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Troubleshoot common installation issues in Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and Windows Server Update Services

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Summary

This article describes how to troubleshoot common issues that may occur when you try to install an update by using Windows Update, Microsoft Update, or Windows Server Update Services.

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Introduction

When you use Windows Update, Microsoft Update, or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) to install updates, you may experience one or more of the following issues:
  • You are offered an update for a product, but the update does not download or install on your computer.
  • You are repeatedly offered an update, even though you have already installed this update.
  • A particular update does not install successfully.

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How to troubleshoot update installation issues for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office

To troubleshoot these issues, use one of the following methods. The first method is intended for a general audience. The other methods are intended for more advanced users.

Method 1: Search for the installation error code in the Windows Update Troubleshooter



Step 1: Locate the installation error code

Locate the installation error code that your computer recorded when the installation problem occurred. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update or Microsoft Update.
  2. Click Review your update history. A window opens that shows all the updates that are installed and those that did not install successfully on the computer.
  3. In the Status column, locate the update that did not install, and then click the red X.
    A new window opens that displays the installation error code.
  4. Note the error number so that you can type or paste it into the search box in the next procedure.


Step 2: Search for the installation error code in the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Next, we will see whether the Windows Update Troubleshooter can determine which steps that you can take to try to resolve this problem. To use the Windows Update troubleshooter, follow these steps:
  1. In the window that contains the installation error code, click Find Solutions.
  2. In the Microsoft Update or Windows Update window, in the Type keywords here box, type or paste the error number that you noted in step 4 of the "Locate the installation error code" procedure.
  3. Click Search.
  4. If you see solutions for what to try next, click the links, and then try to resolve the problem with the steps provided in the related articles.
    If you don't see any solutions or if the steps did not resolve the problem, go to "Step 3: Search for the installation error code in the Microsoft Knowledge Base."
Step 3: Search for the installation error code in the Microsoft Knowledge Base

If the Windows Update Troubleshooter did not resolve the problem, you can search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for additional solutions. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. In the Microsoft Update window or Windows Update window, click Go to Knowledge Base articles.
  2. Search for the error number that you noted in step 4 of the "Step 1: Locate the installation error code" procedure above.
  3. If you see solutions that contain the installation error code, click the links, and then try to resolve your problem with the steps provided. If you don't see any solutions or if you could not resolve the problem, you can contact support. For more information, visit the following Microsoft website:
    http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkID=21608

Method 2: Fix the known issues

You may also encounter the following issues when you try to install this update:
  • The update does not install successfully.
  • You get reminders to install this update, even though you already installed it.
  • The desktop does not load.
If you encounter one of these issues, try the methods.


Method 1: Reset Windows Update components and then try updating your computer

To reset the Windows Update components automatically, click the Fix it button or link. Click Run in the File Download dialog box, and then follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.

Note This Fix it Solution has two modes: Default and Aggressive. You should run the Fix it solution in Default mode and determine whether it resolves your problem with Windows Update before you run it in Aggressive mode.
Fix this problem
Microsoft Fix it 50202


Note This wizard may be in English only, but the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.

Note If you are not on the computer that has the problem, save the Fix it solution to a flash drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the problem.
For more information about how to reset Windows Update components, visit the following Microsoft website:
971058 How do I reset Windows Update components?
Method 2: Manually download the update and then install it in clean boot mode
We suggest that you install the updates in clean boot mode to avoid the interruption of non-Microsoft programs. To enter clean boot mode on a computer, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
  2. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password or click Continue.
  3. On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
  4. Under Selective Startup, clear the Load Startup Items check box.
  5. Click the Services tab, select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
  6. Click OK.
  7. When prompted, click Restart.
  8. Try updating your computer again.
For more information about this method, visit the following Microsoft website:
331796 Perform a clean startup to determine whether background programs are interfering with your game or program

Advanced information for advanced users

This section is intended for advanced computer users. For help with advanced troubleshooting, ask your system administrator or contact Microsoft Support at:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkID=21608

Steps to take when the error message is listed as 0x80070643, and no extended error is returned

Sometimes, the extended error is not available in the installation history or in the Windowsupdate.log file. Only error 0x80070643 is returned. To resolve this issue, see the "Information about updates that are installed by using Windows Installer" section later in this article.

Information about updates that are installed by using the command-line installer, Package Installer for Windows, or Windows Installer

Most updates to Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 are installed by using the Package Installer for Windows. For more information about the Package Installer, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
832475 Description of the new features in the package installer for Windows software updates
Most updates to the Microsoft .NET Framework, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft SQL Server are installed by using Windows Installer. For more information about Windows Installer, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
282477 Windows Installer resources
The command-line installer is used for updates that must use functions that are not available in the other installers.
Information about updates that are installed by using the command-line installer
The following example shows an update that is started by the command-line installer.
2005-06-06	16:33:30	 184	750	Handler	:::::::::::::
2005-06-06	16:33:30	 184	750	Handler	:: START ::  Handler: Command Line Install
2005-06-06	16:33:30	 184	750	Handler	:::::::::
This information usually indicates that the update is downloaded as an executable that then starts another installer, such as Windows Installer for the .NET Framework.
Information about updates that are installed by using Package Installer for Windows
The following example shows an update that is started by Package Installer for Windows.
2005-06-06	16:37:06	 184	124	Handler	:::::::::::::
2005-06-06	16:37:06	 184	124	Handler	:: START ::  Handler: Windows Patch Install
2005-06-06	16:37:06	 184	124	Handler	:::::::::
If you cannot find a KB#####.log file by using the method that is described in the "How to troubleshoot failed updates for Microsoft Windows" section, try to install the update from the Microsoft Download Center to see whether any error messages occur.

Note By default, the Windows Update or Microsoft Update website will suppress all errors. Examine the log file, or install the update from the Microsoft Download Center to see whether an error occurred.
Information about updates that are installed by using Windows Installer
The following example shows an update that is started by Windows Installer.
2005-06-08	15:42:07	3632	e4c	Handler	:::::::::::::
2005-06-08	15:42:07	3632	e4c	Handler	:: START ::  Handler: MSI Install
2005-06-08	15:42:07	3632	e4c	Handler	:::::::::
If the steps in the "How to troubleshoot update installation issues for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office" section do not resolve the installation issues, enable Windows Installer logging, and then reproduce the installation failure again. For more information about the steps to enable, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
223300 How to enable Windows Installer logging
How to identify the specific handler
The handler is the Windows Update component that starts the installer. To identify the handler, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, click Run, type %systemroot%\windowsupdate.log, and then click OK.
  2. Locate the name of the update by searching for the specific update in the log file. For example, to search for the .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1 update, follow these steps:
    1. Click Edit, click Find, type .NET, and then click Find Next.
    2. Click Find Next until you see a message that is similar to the following:
      2005-06-02	16:02:01	 936	474	DnldMgr	  * Updates to download = 1
2005-06-02	16:02:01	 936	474	Agent	  *   Title = Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1
2005-06-02	16:02:01	 936	474	Agent	  *   UpdateId = {6F5DC828-0F05-4577-9A8A-74AB1CBE00A9}.100
2005-06-02	16:02:01	 936	474	Agent	  *     Bundles 1 updates:
2005-06-02	16:02:01	 936	474	Agent	  *       {AFCFDECF-2B9F-4881-8CFE-F56ED0DD81AF}.100
      Note You will see the update title, the UpdateID, and the BundleID. The UpdateID identifies the general update. The BundleID (AFCFDECF-2B9F-4881-8CFE-F56ED0DD81AF}.100) identifies the specific package that the client must download.
  3. Locate the handler by searching for the BundleID. To do this, click Edit, click Find, type the BundleID that you want to find, and then click Find Next until you locate the BundleID. The following example shows that the update was downloaded and that the handler called the command-line installer component to complete the installation.
    2005-06-02	16:02:11	 936	474	Agent	*************
2005-06-02	16:02:11	 936	474	Agent	** START **  Agent: Installing updates [CallerId = WindowsUpdate]
2005-06-02	16:02:11	 936	474	Agent	*********
2005-06-02	16:02:11	 936	474	Agent	  * Updates to install = 1
2005-06-02	16:02:11	 936	474	Agent	  *   Title = <NULL>
2005-06-02	16:02:11	 936	474	Agent	  *   UpdateId = {6F5DC828-0F05-4577-9A8A-74AB1CBE00A9}.100
2005-06-02	16:02:11	 936	474	Agent	  *     Bundles 1 updates:
2005-06-02	16:02:11	 936	474	Agent	  *       {AFCFDECF-2B9F-4881-8CFE-F56ED0DD81AF}.100
2005-06-02	16:02:16	 936	6c4	Report	REPORT EVENT: 	Content Download	Download succeeded.
2005-06-02	16:02:20	 936	474	Handler	Attempting to create remote handler process as CPU\User in session 0
2005-06-02	16:02:21	 936	474	DnldMgr	Preparing update for install, updateId = {AFCFDECF-2B9F-4881-8CFE-F56ED0DD81AF}.100.
2005-06-02	16:02:23	 512	860	Misc	===========  Logging initialized (build: 5.8.0.2469, tz: -0700)  ===========
2005-06-02	16:02:23	 512	860	Misc	  = Process: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe
2005-06-02	16:02:23	 512	860	Misc	  = Module: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng.dll
2005-06-02	16:02:23	 512	860	Handler	:::::::::::::
2005-06-02	16:02:23	 512	860	Handler	:: START ::  Handler: Command Line Install
2005-06-02	16:02:23	 512	860	Handler	:::::::::
2005-06-02	16:02:23	 512	860	Handler	  : Updates to install = 1
    For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    902093 How to read the Windowsupdate.log file

Information about Office 2003 updates from Windows Update, Microsoft Update, or WSUS

By default, Office 2003 updates are offered to a client as binary-delta updates. To reduce the size of the download, these updates only contain the actual files that change. These updates require access to the local installation source (LIS) or to the original installation media. If the update cannot be installed, the client requests the full update the next time that it connects to the Windows Update website or to the Microsoft Update website. The following sections describe the specific scenarios.
Information about installing updates with Automatic Updates by using Microsoft Update or WSUS
  • Automatic updates and scheduled installation scenario
    1. The binary delta update is offered first.
    2. If the binary delta update fails with error 0x8024002c, the full update is offered during the next detection attempt.
    3. If the full update fails with error 0x8024002d, the update installs in interactive mode. Windows Installer prompts for installation media if it is required.
  • Automatic updates and interactive mode scenario
    1. The binary delta update is offered first.
    2. If the binary delta update fails with error 0x8024002c, the full update is offered during the next detection attempt. Windows Installer prompts for installation media if it is required.
Information about installing updates from the Microsoft Update Web site
  1. The binary delta update is offered and Windows Installer can prompt for the installation media.
  2. If the binary delta update fails with error 0x8024002c, the full update is offered during the next detection cycle. Windows Installer prompts for installation media if it is required.

    Note     If you receive error 0x8024002c, visit the Microsoft Update Web site again, and then install the full update. Automatic Updates will automatically recover at the next scheduled detection cycle.

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Similar problems and solutions

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Windows Update error 80072ee2
Windows Update Error 800B0100
2507641 Error code "0x8007066A" or "66A" when you use the Windows Update or Microsoft Update Web site to install .Net Framework updates
903773 No appropriate Microsoft Office updates are displayed when you use Microsoft Update or Windows Server Update Services
903775 Office updates are offered to a user even if that user has installed those updates when you use WSUS to deploy software updates and hotfixes to computers that are in your organization
902349 How to change the source for a client computer from an updated administrative installation point to an Office 2003 original baseline source or Service Pack 2
903776 Office updates are not successfully installed if you deploy updates by using Windows Server Update Services after the path of the local installation source changes
903774 If you disable the Ose.exe file, Microsoft Office updates do not install when you use Microsoft Windows Server Update Services to deploy software updates and hotfixes to computers in the organization
907380 You are not offered any Microsoft Office updates from the Microsoft Windows Update Web site or Windows Server Update Services
908480 You cannot install some earlier updates if an exclusive update is offered on the Microsoft Windows Update Web site or on the Microsoft Update Web site
304498 How to troubleshoot failures updating your Office installation from the Office Update Web site
902992 Windows Update or Microsoft Update offer updates for products that are not installed on the computer
824643 How to troubleshoot Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 installation issues in Windows XP or in Windows 2000
899619 Installation of .NET Framework service packs is not completed if you first install security update MS05-004
903776 Office updates are not successfully installed if you deploy updates by using Windows Server Update Services or the Microsoft Update Web site after the path of the local installation source changes

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References

If the information in this article did not help, select one of the following references:

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Keywords: kbcip, KB906602, kbwindowsupdatev6, kbresolve, kbwindowsupdate, kbtshoot

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Article Info
Article ID : 906602
Revision : 14
Created on : 2/12/2013
Published on : 2/12/2013
Exists online : False
Views : 1148