably C:\Windows on your computer.

Go back to the management console and right click Automatic Updates again and select "Start". This will recreate the folder you just deleted and reinstantiate the updates. You will need to go out to Windows Update again to try your updates. Let me know if it continues to have problems.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the help and the troubleshoot Kaiser. Tried that, but didn't fix the problem. Same thing is happening. It downloads the updates and then when it starts the installation process, it pops up updates not installed.

MG1966 said:

Thanks for the help and the troubleshoot Kaiser. Tried that, but didn't fix the problem. Same thing is happening. It downloads the updates and then when it starts the installation process, it pops up updates not installed.

Click to expand...

Are all of the updatres not installing? Or is it a select few? You might need to re-install Windows Installer 3.1. Look for the manual download from M$. You can also re-install Package Installer incase the downloads are coming in corrupt. Turn on Automatic Updates for an automated install at a certain time and reboot. Sometimes the website will fail out but the updates will install via normal internal Windows Updating. You can also go to http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate which is a different site than just Windows Update. If this still fails out, there is a possibility that your box is underpowered like I mentioned in the previous post or IE is screwed up. You can reset your IE to defaults by going to Tools/Internet Options/Advanced and hit the Reset button at the bottom. It will say to do a restart of IE but I would reboot the box incase you have some sort of malware still resident in memory. Let me know how these steps turn out.

Ya Kaiser, all of them are not installing.

I reinstalled Windows Installer 3.1 and also Package Installer. Tried the other download site and also reset IE7.

Still the same problem.

MG1966 said:

Ya Kaiser, all of them are not installing.

I reinstalled Windows Installer 3.1 and also Package Installer. Tried the other download site and also reset IE7.

Still the same problem.

Click to expand...

Run the Windows Update again and down the bottom of the error page will be an error code in hex that looks like: 0X2896792

We would normally look up that error code on Microsoft Support/Help. What code does it give you? Also, stupid question, but have to ask, do you have enough space on the drive?

Kaiser said:

Run the Windows Update again and down the bottom of the error page will be an error code in hex that looks like: 0X2896792

We would normally look up that error code on Microsoft Support/Help. What code does it give you? Also, stupid question, but have to ask, do you have enough space on the drive?

Click to expand...

It doesn't give me an error code Kaiser. I cut and paste what it shows me after the install failed. PC is practically empty, so should be tons of disc space.

Failed Updates
For help installing an update successfully, see the solution under each problem description.


Problem: A problem on your computer is preventing updates from being downloaded or installed
Solution: To fix the problem, try installing the updates again. If that doesn't work, use the Troubleshooter to try solve the problem.

Microsoft Windows XP
Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP (KB933566)
Cumulative Security Update for Outlook Express for Windows XP (KB929123)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB935840)
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - June 2007 (KB890830)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB935839)

Kaiser, thanks for the help bro, but the girl at Microsoft gave up on it too. She gave me all of these detailed instructions to do screenshots etc...I think she probably expected me to say heck with it.

I sent her everything and never heard back.

I guess I'll just live with it.