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Article ID: 906602 - Last Review: December 5, 2007 - Revision: 4.3

How to troubleshoot common Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and Windows Server Update Services installation issues

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SUMMARY

This article describes how to troubleshoot common Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and Windows Server Update Services installation issues.

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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 is not downloaded or installed on your computer.
You are repeatedly offered an update, even if you have already installed this update multiple times.
A particular update failed to install.

This article discusses how to troubleshoot these issues.

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

Search for the installation error code in the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Step 1: Locate the installation error code

First, we will ask you to locate the installation error code that your computer recorded when the installation failed. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update or Microsoft Update.
On the Windows Update Web site or on the Microsoft Update Web site, click Review your update history. A window opens that shows all the updates that have been installed or that have failed to install on the computer.
In the Status column of this window, locate the update that failed to install, and then click the red X.
A new window opens that displays the installation error code.
Note the error number. You will have to type or paste the error number in a search box in the next step.

Note If you would rather send your issue to a support professional and have a possible solution send to your e-mail address instead of troubleshooting this issue yourself, click Microsoft Online Assisted Support (no cost for issues related to getting updates) in the open window that contains the installation error code. In the issue report that you will be asked to send, make sure that you mention the installation error code that you noted in step “d.”

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 you should take to try to resolve this problem. To use the Windows Update troubleshooter, follow these steps:

In the open window that contains the installation error code, click Find Solutions.
In the Microsoft Update or the Windows Update window, in the Type keywords here box, type or paste the error number that you noted in substep "c" of "Step 1: Locate the installation error code"
Click Search.
If the search returns links with suggestion of what you should try next, click the links, and then try to resolve your problem with the steps provided in the related articles.
If no suggestions are returned or if the steps did not resolve your problem, go to Step 3.

Step 3: Search for the installation error code in the Microsoft Knowledge Base

If the Windows Update troubleshooter was unable to resolve your problem, you might want to search the Microsoft Knowledge Base to see whether it can offer additional help suggestions. To do this, follow these steps:

In the Microsoft Update window or the Windows Update window, click Go to Knowledge Base articles.
Search for the error number that noted in substep "c" of "Step 1: Locate the installation error code."
If the search returns links to content that contains the installation error code, click the links, and then try to resolve your problem with the steps provided in that content.
If no suggestions are returned, or if you could not resolve your problem , you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how to do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkID=21608 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkID=21608)

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Advanced information for advanced users

This section is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how contact support, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkID=21608 (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 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/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 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/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 Web site 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 listed in the "How to troubleshoot failed updates for 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 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/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:

Click Start, click Run, type %systemroot%\windowsupdate.log, and then click OK.
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.

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 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093/ ) How to read the Windowsupdate.log file

Information about Office 2003 updates from Windows Update, from Microsoft Update, or from 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 Web site or to the Microsoft Update Web site. 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

The binary delta update is offered and Windows Installer can prompt for the installation media.
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:

903773 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/903773/ ) No appropriate Microsoft Office updates are displayed when you use Microsoft Update or Windows Server Update Services

903775 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/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 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/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 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/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 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/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 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907380/ ) You are not offered any Microsoft Office updates from the Microsoft Windows Update Web site or Windows Server Update Services

908480 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/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 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304498/ ) How to troubleshoot failures updating your Office installation from the Office Update Web site

902992 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902992/ ) Windows Update or Microsoft Update offer updates for products that are not installed on the computer

824643 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824643/ ) How to troubleshoot Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 installation issues in Windows XP or in Windows 2000

899619 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899619/ ) Installation of .NET Framework service packs is not completed if you first install security update MS05-004

903776 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/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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