Let's continue the subject of elimination Windows errors, which has been started here. The problems that arise when installing updates will be considered. I tried to put together some guidelines to help in resolving them.

Methods set out below are effective for all versions of the operating system since Windows 2000 SP3. If certain version or bit depth requires separate action, it will be explicitly noted.

Described fixes are also useful for the treatment of a variety of updates issues. If you have received error messages of the general type:

Some updates were not installed

A problem on your computer is preventing updates from being downloaded or installed

or the like, it is quite likely that one or more of the following methods would help solve the problem. In my practice, at least, I used them many times, and in most cases faults were eliminated.

So, to the point!

1. Re-register the components are directly or indirectly related to the updates.

Create a console command file with the extension .cmd or .bat and copy there the following code:

net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptsvc
Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\ApplicationData\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"
cd /d %windir%\system32
regsvr32.exe urlmon.dll
regsvr32.exe Shdocvw.dll
regsvr32.exe Actxprxy.dll
regsvr32.exe Oleaut32.dll
regsvr32.exe Mshtml.dll
regsvr32.exe Browseui.dll
regsvr32.exe Shell32.dll
regsvr32.exe wuweb.dll
regsvr32.exe wups2.dll
regsvr32.exe wups.dll
regsvr32.exe wucltui.dll
regsvr32.exe wuaueng1.dll
regsvr32.exe wuaueng.dll
regsvr32.exe wuapi.dll
regsvr32.exe softpub.dll
regsvr32.exe wintrust.dll
regsvr32.exe initpki.dll
regsvr32.exe dssenh.dll
regsvr32.exe rsaenh.dll
regsvr32.exe gpkcsp.dll
regsvr32.exe sccbase.dll
regsvr32.exe atl.dll
regsvr32.exe jscript.dll
regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll
regsvr32.exe scrrun.dll
regsvr32.exe msxml.dll
regsvr32.exe msxml3.dll
regsvr32.exe msxml6.dll
regsvr32.exe slbcsp.dll
regsvr32.exe cryptdlg.dll
regsvr32.exe ole32.dll
regsvr32.exe qmgr.dll
regsvr32.exe qmgrprxy.dll
regsvr32.exe wucltux.dll
regsvr32.exe muweb.dll
regsvr32.exe wuwebv.dll
ntsh reset winsock
REM Next line - for Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 only:
proxycfg.exe -d
net start wuauserv
net start cryptsvc
net start bits
REM Next line - for Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 only:
Bitsadmin.exe /reset /allusers
pause

Save and run the batch file. This will open a console window. Hit Enter on each request. Reboot and test the update process again.

2.1 Download and (re)install Windows Installer.

Its version depends on the OS version and service pack installed at the moment.

Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable (v2) - KB893803

Suitable for the following:

Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 and later,
Windows XP with no service pack or with SP 1 or 2,
Windows Server 2003.

Download from the Microsoft website at this link.

Windows Installer 4.5 Redistributable - KB942288

Suitable for the following:

Windows XP Service Pack 2 and 3,
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 and 2,
Windows Vista with no service pack or with SP 1,
Windows Server 2008 x86/x64 and IA64 flavors.

Download from the Microsoft website at this link.

Install it, restart your computer, and then retry updates installation.

Windows Installer 5.0 no Redistributable

Issued for the following:

Windows 7 and later,
Windows Server 2008 R2 and later.

I. e. the freshest Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 also use Windows Installer of version 5.0.

The problem here is just that the 5th Installer is integrated into the system, and Microsoft has not provided us with its distribution, and in this case the method of reinstalling Windows Installer does not apply. So go to the next section:

2.2 Troubleshooting Windows Installer 5.0.

This is what's recommended for systems that use Windows Installer 5.0:

• 1. Check integrity of system files.
• 2. Windows Installer troubleshooting.

After each operation, again - reboot and check the updates.

3. Reinstall Windows Update Agent (WUA).

At the time of writing, the latest release of WUA is 7.6.7600.256. However, as with the fifth Windows Installer, Microsoft has not released standalone installer of this version. I have nevertheless dug up links to the distro of 7.6.7600.243 - one of the last. Incidentally, these links are supposed to point to 7.4.7600.253, but actually contain 7.6.7600.243, that can be determined by extracting the downloaded files and looking at the properties, for example, of wuapi.dll. Apparently, Microsoft had been confused with the link addresses.

WUA is suitable for all versions of the operating system since Windows 2000 SP4.

So, download the version that corresponds to the architecture of your OS.

for 32-bit OS

for 64-bit OS

for owners of Intel Itanium processors

To reinstall Windows Update Agent, run it with the key wuforce. For example, if you place the downloaded distribution in the root directory of drive C:\, then for 32 bits enter in the search bar:

C:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce

Accordingly, change the name of the installer for x64 or ia64. After completion of the installation process - reboot as usual and check whether updates now work.