Windows Update or Microsoft Update repeatedly offers the same update

After you try to install an update from Windows Update, you are prompted to install the update again.

This may happen if the update isn’t installed correctly the first time, or if your Windows Update settings can't detect the update.

Please select your operating system for the appropriate steps.

Windows 8

Determine whether the update was installed

To see whether the update was installed, use the following method.Review the installation historyTo review the installation history, follow these steps:

1. Swipe from the right or press the Windows + C keys, and then tap or click the Search charm.
2. In search, type Windows Update. Tap or click on Settings.
3. Tap or click View update history.
4. Locate the most recent entry for the specific update.
5. If the entry states Successful in the Status column, the update was installed. If it states Pending in the Status column, the update was not installed.

Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Click the Windows Update Troubleshooter below to automatically fix common issues with updates.

Collapse this imageExpand this image

Windows Update Troubleshooter (English only)  

To manually start the troubleshooter, follow these steps:

1. Open the Windows Update troubleshooter by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search).
2. In search, type Troubleshooting.
3. Next, tap or click on Settings, and then tap or click Troubleshooting.
4. Under System and Security, tap or click Fix Problems with Windows Update.

How to troubleshoot the problem if the update was not installed

If an update has failed to install, visit the following Microsoft website for more information about how to troubleshoot the problem:Troubleshoot problems with installing updates

How to troubleshoot the problem if the update was installed

Scan your PC with Windows Defender

Here's how:

1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.)
2. In the Search box, type Windows Defender, then tap or click Apps.
3. Click Windows Defender.
4. Tap or click the Scan button, then tap or click Full Scan.

For more information regarding Windows Defender, click the link below.Protect your PC

Windows 7 or Windows Vista

Reset Windows Update components and then try updating your computer

Windows 7

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 run it in Aggressive mode.Fix this problem

(http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/C/9/6C970550-32AB-4235-9CDD-7FC9DD848BBB/windowsupdate.diagcab)

Microsoft Fix it Windows Update Troubleshooter (English only)

Note This wizard may be displayed only in English, but 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 or DVD, and then run the solution 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?

If Windows Update still offers the same update again, go to the Determine whether the update was installed section. Then, use one of the methods in the "How to troubleshoot the problem if the update was installed" section.

Windows Vista

Automatically diagnose and repair Windows Update issues that Windows Update doesn’t work or fails because Windows Update is broken or disabled.

What it fixes... 

• Checks Windows Update component configuration and repairs as needed
• Resolves incorrect Windows Update data locations
• Reregisters required services

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.

Fix this problem

(http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9767096&entrypointid=MATSKB)

Microsoft Fix it Windows Update Troubleshooter (English only)

Note This wizard may be displayed only in English, but 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 or DVD, and then run the solution on the computer that has the problem.

Determine whether the update was installed

To see whether the update was installed, use one of the following methods. 

Method 1: Review the installation historyTo review the installation history, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Update or Microsoft Update.
2. Click View update history.
3. Locate the most recent entry for the specific update.
4. If the entry states Successful in the Status column, the update was installed. If it states Pending in the Status column, the update was not installed.

Method 2: Examine the installation log file

Notes

• This method applies only to updates for Windows. Updates for Office do not create this log file.
• You must know the Knowledge Base (KB) article number that corresponds to the update. If you do not know the KB number of the update that you tried to install, you can see the number in the list of updates that are available for installation in Windows Update.

After you have the KB number, click Start, click Run, type %Windir%\KBnnnnnn.log, and then press Enter.

Note In this command, nnnnnn represents the number of the Knowledge Base article about the update.

If an entry like the following example is present in the log file, the update was installed.

Note In this sample entry, x represents a numeric value.How to troubleshoot the problem if the update was not installed

If “Failed” is displayed on Status column of View update history, visit the following Microsoft website for more information about how to troubleshoot the problem:Windows 7: Troubleshooting problems with installing updates

Windows Vista: Troubleshooting problems with installing updates

How to troubleshoot the problem if the update was installed

Method 1: Use the Microsoft Safety Scanner to scan your computer for viruses and malicious softwareTo scan your computer by using the Microsoft Safety Scanner, click the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/

Method 2: Use antispyware software to scan the computer


Use spyware-fighting software and antivirus software to scan the computer.

To see a list of third-party antivirus software providers, visit vhttp://www.microsoft.com/windows/antivirus-partners/windows-7.aspx.

To download and install Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus software, visit http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security_essentials/default.aspxc.

Windows XP

Run the Fix it solution to automatically diagnose and fix common problems with Windows Update

Automatically diagnose and repair Windows Update issues that Windows Update doesn’t work or fails because Windows Update is broken or disabled.

What it fixes...

• Checks Windows Update component configuration and repairs as needed
• Resolves incorrect Windows Update data locations
• Reregisters required services

Fix this problem

(http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9767096&entrypointid=MATSKB)

Microsoft Fix it Windows Update Troubleshooter (English only)

Note This wizard may be displayed only in English, but 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 or DVD, and then run the solution on the computer that has the problem.

Determine whether the update was installed

To verify an update installed, follow the steps listed below.

1. Click Start and select Control Panel.
2. Click Add or remove programs to display the list of programs installed on your PC.
3. Click the check box next to Show Updates
4. Under Software Updates, you will see a list of installed Windows updates as well as the date they were installed.

If the update is not shown on the list then it may have not installed.

How to troubleshoot problems if the update was not installed

If a red icon or an error message appears next to the update on the update website, visit the following Microsoft website for more information about how to troubleshoot the problem:

906602 How to troubleshoot Windows Update, Microsoft Update, and Windows Server Update Services installation issues

How to troubleshoot problems if the update was installed

Method 1: Use the Microsoft Safety Scanner to scan your computer for viruses and malicious software


To scan your computer by using the Microsoft Safety Scanner, click the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/


Method 2: Use antispyware software to scan the computer

Use spyware-fighting software and antivirus software to scan the computer.

To see a list of third-party antivirus software providers, visit vhttp://www.microsoft.com/windows/antivirus-partners/windows-7.aspx.

To download and install Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus software, visit http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security_essentials/default.aspxc.

References

If the information in this article did not help, select one of the following references:

• Help from the Microsoft Community online community
  Visit the Answers community and post your product activation question.
  (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_update)
• Contact Microsoft support
  Find the phone number to contact Microsoft Support.
  (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/)
• More online articles about Microsoft products
  Perform a search to find more online articles about activation.
  (http://support.microsoft.com/search/)

976982 Error codes “0x80070643” or “0x643” occur when you install the .NET Framework updates