[SOLVED] Windows updates repeatedly install and one fails

My greatest thanks go to DonnaB for finding some of these links, and for helping me to compose this reply. The rest came from my past notes on this error code.

This page in particular: http://superuser.com/questions/410916/why-is-windows-update-trying-to-install-an-update-i-dont-need

Suggests that this is a versioning problem. In particular, read the green ticked answer at the bottom of the page. It would be great if you can check out those version numbers.

Other potential solutions, e.g.:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com.../thread/bd28f518-4a67-436f-92cc-1b2499c7a707/
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...ode-9c48/374699c8-5c64-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5

All seem to suggest a re-install of IE9 in various ways, which could make sense with that versioning issue theory. I just wish that it had a proper solution, because doing nothing feels really wrong.

More interestingly, your CBS.log seems to show the real cause:

Code:
2012-07-01 21:36:38, Error                 CBS    Pkgmgr: Failed uninstall of package: Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-Package-MiniLP~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~en-US~9.1.8112.16421, hr: 0x800f0805
2012-07-01 21:36:40, Error                 CBS    Pkgmgr: Failed uninstall of package: Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-Package-TopLevel~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~9.1.8112.16421, hr: 0x800f0805
2012-07-01 21:36:41, Error                 CBS    Pkgmgr: Failed uninstall of package: Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~en-US~9.1.8112.16421, hr: 0x800f0805
2012-07-01 21:36:42, Error                 CBS    Pkgmgr: Failed uninstall of package: Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~9.1.8112.16421, hr: 0x800f0805
2012-07-01 21:36:43, Error                 CBS    Pkgmgr: Failed uninstall of package: Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-VistaPlus-Update~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~9.1.8112.16421, hr: 0x800f0805
2012-07-01 21:36:44, Error                 CBS    Pkgmgr: Failed uninstall of package: Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-VistaSP1Only-Update~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~9.1.8112.16421, hr: 0x800f0805

These will be very hard to fix, especially with SURT all falsely happy. I suspect that it is because of your corrupt registry. I suspect that a manual uninstall is too risky, especially for a core component of Windows. Maybe try a standard re-install of IE9 as in those links above, and see if that solved the problem.

I will continue to investigate for those repeatedly offered updates, although I suspect that the future looks bleak.

Richard
 
Niemiro,

Just got up from my last night shift. When I get time i will look over the links provided and let you know how it goes.

@DonnaB, thank you for your continued assistance with this issue.

4
 
Niermiro,

Just wanted to add......while this is my own machine I do put working on it on the back burner and do what I can in between helping others with there computers. So my responses my be a bit delayed but I am definately following up on your instructions when I have time.....

I am currently working on recovering data for my nephew and expecting my brother and mother to drop there pc's off for cleaning in the coming days.

Heading in for an extra shift over the next few days and just wanted to let you know that my responses may be a bit spotty but I WILL be following up.

Thanks again for your time and efforts

4
 
More interestingly, your CBS.log seems to show the real cause:

Ah, yes the failed uninstalls. I tried doing it with the fix it tool and also manually thru the cmd. When I went thru the cmd I got a few errors which I posted here:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic457872.html/page__st__15

Not sure if that helps any but I got a few while I am copying my nephews files so I going to delve in a bit while I can into the links you posted.

4
 
Hello again :)

Please don't worry about this thread. Just reply whenever is convenient for you, and I will be here. I don't manually check on threads, but wait for a notification of a change, and it doesn't matter to me at all when that notification comes. Just take it easy, and post whenever is convenient for you.

Richard
 
Rgr Tht... Been working my way thru the links you provided. Some of which I have been thru before but scouring them in case there was something I missed my last go around.

Been working extra shifts lately and trying to save my nephews HDD during off time. I will most definately keep you updated as time permits.

4
 
Hello,

I think I am about at my wits end with this one. Went back over every proposed solution I have done before after you fixed the errors reported by the cbs logs.

Kind of torn here. This machine is probably due for a make over anyway, debating my repair options and/or upgrading options.
 
Well, I decided to go with the recovery option to original state via the recovery partition.

The more I read the more it was seeming that was the only answer with uninstalling IE9. No biggee, we gave it a good shot. I wanted to do this with this pc anyway. It has been demoted and could use a good cleaning.

I need the experience anyway.

I will let you know how it goes when I get to the updates in question again.

4
 
Thank you for letting me know. I think it really was for the best. Hopefully you will have no more trouble.

The honest answer is that I was out of ideas, and those links were my final hope. I specialise in fixing CheckSUR.logs, and I got that to the point where it detected no more errors. Once that didn't fix it, I took some of the other log types, such as CBS.log and WindowsUpdate.log, which I do not specialise in to such an extent, but still couldn't see anything which I could fix. Finally, I looked through my past notes and searched Google, and even that didn't find a solution. I was completely out of ideas.

Your only other solution was to try to find someone else who could fix this issue, but your chances were next to zero. There are 4 of us who almost exclusively deal with Windows Update issues. Those are Flavius, MowGreen, TaurAdrian, niemiro.

Unfortunately, I doubt that any of these people would have been able to fix your problem. TaurAdrian specialises in Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), the business side of Windows Update, and the networking side, mainly. Your issues doesn't really fit her (I think??) expertise. Then you had a choice between Flavius and MowGreen. Flavius is much more similar to me, and probably would have approached the fix in a very similar way to me. In this case, he probably would have taken your entire registry, patched it up on his computer to the best of his ability, and sent it back to you. It would have been a very long shot. He might have pulled it off, he might not have. But with such damage, he could only have got it similar to how it once was, not exactly right, and it may not have taken. Finally, MowGreen. He specialises in CBS.log and WindowsUpdate.log. However, he also has a phenomenal amount of experience. He quite likely has knowledge on both this particular IE9 error, and possibly some more titbits on updates which get repeatedly re-offered. However, I strongly suspect that you are not the standard and simple case, and that standard and simple fixes probably wouldn't completely fix your computer.

I suspect that any of the others would have had some new ideas, tried some new things, but I just have this niggling doubt that they wouldn't have been able to fix this machine, and the honest answer is that I don't know anybody who has a better chance than them.

I am sorry that it had to end like this, but I would like to say that it has been truly wonderful to work with you, and I wish you a healthy computer for the future!

Richard
 
You are most welcome and I truly appreciate the time you spent helping me.

I most definately learned some more things about how pc's work and while I ended up down the this particular road to recovery it is something that needed to be done, I feel, regardless. The funny thing is tho I got to vista service pack sp1 and ended up having to manually install it. Which worked and I am saving the next 5 million updates for after work this late afternoon.

I did recall tho that in the past on that particular machine I did use the speedupmypc by uniblue which I believe is a registry cleaner. I have found in recent months that those are not recommended as they tend to do more harm than good. That very well may be a source of the problem I was experiencing with that pc.

I needed the experience recovering from the partition anyway and that pc is pretty much going to be my testing ground for this and that, so all is good.

Thank you again so much for your assistance.

4
 
I believe you are correct, 4on4off. I have seen many situations where registry cleaners have damaged the registry, Uniblue in particular.
 
You are more than welcome. I am glad to have been of at least some assistance.

We can only hope that even Uniblue didn't think it was a good idea to deliberately delete all that registry data...it must have been a mistake...I hope! I wouldn't put it past them, though.

As you seem to have already worked out, you are best avoiding those programs in future. It may of course not have been the registry cleaner, but either way, they are best avoided :)

I wish you well,

Richard
 
Well the repair is done and all those little buggers that were pestering me are installed like good little soldiers.

Thanks again for the assistance.

4
 
Hi 4on4off,

There are not enough words in the English dictionary to express how elated I am that your system is (how should I say) back to normal! I knew that niemiro would put his heart and soul into trying everything he could to fix the issue. He did a great job! Most would not have even tried once they saw the damage.

As for the registry cleaner. Could be! That's why we preach about how bad they are.

The following preach (or should I say speech) I stole from our very own Corrine an pieced it together to meet my needs:

We advise not to use this or any registry cleaner as there have been reports of them clearing out needed registry entries and messing up PCs. In addition, what they do clean up is so small that little or no advantages are noticed.

Modifying registry keys incorrectly can cause Windows instability, or make Windows unbootable. No registry cleaner is completely safe and the potential is ever present to cause more problems than they claim to fix.

Registry cleaners cannot distinguish between good and bad. If you run a registry cleaner, it will delete all those keys which are obsolete and sitting idle; but in reality, those keys may well be needed by some programs or windows at a later time.

I love posting that speech every time I see a reg cleaner in a log.

@niemiro,

Thank you for sharing with me. Amazing!

Donna :hug:
 
Hello Will and welcome to Sysnative!

To avoid any confusion, and just to keep the place tidy, could you post a new thread in the Windows Update forum please? Make sure you include your attachment and any other details that you have and someone will be able to help you.

Windows Update

Tom
 
There's no need for that - 4on4off may have to post again here in the future :)

It's much easier for everyone to instruct the occasional person who posts in someone else's thread to start a thread of their own rather than go around locking and unlocking lots of threads.
 
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