Windows Update won't install updates after Repair Install

Hi everyone,

I keep seeing people aluding to this problem, but never a definite solution.
I am running Windows XP SP2, and just did a 'repair install' off the CD (ie
it copies over all the key windows files again, but leaves everything else).
As you are all probably aware, this replaces any updates. Now, Windows
Update (both the automatic client and the website version) identify some 83
updates that I need again, however both fail because "A problem on your
computer is preventing updates from being downloaded or installed". now they
download just fine; it's the install step that holds it up.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Thank you,
Alex

Try reinstalling the WU client -
Follow this article -
The Windows Update Web site and the Microsoft Update Web site do not scan for updates when
you repair a failed installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2 or of Windows XP Service
Pack 1
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916259

--
====================================
TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2008 - Australia
====================================
How to make a good post: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
Defending your machine: http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/
http://taurarian.mvps.org/index.htm

Emails will not be acknowledged - please post to the newsgroup so all may benefit.


"Avacar" <Avacar@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:D1EC4488-D417-406E-8525-7930FDE931EB@microsoft.com...
| Hi everyone,
|
| I keep seeing people aluding to this problem, but never a definite solution.
| I am running Windows XP SP2, and just did a 'repair install' off the CD (ie
| it copies over all the key windows files again, but leaves everything else).
| As you are all probably aware, this replaces any updates. Now, Windows
| Update (both the automatic client and the website version) identify some 83
| updates that I need again, however both fail because "A problem on your
| computer is preventing updates from being downloaded or installed". now they
| download just fine; it's the install step that holds it up.
|
| Any ideas/suggestions?
|
| Thank you,
| Alex
|

Well, this solution is not exactly my problem; it isn't that the windows
update website does not have updates listed/cant search. It does list
updates. Instead, it will download them, but be unable to install them,
quoting only the error message I listed above.

I did try this solution anyway. Just trying to reinstall the agent brought
up a message stating the agent was already installed. I went with the second
solution, and deleted the files listed. When I tried to reinstall, I
received this message:


"Install Failed with the following error number: 0x80070420".

Now when I try to go to windows Update my copy of IE6 (since IE7 was lost in
the repair install) hangs.


"TaurArian [MS-MVP]" wrote:

> Try reinstalling the WU client -
> Follow this article -
> The Windows Update Web site and the Microsoft Update Web site do not scan for updates when
> you repair a failed installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2 or of Windows XP Service
> Pack 1
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916259
>
> --
> ====================================
> TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2008 - Australia
> ====================================
> How to make a good post: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> Defending your machine: http://defendingyourmachine2.blogspot.com/
> http://taurarian.mvps.org/index.htm
>
> Emails will not be acknowledged - please post to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
>
>

See above message from me first;

It finally stopped hanging, and attempted to install the activeX control.
It failed with the following message:

"The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you are
trying to view. The options provided below might help you solve the problem. "

And:
Error Number:0x80070420

As she stated, the updates download then fail to install, I have the exact
same problem following a repair. I went ahead and tried updating
WU..."Install is not needed as WU agent is already installed".
Did manage to get a downloaded WindowsInstaller3.1 to install, but auto
updates still fail from machine and WinUpdate site...all 90 of them.
Firewalls and HIPs gave no detection alerts, now trying again after disabling
all 3rd party protections and restarting XP. (WGA is valid and XP Firewall
disabled, too.) It appears it isn't even trying to install for an unknown
reason, otherwise Threatfire or Comodo would have said something to that
effect?

For XP they are 2 o 3 solutions, here is one of them (Dial-a-Fix)

http://www.microsoft.com/communities...2-caf563880e71

I hope this post is helpful.

Let us know how it works ºut.

- -- --


"Avacar" wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> I keep seeing people aluding to this problem, but never a definite solution.
> I am running Windows XP SP2, and just did a 'repair install' off the CD (ie
> it copies over all the key windows files again, but leaves everything else).
> As you are all probably aware, this replaces any updates. Now, Windows
> Update (both the automatic client and the website version) identify some 83
> updates that I need again, however both fail because "A problem on your
> computer is preventing updates from being downloaded or installed". now they
> download just fine; it's the install step that holds it up.
>
> Any ideas/suggestions?
>
> Thank you,
> Alex
>

I've tried safe mode scans(HJT, CCleaner, SPybot, AVG, ThreatFire...even good
ol DiskCleanup) and all reported clean. Have disabled wuauserv, deleted
contents of Software Distribution folder and WUTemp folder, then re-enabled
wuauserv. No dice.

Looks like uninstalling .net framework to reinstall it so I can download the
updates to fix it is the next approach.

I love technology, it's so advanced.

Dial-a-fix was able to solve the issue.

Thank you for pointing it out. This just proves, however, that Microsoft
doesn't yet have a true in-house solution to this problem; at least not
collated and identified as such. I suspect piecing together all the other
solutions I've been pointed to may have worked, but Dial-a-fix seemed to
understand which order to apply things, and did them automatically for me. I
was able to install my 83 updates.


"Engel" wrote:

>
> For XP they are 2 o 3 solutions, here is one of them (Dial-a-Fix)
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/communities...2-caf563880e71
>
> I hope this post is helpful.
>
> Let us know how it works ºut.
>
> - -- --
>
>
> "Avacar" wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > I keep seeing people aluding to this problem, but never a definite solution.
> > I am running Windows XP SP2, and just did a 'repair install' off the CD (ie
> > it copies over all the key windows files again, but leaves everything else).
> > As you are all probably aware, this replaces any updates. Now, Windows
> > Update (both the automatic client and the website version) identify some 83
> > updates that I need again, however both fail because "A problem on your
> > computer is preventing updates from being downloaded or installed". now they
> > download just fine; it's the install step that holds it up.
> >
> > Any ideas/suggestions?
> >
> > Thank you,
> > Alex
> >

"Avacar" wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> I keep seeing people aluding to this problem, but never a definite solution.
> I am running Windows XP SP2, and just did a 'repair install' off the CD (ie
> it copies over all the key windows files again, but leaves everything else).
> As you are all probably aware, this replaces any updates. Now, Windows
> Update (both the automatic client and the website version) identify some 83
> updates that I need again, however both fail because "A problem on your
> computer is preventing updates from being downloaded or installed". now they
> download just fine; it's the install step that holds it up.
>
> Any ideas/suggestions?
>
> Thank you,
> Alex
>
I had this problem going on for days. Firstly, look in "Windows Update.log"
in the Windows directory. This may tell you what the problem is if it is
software related.
Mine was not. I have three computers on a router. two worked perfectly, one
did not. It was the one on which I had lost a disc to old age, and had to
reinstall windows from the original disc. There were 69 missing files, so
windows update spent a lot of time searching. I had a surge arrester ( made
for the job ) in the ethernet line to the modem for this one computer. This
gave Error 0x80072002 ( which is a timeout ). The reason is that it slowed
the transmissions so much that Explorer got tired of waiting for a reply when
a lot of searching of software at one end or the other was needed. I got as
far as "the green crawler" each time, then explorer died of exhaustion
waiting.
I hope this may be of some help.
Kind regards
Doug Wood

I'm having the same problem, as I have 79 updates I've been trying to install
for two days now....PLEASE tell me where I can find Dial-a-Fix... When I
clicked the info in Engel's post, just got copies of other posts. I'm so
confused after working on this for two days, this old lady sure could use
some help.