Error c0150004 with update

[Mike Croom]

I am totally stuck unable to load the new patches because Windows Update
reports error c0150004.

is there a fix for this?

log file below

2007-06-28 13:18:01:210 1204 1b9c Agent *********
2007-06-28 13:18:01:210 1204 1b9c Agent * Online = Yes; Ignore download
priority = No
2007-06-28 13:18:01:210 1204 1b9c Agent * Criteria = "IsInstalled=0 and
DeploymentAction='Installation' or IsPresent=1 and
DeploymentAction='Uninstallation' or IsInstalled=1 and
DeploymentAction='Installation' and RebootRequired=1 or IsInstalled=0 and
DeploymentAction='Uninstallation' and RebootRequired=1"
2007-06-28 13:18:01:210 1204 1b9c Agent * ServiceID =
{7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D}
2007-06-28 13:18:01:211 1204 1b9c Setup Checking for agent SelfUpdate
2007-06-28 13:18:01:211 1204 1b9c Setup Client version: Core: 7.0.6000.374
Aux: 7.0.6000.374
2007-06-28 13:18:01:717 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\wuredir.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:01:722 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:04:315 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\wuredir.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:04:324 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:04:361 1204 1b9c Agent Checking for updated auth cab for
service 7971f918-a847-4430-9279-4a52d1efe18d at
http://www.update.microsoft.com/v7/m...dir/muauth.cab
2007-06-28 13:18:04:362 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\AuthCabs\authcab.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:04:371 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:07:000 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\AuthCabs\authcab.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:07:011 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:07:030 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\wuredir.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:07:040 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:07:067 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\wuredir.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:07:076 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:07:094 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate\wuident.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:07:107 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:07:284 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate\wuident.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:07:293 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:07:301 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate\wsus3setup.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:07:313 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:07:341 1204 1b9c Misc Validating signature for
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate\wsus3setup.cab:
2007-06-28 13:18:07:353 1204 1b9c Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2007-06-28 13:18:07:444 1204 1b9c Setup Determining whether a new setup
handler needs to be downloaded
2007-06-28 13:18:07:444 1204 1b9c Setup SelfUpdate handler is not found. It
will be downloaded
2007-06-28 13:18:07:444 1204 1b9c Setup Evaluating applicability of setup
package "WUClient-SelfUpdate-ActiveX~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~7.0.6000.374"
2007-06-28 13:18:07:932 1204 1b9c Setup Setup package
"WUClient-SelfUpdate-ActiveX~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~7.0.6000.374" is already
installed.
2007-06-28 13:18:07:932 1204 1b9c Setup Evaluating applicability of setup
package "WUClient-SelfUpdate-Aux-TopLevel~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~7.0.6000.374"
2007-06-28 13:18:23:887 1204 1b9c Handler FATAL: UH: 0xc0150004:
EvaluateApplicability failed in CCbs::EvaluateApplicability
2007-06-28 13:18:23:891 1204 1b9c Setup WARNING: CBS EvaluateApplicability
returned error, error = 0xC0150004
2007-06-28 13:18:23:894 1204 1b9c Setup FATAL: Applicability evaluation for
setup package
"WUClient-SelfUpdate-Aux-TopLevel~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~7.0.6000.374" failed,
error = 0xC0150004
2007-06-28 13:18:23:894 1204 1b9c Setup FATAL: SelfUpdate check failed, err
= 0xC0150004
2007-06-28 13:18:23:895 1204 1b9c Agent * WARNING: Skipping scan,
self-update check returned 0xC0150004
2007-06-28 13:18:23:956 1204 1b9c Agent * WARNING: Exit code = 0xC0150004
2007-06-28 13:18:23:956 1204 1b9c Agent *********
2007-06-28 13:18:23:956 1204 1b9c Agent ** END ** Agent: Finding updates
[CallerId = AutomaticUpdates]
2007-06-28 13:18:23:956 1204 1b9c Agent *************
2007-06-28 13:18:23:956 1204 1b9c Agent WARNING: WU client failed Searching
for update with error 0xc0150004
2007-06-28 13:18:23:957 1204 740 AU >>## RESUMED ## AU: Search for updates
[CallId = {0CACF8F4-CFE5-4DCB-B4AD-E7600C4AFEBD}]
2007-06-28 13:18:23:957 1204 740 AU # WARNING: Search callback failed,
result = 0xC0150004
2007-06-28 13:18:23:957 1204 740 AU # WARNING: Failed to find updates with
error code C0150004
2007-06-28 13:18:23:957 1204 740 AU #########
2007-06-28 13:18:23:958 1204 740 AU ## END ## AU: Search for updates
[CallId = {0CACF8F4-CFE5-4DCB-B4AD-E7600C4AFEBD}]
2007-06-28 13:18:23:958 1204 740 AU #############
2007-06-28 13:18:23:960 1204 740 AU AU setting next detection timeout to
2007-06-28 17:18:23
2007-06-28 13:18:23:960 1204 740 AU Setting AU scheduled install time to
2007-06-29 02:00:00
2007-06-28 13:18:28:894 1204 1b9c Report REPORT EVENT:
{E8158235-299D-42B6-9B5D-96919537235B} 2007-06-28 13:18:23:894+0100 1 148
--
Mike

[Mike Croom]

and FWIW - if I run an update individually from the KB article I get the
window "Windows Module Installer stopped working and was closed"

FWIW - ran a support call with MSFT. Tried a number of actions but nothing
worked and no information in their support database.

Reinstall!

[Robert Aldwinckle]

It looks as if an update is failing an applicability check.
How did you get it? WSUS? (FWIW I don't have a wsus3setup.cab
in my SelfUpdate directory.) If so, look for support from your administrator.

Otherwise perhaps you should try installing the same one
manually (possibly with verbose logging specified) to see if that works
any better (or at least gives a different perspective on the error.)

Were any other diagnostics created by the install attempt?
Do a search of all files created that day, sort them by Date Modified
(hence sort them by timestamp on that day), then scroll to the ones
which the update changed.

In addition you could supplement the information in any logs (verbose
or otherwise) by running ProcMon.

It looks as if this could be an update to the MU agent; so another thing
which might work is switching to the AU agent, getting it updated if necessary,
and then see if it can download and install non-MU updates for you.
Again, doing that would at least give you some different symptoms to look at.

[Jack]

Hey man, just so you know i'm having the exact same problem with you. I have
Windows Vista Ultimate 64.

I was already receiving errors with certain updates, but several
installations later i'm not able to perform updates at all with the result of
C0150004. My logs are extremely similar to yours so i think we suffer from
the same problem. This C0150004 message comes up several seconds after i
attempt to "Check for updates".

Also, if you're using Windows Vista, do you have the problem where if you
try to enter the "Turn Windows Features on or off" utility, that it comes up
completely blank? Please no one respond with the microsoft solution
including a registry command and a StoreDirty key, because it does not fix
the problem. In fact, i have a hard time finding anyone having this same
problem, where the StoreDirty deletion fixes anything. Probably a 1 time
solution that has been published.

If i try to install the latest microsoft update agent i receive the C0150004
message as well midway through the installation and it fails. This also
happens when downloading updates individually and attempting to install them.

What is also funny is that my Windows Defender updates download fine. So
whatever procedure used in WU vs Defender updates must be different.

No i do not have a firewall turned on (unfortunately). I won't be turning
it back on until i can resolve this. I really don't want to reformat because
then i'll just go and install everything I installed before and end up with
the same problem... I believe this problem began when I installed &
configured the Windows OneCare beta for Windows Vista x64 but uninstalling it
did not make a difference for the error.

I did find one solution that involved deleting a file pending.xml file from
C:\Windows\WinSxS. Doing this requires you to take ownership of the file
first. But i dont have this file to delete so it must be unrelated to my
problem :( The symptoms were a match so i was sad to find that this file
didn't exist on my machine. Maybe that will help you man, I sure wish it
helped me. Please keep this post alive, i really don't want to reformat. A
lot of people are having this problem (search for C0150004) and so far there
isn't a uniform solution. Microsoft has also been very little help.

Solutions I've found (but none have worked for me on Windows Vista Ult x64)
are:

#1 Stop the windows update service and delete the
C:\windows\SoftwareDistribution folder. Start the service, the folder is
recreated and updates start flowing again.

#2 Delete the pending.xml file from c:\Windows\WinSxS after taking
ownership. Updates start again.

[Jack]

For the SoftwareDistribution directory, if you stop the Windows Update
service, you should be able to delete it. I did find a solution last night
for our problem though.

It is a little bit of a pain. I'd prefer to find a faster solution but I had
to do an in place upgrade to fix this problem. Meaning i ran my Windows
Vista setup CD and chose to Upgrade to Windows Vista even though I already
have it installed. I couldn't get it to activate online because it said this
copy of Vista had already been activated so I called phone support to get it
activated. Their automated system failed as well so it put me through to a
representative who asked me the scripted question "how many other machines
than the one you are on is the product installed?". The answer was none of
course, and they gave me the activation code to type in.

So i got back into vista, all my settings were reset to default again as
though the OS was just installed for the first time, but all of my software
is still installed. I ran Windows Update and there was no failure at all.
All my updates installed and I currently have 0 waiting. Before i couldn't
even see what updates were available before i'd get the error C0150004.

So it is still sort of a pain, but at least you dont have to reinstall your
software completely. It's a long procedure to upgrade but i still like the
fact that I didn't have to reformat. I hope that helps you Mike, I'll be
interested to hear your results.

Hopefully the problem doesn't come back! I'm guessing the corruption in
Windows Update occurs when trying to install the latest version of Windows
Update through Windows Update (3 x in 1 sentence wow!) I had done that and
installed OneCare Beta 2 around the same time that this all began so i'm not
100% certain as to which caused the problem.

Also, now that i have the latest version of Windows Update, even the 4-5
updates, that would always fail with odd error messages before the C0150004
episode, will now install successfully.

For the first time since I've installed Vista, all updates say they're
installed!

[Mike Croom]

Robert

I am on a home PC running Vista Home premium - no WSUS and no sysadmin!

How do I switch between MU and AU agent?

[Mike Croom]

looks like we have the same error - I also have the same issues with no
windows features being reported and also no pending file.

Had a good look at the software distribution directory. It has a more
informative log file. Eg “Unable to Connect: Windows is unable to connect to
the automatic updates service and therefore cannot download and install
updates” and “SelfUpdate Failure Software Synchronization Windows Update
Client failed to detect with error 0xc0150004.”

Difficulty was that I could not delete the directory – it was opened
elsewhere – (how do I tell which process has it open?)

Instead I moved the subdirs, effectively emptying it

But still the same error! Line in the ReportingEvents log file in
SoftwareDistribution folder has the following. Does this help anyone narrow
it down?

{CFE92EC6-C4B5-4150-A1DC-F4BD38EEA1F6} 2007-08-16
10:28:03:717+0100 1 148 101 {61CA813A-7585-442E-A66B-B0D15CE6BDC0} 1 c0150004 SelfUpdate Failure Software
Synchronization Windows Update Client failed to detect with error 0xc0150004.

[State of MN]

I assume you mean switching from MU and WU. Both Windows Update and
Microsoft Update use the AU agent.

MU includes Office 2003 while WU just uses Windows Updates.

So just so that you know how it ended for me - a bunch of thing sgoing wrong
including memory errors

reinstalled and trying to get the memory replaced

[Comptroller]

This error is not quite so erroneous as what it may seem....the operating system is trying to relinquish controll to the superuser. All windows operating systems function as an auxilliary shell to the core operating system; however the functions programmed into any standard Windows version are virtually identical to those programmed into the most advanced version available: only the allowable access, permissions, ownership and authorities vary from version to version. To access the full capabilities of the true operating system an extensive knowledge of command prompting is necessary, but even so; the Windows "shell" will never fully utilize all the possible functions except in the advance versions. Accessories can be programmed for processes which may be interfaced through Windows if set into the root initiation files etc., but as the users become more adept at avoiding errors and efficiently configuring their files and permissions: the online operating systems will virtually complete such tasks preliminary to any new options being made available for selection to the entire online community. And as individual systems complete the new requirements which may upgrade each computer on any given host of networks: the upgrades are attributed to the advance version which then has been gradually installed to all networked computers using the base operating system. If Windows update isn't upgrading your computer and no explanation is available for the reported error; the error is most likely a system error which will not allow the computer to report the system's advance as an error.