I am no Yrag, but have you tried to untick some of the updates and download/install them in "tranches"?

I spent the week trying to install updates for .net and live writer , and it took me finally clicking on custom install and unclicking all but one and dling one at a time to get it to respond correctly
they're all installed now, but it took forever for some of them to dl and install,.

I tried installing one at a time but still no go. The only way I've been able to get some updates to install is by going to MS home page and downloading/installing them manually via the exe files. However, it would be a very time consuming and tedious job to do that for all 112 updates required since the clean install of XP.

Hopefully, there is a better solution as all the updates are on my PC awaiting installation.

Thanks for the advice, Wulfin1.... unfortunately no updates via Automatic Update will install... all fail no matter how I do it.

I'm sure there's a reason (I can't fathom) and an answer to this dilemma (I can't find), so hopefully yrag or someone more knowledgeable than I will have an explanation and a resolution.

WWW Link let it auto update the service. Then try the custom update via IE. Failing that:

Start > Run > type: %windir%\windowsupdate.log

What does the error(s) say at the bottom?

Try holding your tongue to the left instead of to the right.

Just out of curiosity, is your time set correctly with any applicable daylight savings updates installed? We shouldn't overlook the obvious, now should we?

Have you spilled blood for it?

Just by way of mentioning: Windows Update issues are always free support issues with MS. They don't charge for them.

yes check time and date and and run a full antivirus scan too.

Nasty

I just installed XP (on new gaming PC) today and updated 90+ hot fix from windows update but i alwas chose custom too.

Nasty

yarg...tried one update but it failed to install again, the error report is as follows:


* Updates to install = 1
2008-04-26 15:30:07:765 1368 a04 Agent * Title = Root Certificates Update
2008-04-26 15:30:07:765 1368 a04 Agent * UpdateId = {D24FE7DE-266B-4260-BBF2-59824AF246CF}.101
2008-04-26 15:30:07:765 1368 a04 Agent * Bundles 1 updates:
2008-04-26 15:30:07:765 1368 a04 Agent * {C1292657-6E08-4BD7-A3E6-8725BB43B40C}.101
2008-04-26 15:30:12:000 1368 a04 Handler Attempting to create remote handler process as HOME-D923F24026\starkers in session 0
2008-04-26 15:30:12:171 3804 628 Misc =========== Logging initialized (build: 7.0.6000.381, tz: +1000) ===========
2008-04-26 15:30:12:171 3804 628 Misc = Process: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
2008-04-26 15:30:12:171 3804 628 AUClnt FATAL: Error: 0x80004002. wuauclt handler: failed to spawn COM server
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 1368 a04 Handler FATAL: 0x80004002: ERROR: Remote update handler container process created (PID: 3804), but exited before signaling event
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 1368 a04 Agent * WARNING: Exit code = 0x80004002
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 1368 a04 Agent *********
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 1368 a04 Agent ** END ** Agent: Installing updates [CallerId = MicrosoftUpdate]
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 1368 a04 Agent *************
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 1368 a04 Agent WARNING: WU client failed installing updates with error 0x80004002
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 2812 e5c COMAPI >>-- RESUMED -- COMAPI: Install [ClientId = MicrosoftUpdate]
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 2812 e5c COMAPI - Install call failed
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 2812 e5c COMAPI - Reboot required = No
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 2812 e5c COMAPI - WARNING: Exit code = 0x80240FFF; Call error code = 0x80004002
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 2812 e5c COMAPI ---------
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 2812 e5c COMAPI -- END -- COMAPI: Install [ClientId = MicrosoftUpdate]
2008-04-26 15:30:12:187 2812 e5c COMAPI -------------
2008-04-26 15:30:12:250 1368 460 Report REPORT EVENT: {5F68AF90-0CD7-424E-BF68-229CA10803F6} 2008-04-26 15:30:07:250+1000 1 162 101 {D24FE7DE-266B-4260-BBF2-59824AF246CF} 101 0 MicrosoftUpdate Success Content Download Download succeeded.
2008-04-26 15:30:12:937 2812 ecc COMAPI WARNING: Operation failed due to earlier error, hr=80004002

Hope that helps find a fix... cos it's all Greek to me.

Also, farther up the page, where earlier auto updates failed to install, there's an error message/explanation: "update was culled out due to potential supersedence."

May I humbly suggest that you perform a clean install of XP. Repair installs do not correct all problems, and can in fact cause them. I suggest this since it is honestly the fastest and simplest method of resolving your problem.

The problem very likely lies with some dll's and registry keys missing from your system or improperly created/registered. This likely was not fixed with the repair install since it overwrote only parts of the system.

That being said, if you still wish to attempt a repair otherwise, you should look into wether the appropriate services are running to enalbe windows update to perform the required tasks. Most often this can be an issue with the BITS service. You will have to force install the proper files/dll's and then register them with the system manually. This process will likely take more time than simply performing a clean install.

In my biz, time is money and the fastest solution that fully resolves the problem is often the best one.

Open Registry and scroll to:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\SensLogn]

Make sure all these keys show:

"DLLName"="WlNotify.dll"
"Lock"="SensLockEvent"
"Logon"="SensLogonEvent"
"Logoff"="SensLogoffEvent"
"Safe"=dword:00000001
"MaxWait"=dword:00000258
"StartScreenSaver"="SensStartScreenSaverEvent"
"StopScreenSaver"="SensStopScreenSaverEvent"
"Startup"="SensStartupEvent"
"Shutdown"="SensShutdownEvent"
"StartShell"="SensStartShellEvent"
"PostShell"="SensPostShellEvent"
"Disconnect"="SensDisconnectEvent"
"Reconnect"="SensReconnectEvent"
"Unlock"="SensUnlockEvent"
"Impersonate"=dword:00000001
"Asynchronous"=dword:00000001

If you change anything, export the key before changes. If anything goes wrong, just merge the saved key back. If you make any additions/changes, re-boot.