This article describes how to troubleshoot common Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and Windows Server Update Services installation issues.
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.
How to troubleshoot failed updates for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office
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.
Method 1: Search for the installation error code in the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Click here to view or hide detailed information
Step 1: Locate the installation error codeFirst, 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 TroubleshooterNext, 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 BaseIf 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:
Method 2: Fix the known issues
You may also encounter the following issues when you try to install this update:
- The update installation
fails.
- The system keeps reminding you to install this update
although you already installed it.
- The desktop does not
load.
If you encounter one if the issues mentioned above, you may try
the following methods.
Click here to view or hide detailed information
Method 1: Reset Windows Update components and then try updating
your computer
To reset the Windows Update components automatically, click the
Fix it
button or link. Click
Run
in the
File Download
dialog box, and then follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.
Note this Fix it Solution has two modes
Default and
Aggressive. You
should run the Fix it solution in Default mode and determine whether it resolves your
problem with Windows Update before you ru it in Aggressive
mode.
Note this wizard may be in English only; however, the automatic
fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
Note if you are not on the computer that has the problem, save the
Fix it solution to a flash drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the
problem.
For more information about how to reset Windows Update components, visit the following
Microsoft Website:
971058 How do I reset Windows Update components?
Method 2: Manually download the update from the download link and
then install it in clean boot mode
We suggest you to install the updates in
clean boot mode to avoid the interruption of non-Microsoft programs. To enter clean boot
mode on a computer, follow these steps:
-
Click Start, type msconfig in the Start
Search box, and then press ENTER.
- If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type
the password or click Continue.
-
On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
-
Under Selective Startup, clear the Load Startup Items
check box.
-
Click the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft
Services check box, and then click Disable All.
-
Click OK.
-
When you are prompted, click Restart.
- Try update your computer again.
For more information about this method, visit the following Microsoft Website:
331796
Perform a clean startup to determine whether background programs are
interfering with your game or program
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:
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
Click here to view or hide detailed information
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:
- Click Edit, click
Find, type .NET, and then click
Find Next.
- 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
- 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
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
- The binary delta update is offered first.
- If the binary delta update fails with error 0x8024002c,
the full update is offered during the next detection attempt.
- 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
- The binary delta update is offered first.
- 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.
For more information,
click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
2507641
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2507641/
)
Error code "0x8007066A" or "66A" when you use the Windows Update or Microsoft Update Web site to install .Net Framework updates
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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