Had this same problem and a tech support fixed it, hope this works for you.
This is what he wrote:
This seems that there is a system issue which blocked the self update for
Windows Update Agent. To resolve this issue, we can perform an in-place
upgrade to replace the corrupted files. The in-place upgrade will only
replace the system files and do not remove any installed applications. So, it
is safe for us. However, it requires you have the installation CD and product
key for Vista. If you do not have the CD and key, please let me know.
If you would like to perform the in-place upgrade, let’s refer to the
following steps.
1. Start the computer by using the current Operating System.
2. Insert the Windows Vista DVD in the computer's DVD drive.
3. Use one of the following procedures, as appropriate:
• If Windows automatically detects the DVD, the Install now screen appears.
Click Install now.
• If Windows does not automatically detect the DVD, follow these steps:
a. Click Start, click Run, type Drive:\setup.exe, and then click OK.
Note Drive is the drive letter of the computer's DVD drive.
b. Click Install now.
4. When you reach the "Which type of installation do you want?" screen,
click Upgrade to upgrade the current operating system to Windows Vista.
Please let me know if this can help us fix the problem. However, if the
problem persists, I will contact our Windows Vista Support to help us.
Because of the current problem is a more system related issue. They are
experts on this issue and I believe it is the most efficient way to resolve
this issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
Mike Qu
v-30miqu@mssupport.microsoft.com
Microsoft Windows Update Support Professional
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