Updates won't install

[mehead]

my updates won't install. it just shows 1 of 11 ( or how many there are ). I just had my hard drive scraped and reinstalled.

 

[Lottiemansion]

Hi,

Go to the update website & let update run. It will install them as needed. First ones verify the validity of your system & the rest will follow!

Quantity depends on how old your Vista install from maufacturer or when you purchased the disks. It could be many but you will get them all.

 

[mehead]

i am beginning to wonder about the validity because NO updates will install.

 

[ilikefree]

Could you give more details about how you did the reinstall please.
Did you activate the software after the install.
Go to control panel, system, does it say activated at the bottom of the page?

 

[mehead]

I did not do the reinstall, a local company did. i looked at the control panel>system and i did not see activated anywhere. is there anyway to do it at this point?

 

[ilikefree]

It should give you the option to activate at the bottom of the page.
The activation code should be on a sticker somewhere on your computer.
If it is there copy it into the box at the bottom of the page.
If it is a laptop and had an operating system on it when you got it it will have OEM somewhere in the code.
If you are unable to find it go back to whoever installed it and ask for it as that is what you paid for.

 

[mehead]

my bad. it is activated, i looked to make sure the poduct id # was on the computer couldn't find it. any other sugestions

 

[ilikefree]

Yes go to start search box, type services.msc, click enter
Go to windows update right click and click properties see if its start is set to automatic.
Also see if its dependencies are also set to auto start and have started.
RPC remote procedure call and DCOM server process launcher.
Also if you haven't already done it try a system file check
Go to start search,type cmd hold shift and ctrl and press enter
In the box that opens type
sfc /scannow
This will check for errors and try to repair any it finds.
To just check without trying to repair type
sfc /verifyonly

 

[mblack]

Stop the Automatic Updates service.

Find the SoftwareDistribution folder in the Windows folder. Delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder.

Restart the Automatic Updates service.

This won't fix the OS build if it's broken, but it should fix the update system.


Another thing to do is
To see the error code , do the following

1. Type 'Windows Update' in your Start Search feature of your Start
Menu.
2. Click the blue link 'View Update History'.
3. Right click on your failed update and choose 'View Details'.
4. Or Troubleshoot Problems with installing updates.

Here there should be usually an error code like 0x80071023 or something
similar for almost every Windows Update issue.

Then you can look up the errror code !

 

[Lorien]

Find the SoftwareDistribution folder in the Windows folder. Delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder.

I strongly suggest that you do not do this - or perhaps more accurately, that you limit the scope of the suggestion substantially. Not even the most extreme Microsoft recommendation (or automated procedure even in aggressive mode) or posted suggestion by a known professional ever suggests deleting the contents of that entire folder (yes, I've seen it recommended elsewhere, but I do not trust those suggestions). I do not know the consequences. It may turn out OK, but it may cause serious problems that may be difficult to resolve. Besides, the objective here is to clear out any updates that are pending or stuck, and that can be done without needing to go this far.

In that folder, find and delete the contents (but not the folders themselves) of ONLY the following two folders: Downloads and DataStore. This will accomplish the objective being attempted by this procedure and is considerably safer.

And this MAY help resolve the problem if it is caused by an incomplete or stuck update - but it is not guaranteed to fix the update problem because at this point we don't really know the cause. This is one cause and there are many others that this procedure won't resolve. But it is worth a try as I've amended it.

Another thing to do is
To see the error code , do the following

1. Type 'Windows Update' in your Start Search feature of your Start
Menu.
2. Click the blue link 'View Update History'.
3. Right click on your failed update and choose 'View Details'.
4. Or Troubleshoot Problems with installing updates.

Here there should be usually an error code like 0x80071023 or something
similar for almost every Windows Update issue.

Then you can look up the errror code !

Normally, I would agree with this suggestion if the problem were one or two updates, but the fact that you can't install any updates means that there's a more general problem than an error code for specific updates. On the other hand, if you do check, it is possible that they will all show the same error code and THAT might be useful in identifying the problem. If so, don't waste time looking it up yourself. Please simply post the information here (exactly, word-for-word with the precise codes and double-check them because a typo will send us off on a wild goose chase) as we are practiced at researching these codes and need the information anyway.

*********************************************

If the above doesn't help (including what ilikefree recommended), then I recommend the following in the order presented:

Try resetting the WU components:
How do I reset Windows Update components?

Try the System Update Readiness Tool:
Description of the System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista, for Windows Server 2008, for Windows 7, and for Windows Server 2008 R2

Try the Fix WU Utility:
Repair & Fix Windows Updates with Fix WU Utility | The Windows Club

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

 

[ilikefree]

Good help offered here I would like to see the error code as it is written.
Do what Lorein suggests after you do the system file check sfc /scannow
If errors are found run the sfc scan up to 3 times to see if it will fix them.

 

[mehead]

before i start deleting anything in any folders i went to the view history of the windows updates. the error code on most of the microsoft updates is 80246007. there is a HP monitor update that is 800705B4. I did notice some updates all be it very few are getting installed.

 

[niemiro]

Hello!

Please just run through all of these things, and report back, and ask as many questions as necessary:

Sadly, neither of your errors lookup well:

C:\Users\Richard>err 80246007
# as an HRESULT: Severity: SUCCESS (0), Facility: 0x4c8, Code 0x74f7
# as an HRESULT: Severity: FAILURE (1), Facility: 0x24, Code 0x6007
# NOT FOUND: 80246007

C:\Users\Richard>err 800705B4
# as an HRESULT: Severity: FAILURE (1), Facility: 0x7, Code 0x5b4
# for hex 0x5b4 / decimal 1460 :
  SQL_1460_severity_16                                          sql_err
# The partner for database "%.*ls" is not defined or it is
# different than the one attempting to establish log
# shipping.
  ERROR_TIMEOUT                                                 winerror.h
# This operation returned because the timeout period expired.
# 2 matches found for "800705B4"

C:\Users\Richard>

Then please try this solution: Windows Update error 80246007

followed by the BITS repair tool: Download details: BITS Repair Tool for Windows Vista (KB940520)

Restart your computer, and re-test Windows Update.

If you still have an issue, please try this excellent part of Lorien's post (credit to him)

Try resetting the WU components:
How do I reset Windows Update components?

Try the Fix WU Utility:
Repair & Fix Windows Updates with Fix WU Utility | The Windows Club

Restart your computer, and re-try Windows Update. If there is STILL an issue:

Try the System Update Readiness Tool:
Description of the System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista, for Windows Server 2008, for Windows 7, and for Windows Server 2008 R2

Then navigate to C:\Windows\Logs, and copy the whole CBS folder to your Desktop. Right click on it > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. Upload that new zip file.

The best of luck!

Richard