[RESOLVED] Windows Update Does Not Work

[noahssite]

For as long as I can remember, I could never perform a Windows Update. I have tried countless suggestions from multiple websites/forums. I have tried downloading a couple tools from the Microsoft website which were supposed to resolve the error. A few people have said that my computer has been hardware hijacked or something in that sense.

Here is what happens when I attempt a Windows Update.


Some people have suggested I re-install windows. I like the way my computer is now with my personal settings and workspace set up, I would rather not do a Windows update at all then format my drive.

Computer Specs:
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium SP1
Manufacturer: Dell
Model: 1537
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo CPU T6400 @2.00GHz 2.00GHz
Memory: 4GB
System Type: 64-bit Operating System

[techgnome]

Did you search for the error code?
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...error-80070002
http://www.google.com/search?client=...utf-8&oe=utf-8

-tg

[noahssite]

Did you search for the error code?
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...error-80070002
http://www.google.com/search?client=...utf-8&oe=utf-8

-tg

Yes, and I have followed all the steps on the Microsoft website and have attempted solutions suggested by many different forums.

[Nightwalker83]

Would updating the service pack help?

[noahssite]

Would updating the service pack help?

I believe I tried updating the service pack when I wanted to install IE9. Apparently IE9 requires the latest service pack. I attempted to download/install the service pack manually but it failed saying I first needed to use Windows update to update my computer.

I guess I can try again and see what happens.

[Lord Orwell]

turn on automatic updates. At the very least it will fix the IE9 issue. Is your computer's time/date/region set correctly? Windows update will fail if the system clock is not correct. They are trying to prevent people from exploiting trial usage by setting the clock back every day.

unless you are using a manufacturere's restore disk, a system reinstall won't wipe anything. You can do a "repair" install and it will basically keep all YOUR settings but fix everything else. I would try turning on automatic updates first though, and letting that run a day or two. If you've never done an update, there are hundreds of megabytes of them for vista in the critical area alone.

Edit: Did you try the microsoft automatic "fixit" solution?
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=910336

[noahssite]

How would turning on automatic updates do anything? That's essentially automatic windows updates. Windows updates don't work - also it is turned on by default, I haven't disabled it.

I have never done an update before because I am not able too.

I have tried the fixit solution, it doesn't detect a problem.

[Lord Orwell]

could it be a permissions issue? Try turning off user account control.

If you had automatic updates off it might have fixed the issue by updating a file that was causing the problem. For example all the latest updates require a newer version of windows installer and until that is installed, you would only see one update, the installer. Plus there are plenty of instances where the automatic updates work while the manual ones won't. I thought this might be one of those times. An example of this would be failure of an advantage check.

I think your best bet may be a re-install of the OS. In fact now could be a great time to get a bigger hard drive. Install the new one as primary and leave the old one installed as a slave. for $50 you could double or triple your internal storage.

[noahssite]

could it be a permissions issue? Try turning off user account control.

I turned it off the moment I bought my laptop.

If you had automatic updates off it might have fixed the issue by updating a file that was causing the problem. For example all the latest updates require a newer version of windows installer and until that is installed, you would only see one update, the installer. Plus there are plenty of instances where the automatic updates work while the manual ones won't. I thought this might be one of those times. An example of this would be failure of an advantage check.

The original issue arrived from a notification I got that the automatic updates weren't working.

I think your best bet may be a re-install of the OS. In fact now could be a great time to get a bigger hard drive. Install the new one as primary and leave the old one installed as a slave. for $50 you could double or triple your internal storage.

I have 220GB on my internal hard drive in physical capacity and 980GB of free space on my external hard drive.

If I were to re-install the OS, which I believe would solve the issue, what would you suggest as a backup software to backup my internal hard drive's contents and personal settings?

[noahssite]

Finally after almost two years of having my laptop, I solved the Windows Update error!!!

Ends up the TrustedInstaller.exe file was missing from C:\WINDOWS\servicing

If anyone else has the same problem as me and requires the TrustedInstaller.exe file you can download it here: http://rapidshare.com/#!download|137...staller.zip|21

I found the solution on this forum thread: http://www.techsupportforum.com/micr...w-updates.html