Hi
For some reason beyond me, Windows update will no longer install ANY
updates, it is not specifically one update.
The only error I get is:

Problem: A problem on your computer is preventing updates from being
downloaded or installed
Solution: To fix the problem, try installing the updates again. If that
doesn't work, use the Troubleshooter to try solve the problem.

I can download the updates, just not install them!


I have tried everything I know of (Disabling firewall, anti-virus,
anti-spyware etc).
Is there a list of things that are known to cause these problems somewhere?
In my experiences, getting information from the microsoft update site is like
getting blood out of a stone (I thought it was supposed to be "fool proof"?)

Sometimes I can manually download an update and install it, but most of the
time I can't. This has been happening since about September, but also happend
the last time I reformatted my computer (I had to manually install all
updates).

I read something a while ago about changing a file or folder in the
registry? But haven't been able to find the article since so I don't know if
it will help me or not.

I've tried searching the "troubleshooter" and the knowledge base, but I can
never find any results and it causes me more frustration going around in
circles than not actually being able to install updates.

If anyone out there could help me or is having the same problems recently,
please help!

I am having the same problem.

"Patrick" wrote:

> Hi
> For some reason beyond me, Windows update will no longer install ANY
> updates, it is not specifically one update.
> The only error I get is:
>
> Problem: A problem on your computer is preventing updates from being
> downloaded or installed
> Solution: To fix the problem, try installing the updates again. If that
> doesn't work, use the Troubleshooter to try solve the problem.
>
> I can download the updates, just not install them!
>
>
> I have tried everything I know of (Disabling firewall, anti-virus,
> anti-spyware etc).
> Is there a list of things that are known to cause these problems somewhere?
> In my experiences, getting information from the microsoft update site is like
> getting blood out of a stone (I thought it was supposed to be "fool proof"?)
>
> Sometimes I can manually download an update and install it, but most of the
> time I can't. This has been happening since about September, but also happend
> the last time I reformatted my computer (I had to manually install all
> updates).
>
> I read something a while ago about changing a file or folder in the
> registry? But haven't been able to find the article since so I don't know if
> it will help me or not.
>
> I've tried searching the "troubleshooter" and the knowledge base, but I can
> never find any results and it causes me more frustration going around in
> circles than not actually being able to install updates.
>
> If anyone out there could help me or is having the same problems recently,
> please help!

I forgot to say, I'm using winxp pro service pack 2

Try running this batch file:
------------------------------------------------------------------
net.exe stop wuauserv

cd /d %windir%
rd /s softwaredistribution
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wuapi.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wuaueng1.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wuaueng.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wucltui.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wups.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wuaueng1.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\ MSXML3.DLL

net.exe start wuauserv

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

How?

1) open notepad or whatever text editor, new file
2) copy and paste everything between the lines above ^^^^ into a file.
3) save the file somewhere you can easily find it with a .bat extension -
example: "FIXWIN.bat" - without the quotes.
4) Start> Run>Browse - browse to the file you saved, open it - click OK
5) the DOS shell will open and begin running, you will possilby get a Y/N
question - enter "y" without the quotes and ENTER
6) this file will stop the update service, reregister several DLL's that Win
Update is supposed to register but some times does not
7) reboot and try running update again

NOTE: this batch file will remove the Win Update directory, thus prompting
the update to reinstall Update when you load the URL. You might want to save
any log files in that directory (softwaredistribution in the Windows Root
directory - usually C:\Win or C:\WinNT). This batch file is something I have
cobbled together from several posts and blogs I have found - including some
in this newsgroup today or yesterday. You might want to read through the
newsgroup - as in the thread immediately above yours.

While I am as certain as I can be that this registration process will in no
way harm anyone's platform, I cannot guarantee it nor that it will fix your
problem. This appears to be very widespread, and MS has not offered a
working solution that I know of. It appears that a security permission issue
is the cause, and if you read the log file mentioned above in the root
(usually - called wuhist.log or windowsupdate.log, usually) directory, you
might see these errors:

"WARNING: GetUserTokenFromSessionId failed with hr 0x800706d3"
"WARNING: WU client failed installing updates with error 0x80240020"

This seems to be the source of the problem, but I have not found a working
solution - yet. Some times the batch file fixes it . . . .

GL


"Patrick" wrote:

> I forgot to say, I'm using winxp pro service pack 2

You need to remove a space from the batch file, as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------
net.exe stop wuauserv

cd /d %windir%
rd /s softwaredistribution
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wuapi.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wuaueng1.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wuaueng.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wucltui.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wups.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\wuaueng1.dll
REGSVR32 %windir%\system32\MSXML3.DLL

net.exe start wuauserv

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

> How?
>
> 1) open notepad or whatever text editor, new file
> 2) copy and paste everything between the lines above ^^^^ into a file.
> 3) save the file somewhere you can easily find it with a .bat extension -
> example: "FIXWIN.bat" - without the quotes.
> 4) Start> Run>Browse - browse to the file you saved, open it - click OK
> 5) the DOS shell will open and begin running, you will possilby get a Y/N
> question - enter "y" without the quotes and ENTER
> 6) this file will stop the update service, reregister several DLL's that Win
> Update is supposed to register but some times does not
> 7) reboot and try running update again
>
> NOTE: this batch file will remove the Win Update directory, thus prompting
> the update to reinstall Update when you load the URL. You might want to save
> any log files in that directory (softwaredistribution in the Windows Root
> directory - usually C:\Win or C:\WinNT). This batch file is something I have
> cobbled together from several posts and blogs I have found - including some
> in this newsgroup today or yesterday. You might want to read through the
> newsgroup - as in the thread immediately above yours.
>
> While I am as certain as I can be that this registration process will in no
> way harm anyone's platform, I cannot guarantee it nor that it will fix your
> problem. This appears to be very widespread, and MS has not offered a
> working solution that I know of. It appears that a security permission issue
> is the cause, and if you read the log file mentioned above in the root
> (usually - called wuhist.log or windowsupdate.log, usually) directory, you
> might see these errors:
>
> "WARNING: GetUserTokenFromSessionId failed with hr 0x800706d3"
> "WARNING: WU client failed installing updates with error 0x80240020"
>
> This seems to be the source of the problem, but I have not found a working
> solution - yet. Some times the batch file fixes it . . . .
>
> GL
>
>
> "Patrick" wrote:
>
> > I forgot to say, I'm using winxp pro service pack 2