[SOLVED] Windows update not working - can't update important files

B

BeeDamned

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Posts
15
Hello,

I am having problems with windows update and it's currently displaying the following message:

Restart your computer to install important updates.
Windows can't update important files and services while the system is using them. Save any open files and restart the computer and then try to check for new updates.

I've also noticed that the update history has disappeared.

I've run the widows fix it tool but it found no errors.

I'm running Windows 7 Home premium with a 64-bit operating system and use AVG anti-virus free.

Please can someone help me resolve this issue?

Thanks in advance

BeeDamned
 

Attachments

Hello BeeDamned and welcome to Sysnative!

This may sound like an obvious question, so sorry if you already have, but have you tried rebooting your computer, then trying to update again?

Tom
 
Hello Tom,

Yes, I've tried a reboot and update several times but I'm still having the same problem.
 
Hello, and welcome to Sysnative :)

Please copy (if it exists) C:\Windows\winsxs\Pending.xml to your Desktop, right click on it > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder, and upload the newly created .zip file here.

Thank you!

Richard
 
Hello again :)

It looks like a certain registry flag has yet to be unset. I can easily unset it, but first I need to check to make sure it is safe to do so. So, please bear with me whilst I go about assessing how stable the computer is, and whether I can safely just reset the flag.

Click Start > Search for regedit > right click on regedit.exe > select Run as Administrator

Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, and look for a subkey called COMPONENTS



If you find it, jump to the end of this section. If you do not find it, you must make it appear:

Single click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,



go to the File Menu > Load Hive... > navigate to C:\Windows\System32\config > select the COMPONENTS file (the one without a file extension - i.e. NOT COMPONENTS.log or similar, just COMPONENTS >



Click Open > Give it a key name of COMPONENTS > OK.



Now it should appear as in the first screenshot.




Please single click on the COMPONENTS hive, and use the Snipping Tool: Use Snipping Tool to capture screen shots

to take a screenshot of the right hand side of regedit (the bit which is likely to have stuff like "PublisherPolicyChangeTime", "StoreArchitecture", and "StoreFormatVersion" in it.

Then please upload it here.

Thank you!

Richard
 
Hello again :)

Thanks for doing that. Let's reset the flag, and further assess the computer after that.

First, please go back into regedit > File > Export > Selected Branch (towards the bottom): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update

Give it a sensible name (e.g. RegistryExport1.reg) and location (e.g. Desktop), and save it. Then please find this newly exported registry script, right click on it > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. Then please upload it here.

Next, go and delete this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update\RebootRequired

Next, reboot your computer and let me know whether Windows Update works.

Finally,

• Download the System Update Readiness Tool from Microsoft ->here<-. Save the tool to a convenient location as it may be necessary to run it again.
• After the download has completed, double-click the file and wait while it initializes.
• Click Yes to begin installation.

Once it has finished (please be patient, it may take 45mins to an hour to complete), please:

Export CBS folder

  1. Click the Start button
    StartButton_16x16.gif
    then click Computer.
  2. Double-click on the C: drive, under the Hard Disk Drives category, and then scroll down to, and double click on the Windows folder.
  3. Find and double click on the Logs folder.
  4. Right-click on the CBS folder, and select Copy.
  5. Go back to your Desktop, right-click on it, and select Paste. You should now see a copy of the CBS folder appear on your Desktop called CBS. Please upload it to your next reply also.

Please make sure to run SURT, even if Windows Update installed fine. The flag was left set by accident, because it was not properly unset because some update was interrupted, or failed, and the roll back failed to. This update could be in a half-installed state. It may not be apparent now, but it could come back to haunt you later. Better we do a proper job now, rather than you coming back in two months time.

Richard
 
Richard,

Apologies, please ignore my previous post. The Key appeared today so I've completed the other downloads and tasks etc. See the CBS attached.

Windows update is not working. Please let me know if you can assist further?

Thanks

Rob
 

Attachments

Richard,

I tried the suggested 'Fix-it' but it's not helped.

Any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Rob
 
What anti-malware tools do you use other than AVG? I am just wondering whether one of them has a lock on certain system files.

Alternatively, have you ever had any enterprise anti-virus software installed, maybe from an employer? Symmantec enterprise editions are the worst, but other software does it too. They tend to use a very aggressive method of holding onto Windows files. Windows Updates then cannot be installed through the normal means (as normally they would be installed through the management console). This more often causes a 0x80070005 error code, but it is not impossible that it might cause your problem.

Other than that, the next step is to rename pending.xml. It will be protected though, and I will have to show you how to remove that protection first. But that will have to be first thing tomorrow, in all likelihood. I am sorry I have been so, so busy recently, I have some really important exams in just a few days time :( And I kind of want to get into a good university :(

Richard
 
Richard,

I use Trusteer Rapport for my internet banking security. Could this be causing the problem?

Rob
 
BeeDamned said:
Richard,

I use Trusteer Rapport for my internet banking security. Could this be causing the problem?

Rob
Click to expand...

I doubt it, but thanks for bringing it to my attention. That program is widely used, and so major problems are likely to have been noticed. I was particularly after enterprise editions of anti-virus software. But that isn't the problem here.

So, next...

Download SFCFix.exe and save this to your Desktop: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/downloads/sfcfix/
Download the SFCFixScript.txt file attached to this post, and save it to your Desktop also.

Go to your Desktop and single click on SFCFixScript.txt, drag it on top of SFCFix.exe, and release.

SFCFix will open and get that extra information about the file in question. Once it has finished, it will open a logfile. Please copy and paste the logfile into your next post.

Then, please re-name C:\Windows\Winsxs\pending.xml.01cc884aac244631 to pending.old.01cc884aac244631 - please use exactly this name, as others, such as pending.xml.bad have special meanings. Then please re-start computer and let me know whether problem is resolved.

Thank you!

Richard
 

Attachments

Richard,

I can't change the filename as it's asking me to get permission from Admin-user/Admin. However, I'm the only user and the Administator. How do I get round this?

Thanks

Rob
 
BeeDamned said:
Richard,

I can't change the filename as it's asking me to get permission from Admin-user/Admin. However, I'm the only user and the Administator. How do I get round this?

Thanks

Rob
Click to expand...

Did the SFCFix script go through alright? In theory at least, it was supposed to undo the protection on that file so that you could re-name it.

Can you please post your SFCFix.txt file from your Desktop, please? It may reveal why it didn't go through.

Thank you!

Richard
 
BeeDamned said:
View attachment 3383

Richard,

Please see attached.

Thanks

Rob
Click to expand...

Is that the only file? That is the SFCFixScript.txt file I sent you, but I was hoping that there would be a new SFCFix.txt file created by the tool.

Did SFCFix.exe run? Sorry for all these really confusing names. Basically, you download SFCFix.exe to your Desktop, drag and drop SFCFixScript.txt onto SFCFix.exe, a black window should appear for a second or two, and then another logfile should open. Did it go through all of these motions, or did something go wrong before then?

Don't worry, we will get to the bottom of it :)

Richard
 
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