[SOLVED] Can't update or remove updates. Code 80070490 - Windows 7

[Arsenal]

Was having a problem with updates saying they were installed but coming back as uninstalled. Started trying a few steps and now Windows Update simply fails when I try to check for updates as follows:

Windows could not search for new updates
Code 80070490 Windows Update encountered an unknown error.

Steps I've taken so far...

1. Ran sfc /scannow which was having a problem with some corruption it couldn't fix
2. Ran SFCFix.exe and received 1161 unfixed SURT corruptions (log attached). It did seem to fix the problems with utc.app.json and telemetry.ASM-WindowsDefault.json.
3. Ran sfc /scannow again and it now comes up clean
4. Ran WindowsUpdateAgent-7.6-x64 with no effect
5. Ran Windows Update Diagnostic which also gives me an 0x80070490 error (screenshot attached)
6. Tried to install Update Windows Readiness Tool (Windows6.1-KB947821-v34-x64.msu) but it won't install. Just hangs at 80 percent after letting it sit for 3 hours.
7. Ran standard and aggressive fix instructions from here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/971058

I made a copy of my CBS folder and zipped it but the file size limit for a zip is 7.15 MB and my zipped up folder is 71.5 MB.

Any help would be most appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Aura]

Hi Arsenal :)

My name is Aura and I'll be assisting you with your issue. Follow the instructions below please.

System Update Readiness Tool (SURT) - Scan
Follow the instructions below to run a scan with the System Update Readiness Tool (SURT) and provide a log;

• Download the right version of SURT for your system;
  • Your version of Windows is:
• Once downloaded, execute the installer, and go throught the installation (this process can take around 15-20 minutes);
• On completion, a log will be created in C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.log;
• Attach this log in your next reply;

Alternatively, if these instructions are unclear for you, you can follow the tutorial below.

System Update Readiness Tool (SURT)

 

[Arsenal]

Aura I'm embarrassed to point that out but in my initial post, step 6 described how I tried to install that tool and it wouldn't complete. Sorry if the name is a bit off but I believe the file name is right. I'd be more than happy to try anything else you'd recommend. Thank you!

 

[Aura]

I suggest you to leave it running overnight. I had another user not a long time ago who had to let it run 4-5 hours before getting the log. If SURT cannot complete its scan overnight, then we'll try something else.

 

[Arsenal]

No problem I will let it run tonight and report back. Thank you.

 

[Arsenal]

Got it. File attached. Thank you!

 

[Aura]

Here's the summary, no wonder it took so long to complete.

Summary:
Seconds executed: 4070
 Found 643 errors
 Fixed 323 errors

Basically, I'll have to download and source files from around 10,000 updates. I'll start working on it tomorrow so bear with me a bit please :)

 

[Arsenal]

Yea this time it ran way faster. I'm sorry you have to download all that stuff. Is there a way I can do it myself or help in some way? Take your time with it as I'm not going to fall over dead if my Windows Update isn't fixed immediately. Thank you for your efforts.

 

[Aura]

No worries, I can do that by myself :) With the right tools and methods, it can be done pretty quick These are the updates I have to download manually (ignore the comments on the side).

KB2982378
KB3023562
KB3023607
KB3046049
KB2949927 - N/A
KB2998527
KB3004394 - N/A
KB3004375
KB3035131
KB3045999
KB2345886
KB2454826 - THERE
KB2522422
KB2598845
KB2859903
KB2952664
KB3000869
KB3001554
KB3005607
KB3009736
KB3020387
KB3036493
KB979900
KB2984976
KB3023266
KB3031432
KB2993958
KB3000061
KB3002885
KB3006226
KB3013126
KB3013455
KB3029944
KB3034344
KB3051768
KB3063858

And there's a few Windows Update Client updates that aren't listed as well. Before we fix your files too, I just want to make sure that you don't have a failing hard drive or RAM stick(s) since this kind of corruption can be caused by faulty hardware. We'll test the hard drive first.

GSmartControl
Follow the instructions below to test your hard drive health with GSmartControl:

• Download GSmartControl and save it on your Desktop;
• Extract the content of the GSmartControl .zip archive and execute gsmartcontrol.exe;
• Identify your drive in the list, and double-click on it to bring up it's window (usually you'll find your drive by it's size or it's brand name);
• Go in the Perform Tests tab, then select Extended Self-test in the Test type drop-down list and click on Execute (this test can take a few hours to complete);
• Once the test is over, the results will be displayed at the bottom of the window. Please copy and paste these results in your next reply;
• Also, go in the Attributes tab and if you have any entries highlighted in red or pink, copy and paste their name in your next reply (or take a screenshot of the GSmartControl window and attach it in your next reply);
  
  

 

[Arsenal]

Scan results below. Screenshot of results summary page attached:


smartctl 5.43 2012-06-30 r3573 [i686-w64-mingw32-win7(64)-sp1] (sf-5.43-1)
Copyright (C) 2002-12 by Bruce Allen, smartmontools


=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: Intel 520 Series SSDs
Device Model: INTEL SSDSC2CW240A3
Serial Number: CVCV303605YC240CGN
LU WWN Device Id: 5 001517 8f3687daf
Firmware Version: 400i
User Capacity: 240,057,409,536 bytes [240 GB]
Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/physical
Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is: 8
ATA Standard is: ACS-2 revision 3
Local Time is: Tue Aug 25 23:19:20 2015 PDT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled


=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED


General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status: (0x00) Offline data collection activity
was never started.
Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
Self-test execution status: ( 0) The previous self-test routine completed
without error or no self-test has ever
been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection: ( 2097) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: (0x7f) SMART execute Offline immediate.
Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
Abort Offline collection upon new
command.
Offline surface scan supported.
Self-test supported.
Conveyance Self-test supported.
Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities: (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
power-saving mode.
Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability: (0x01) Error logging supported.
General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 1) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 48) minutes.
Conveyance self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes.
SCT capabilities: (0x0021) SCT Status supported.
SCT Data Table supported.


SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 10
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
9 Power_On_Hours_and_Msec 0x0032 000 000 000 Old_age Always - 902230h+26m+33.460s
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 959
170 Available_Reservd_Space 0x0033 100 100 010 Pre-fail Always - 0
171 Program_Fail_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
172 Erase_Fail_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
174 Unexpect_Power_Loss_Ct 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 191
184 End-to-End_Error 0x0033 100 100 090 Pre-fail Always - 0
187 Uncorrectable_Error_Cnt 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 191
225 Host_Writes_32MiB 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 268661
226 Workld_Media_Wear_Indic 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 65535
227 Workld_Host_Reads_Perc 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 45
228 Workload_Minutes 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 65535
232 Available_Reservd_Space 0x0033 100 100 010 Pre-fail Always - 0
233 Media_Wearout_Indicator 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
241 Host_Writes_32MiB 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 268661
242 Host_Reads_32MiB 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 226060
249 NAND_Writes_1GiB 0x0013 100 100 000 Pre-fail Always - 8501


SMART Error Log not supported
SMART Self-test Log not supported
Note: selective self-test log revision number (0) not 1 implies that no selective self-test has ever been run
SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 0
Note: revision number not 1 implies that no selective self-test has ever been run
SPAN MIN_LBA MAX_LBA CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
1 0 0 Not_testing
2 0 0 Not_testing
3 0 0 Not_testing
4 0 0 Not_testing
5 0 0 Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

 

[Arsenal]

Device Information - Attributes screenshot attached.

 

[Aura]

Alright so your hard drive is still healthy, no problem there. Next we'll check the RAM. I'll ask you to use Memtest86+ to test each RAM sticks individually and if any comeback with errors on it, you'll have to replace it. The tutorial below will explain how to proceed with that.

https://www.sysnative.com/forums/hardware-tutorials/3909-test-ram-memtest86.html

 

[Arsenal]

Wow that was a pretty major test just to fix Windows update. Booting off a flash drive etc etc. Anyway I did it but I'm not doing more than one pass which took an hour and a half, all of which I'm locked out of my computer. The linked article says "Let it run for at least 7-10 passes (preferably more) or until errors show up." but for me it's just not reasonable to run 10.5 hours (minimum) of memory tests as a part of this troubleshooting procedure. I've attached the results for the first pass and I hope we can use those results and continue.

Thank you.

 

[Aura]

I suggest you to let it run for at least 7 passes. 1 pass isn't enough to determinate whether a RAM stick is bad or not. If you are to ever have bad RAM stick(s), even if we fix the SURT corruption right now, more will appear over the time, you'll be experiencing BSODs and so on. I know it's a long procedure just for troubleshooting a Windows Update issue, but with the number of corruption you have, we need to make sure that your hardware isn't failing before moving on.

 

[Arsenal]

You should probably go ahead and close this ticket. All of this focus on hardware without a single action being taken regarding the updates themselves makes me uncomfortable and frustrated. I've been in technology since 1994 and I have never, ever, had to run a physical DIMM scan as part of a software troubleshooting process. Let alone run one 7 times in a row for 10 hours. This isn't reasonable. I don't have to run a virus scan 7 times to make sure I have no virus'. I don't have to run a SSD or SATA drive test 7 times to make sure the first 6 times didn't find a problem. I could back up my files, format my drives and reinstall the entire operating system in less time than all of this hardware troubleshooting.

I'm guessing it isn't your choice regarding which troubleshooting steps to use and I'm not trying to say you are picking on me. However, I would rather Windows Update never ever work again than to do one more minute of hardware testing. I can't imagine you have many people who make it through this process and actually get something fixed. How is a normal user going to format a flash drive, install downloaded files and then figure out on their own, since it doesn't mention it in the instructions at all, to change the boot order of their machine and boot off the stick, then run your procedure?

I guess my issue will go unresolved and from my perspective that is due to the inordinate amount of time spent on hardware testing without a single thought to the fact that it's probably the windows update files which are causing the problem.

I appreciate your efforts but I have reached my limit.

Thank you.

 

[Aura]

Hi Arsenal,

I understand your frustration with running Memtest86+ for so long, but it is quite common knowledge that running it for many passes (overnight) is best. If you look around on various forums, you will see many cases of Memtest86+ only catching errors after a few passes.

We deal with so many problems like these and the sheer number of problems in your log is very unusual, suggesting that there might be a more serious problem causing this. Sure we could fix this now, but it's better for everyone if we test hardware first. If you do have a hardware fault and we fix this without first dealing with that, it's very likely that it will come back and your time will have gone to waste. If we're going to do a job, we like to do it right :)

 

[Arsenal]

I disagree with your assessment and your troubleshooting process. Here are the standard, universal troubleshooting questions you did not ask:

1. Has Windows Update ever worked properly?
2. How long has this problem been happening?
3. Are you having problems with any applications other than Windows Update?

Even a cursory Google search on corrupt RAM will show that a single application having issues is never a symptom. Performance degradation, sudden reboots, BSOD, can't install O/S. That one small part of one small SIMM is corrupt in such a way as to only affect Windows Update files in a very specific part of the disk is so unlikely it's beyond belief.

I've had this problem for six months minimum, Windows Update is the only piece of software I've had issue with and I'm an extremely heavy user of this rig. That alone should indicate that this is not a physical memory problem. I do believe you think you are doing what's right... however... you've had me do things that I can do without you. I came here to get specialized help/knowledge and expertise I'm unable to find on the net and to this point none has been offered.

I do respect that this is just a difference of perspective but there is no denying that these perspectives are diverging at a rapid pace. I'm sure someone else could benefit from your willing assistance and I think that's a fine end to our small story.

Peace.