Windows Can’t Search for Updates – Error 80070490

EvilOzzness · Feb 18, 2009

I have tried everything that I can think of to do for this issue, including attempting to do a Upgrade/Repair Install, which failed because I have a Dell OEM Vista DVD that does not have SP1 on it, but my computer does and so for some reason that option has been disabled (I have contacted Dell and requested another, SP1 Vista disk so that I might be able to perform a Upgrade/Repair Install at that time but they still have not replied). I have not yet tried clean installing yet, I will explain shortly.

I am just wondering if anyone knows of a simple fix for this issue that can be done by tinkering around with the registry values for the Updates or something else that will NOT require me to completely wipe my system out. I have already tried steps two and three here, but they have also failed. In addition to that, I have also attempted to reinstall Windows Installer 4.5 x86 and that also failed, returning a “Windows Update Agent Installer Fatal Error: Windows Update Agent Installer encountered unrecoverable error”.

So, if there really is no “simple fix” for this, I was wondering if anyone knew whether or not performing a clean install of the non-SP1 Vista will solve this issue once and for all or not? Considering the fact that it might very well have been updating to SP1 that caused this issue in the first place, because I had absolutely no issues with anything until after I had performed that major update and then everything gradually just went to hell from there. I really don’t want to spend twelve or more hours wiping the system, reinstalling Vista and Drivers, updating to SP1 and other updates (if I even can at that point) and then all of my personal data just to find out that it was for nothing and that the issue will still persist after having installed SP1 again.

Any further information or references to fixes for this issue is greatly appreciated!

EvilOzzness · Feb 21, 2009

I contacted Dell via their chat thing, and they basically told me I have to wipe my system out and Reinstall the OS. I told them I would much rather be given a new disk with SP1 on it for my system so that I can just do the Repair Install to fix this issue now, and any other future issues that arise so that I would not have to hassle with reinstalling everything, and they persisted that I would just have to do it their way or no way at all.

I tried telling them that installing SP1 on top of their version of the OS is what caused the corruption of the Update feature in the first place and that their method of me trying to fix this issue likely would not solve the problem in the long haul, since reinstalling SP1 would likely result in the same way, and yet they still persisted with that method and refuse to send me what I need to solve the issue once and for all.

I am very dissatisfied with this service, we paid $400 extra dollars for their premier help and support, and this is what we get for it? Screw Dell! I will NEVER buy another system from them again. Ever. :mad:

EDIT: I tried running a sfc /scannow in command prompt and after it had run, it said "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to repair some of them". I tried the following command findstr /C:"[SR] Cannot repair member file" %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log >sfcdetails.txt and it did nothing. I then tried opening up the log manually in C drive to determine which files exactly were corrupted, but returned an "Access Denied" message? ANY help at all here would be appreciated also. If I can manually replace/repair said files, I might just be able to get this error behind me once and for all!

bruce2 · Feb 22, 2009

Hi EvilOzzness, welcome to the board.

Sorry to hear your problem and I feel your frustration. They had once tried to charge me $60 to answer a simple question and of course I laughed it off.

Anyway, SP1 is not likely the cause of the your OS corruption. You may look into Service under Administrative Tools and likely will notice there are a few services related to autoupdate is being disabled from automatic and statues to stopped instead of start. If you can open it and switch them back on then you are find. Which is not likely, though. These service is switched off by some conflict programs or virus.

I hate to bring to you the solution is clean reinstall Vista. SP1 will come to you as an update, therefore a copy of SP1 is not necessary.

Hope some one here will make some more construction suggestion to you like.

Good luck and post back.

Bruce

EvilOzzness · Feb 22, 2009

Thank you very much Bruce, I'll go ahead and give that a try shorty and see what happens. :geek:

I really don't think the problem could be a program conflict though, I only have Firefox, Google Earth, Warcraft III and Sims 2 + a couple expansion packs. And some MS Word documents and pictures. That's about it... I don't do anything else on here but surf the net and play those games. Plus, my issue with this started directly after I installed SP1, and I did return evidence of corruption upon further investigation. I don't know how, and I know it's unusual, but it happened and I'm 95% sure SP1 did it, since I had not installed or done anything else before or after having done that. I have since run a quite a few virus and spyware programs, and they all returned nothing suspicious.

I was considering trying out that tutorial on here about cleaning unnecessary stuff left over from the SP1 install to see if that might solve the problem, too. And if neither of those resolve it, I was thinking about trying another tutorial on here about making my own SP1 slipstream installation disk so that I could just do an Upgrade/Repair Install to fix it and not have to hassle with reformatting and clean installing the OS unless absolutely necessary. That was my major point of not wanting to do a clean install, beside the fact that I'm a bit worried doing that might wipe out my system drivers too, putting me in a rather undesirable situation... Especially now that I see Dell's support is slipping farther and farther away from the great level of service that they once had - they might just leave me to hang if something should go amiss doing the clean install, despite the fact that this thing is armed with warranties up to the hilt. :confused:

bruce2 · Feb 22, 2009

I see your point.

Here you can download SP1 to slipstream with. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) | Download, Deployment, and Support

The slipstream tutorial here by Brink is excellent. Though there may be some different in the procedure for different setups, just be patient and get it done.

Wish everything works out smoothly for you.

Bruce

garylcox · Feb 22, 2009

Anyone with error code 80070005;
I restored my system back to when I thought I messed up. If you try it, make sure you know what to do, 'cause it gets scary.

EvilOzzness · Feb 22, 2009

Thanks again Bruce! I intend to pick up a pack of DVDs later today and get started on that soon. I just hope I don't run into any problems because of the whole OEM thing. That would just be the icing on the cake, wouldn't it? LOL.

Hi garylcox, I intend to factory restore if I can't fix the issue with the SP1 Slipstream Installation disk, and see what happens with that. If that fails, finally do the risky clean install and cross my fingers it works without issue, and does NOT wipe out my factory restore setting partition either.

And hey, wost comes to worst, Dell's just going to have to swallow this one and send me a new laptop via their "if we can't fix it, we'll send out a new one" clause stipulated in my warranty. :devil:

And if they don't honor that, it's straight to court for them! I'm not taking any more of their "fix it yourself, even though that's what you paid us extra for" or their "Just deal with it" BS.

Rampdog99 · Feb 22, 2009

When trying to search for update- I keep geting error 80244019.Is their something I can do to fix this.

bruce2 · Feb 22, 2009

Rampdog99 said:
When trying to search for update- I keep geting error 80244019.Is their something I can do to fix this.

Hi Rampdog99, welcome to the board.

It is advisable to start your own thread so more visible for the public. Let's hope that EvilOzzness doesn't mind hijacking his thread and I apologize.

To your problem, here is a fix you may try. Error(s) Found: Code 80244019 when trying to run Windows Updates in Windows Vista | Windows Reference

It may be helpful if you let us know how the problem started. Also, you may restore system to the restore point prior to the incident.

Good luck and let's hear back from you.

Bruce

EvilOzzness · Feb 22, 2009

No bother at all guys, I don't mind sharing.

Anyhow, I just got done trying out the Slipstream SP1 DVD, and unfortunately the Upgrade/Repair Install option is still disabled - I followed everything to the "T" and tripple-checked everything before commencing each step... So I think I have no choice but to try Factory Restore and see if that doesn't do it at this point.

And after that inevitably fails, I'm going to be placing a rather nasty call to Dell's support line and demand that they ship me their new SP1 Vista Installation AND Upgrade/Repair installation disk for my system, like they should have done in the first place. :rolleyes:

EvilOzzness · Feb 22, 2009

Well, I just got done with the Factory Restore and have regained the Update function for the meantime... I am currently in the process of installing all 42 updates. Let's just see if SP1 results in the same issue again or not before calling it solved... :huh: Fingers crossed!

EDIT: I think Factory Restore might have fixed the problem. Won't know for sure until I let things go for a month or more after having reinstalled SP1. Just have to wait and see if this issue crops up again...

I now also need to figure out why KB956802 returned the error 0x8024000B... And also why I am now getting a notice on my taskbar about “failed to connect to a windows service” and something about limited user something... (the pop up goes away entirely when I try to hover or click on it, so I don’t know completely what it says...)

Any takers willing to help me to tackle those two new ones? Just seems like the more I fix something else, the more other issues keep cropping up! :shock:

Windows Can’t Search for Updates – Error 80070490

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