Windows not updating

[Ric_]

I have one computer which refuses to install the last 15 Windows updates. The other 30 went on fine!

This is a HP/Compaq Evo D510 SFF and I have tried it with different hard disks and memory too. If I manually download the updates they install OK (at least the ones that I tried did). The hardware also all checks out under the various diagnostic tools that I have used (from UBCD) and I tried zero-ing the disk too.

Any ideas what else I could try? I don't really want to roll it out until it is updating properley (especially since it is the head's!).

BTW - I've re-rised it more times than I can remember!

[Geoff]

What does the Windows Update log file think is going on? Also look if there's anything in the event logs?

Which update is it failing on? What's the Q number, etc?

[Michael]

If you're using WSUS click Start, Run and type wuauclt.exe /detectnow and press enter. This forces the client to communicate with your WSUS server.

I'd also check the status of the BITS service and if necessary start or restart it. I'd also check Windows Installer 3.1 (KB893803) is correctly installed.

[Ric_]

@Michael: It's detecting and downloading the updates OK but when it tries to install them, I simply get a list containing all the updates

I've checked the log and there is an error code which I can't remember off the top of my head - I know that much Googling has turned up nought.

[E1uSiV3]

Have you checked if you have enough free disk space or performed a chkdsk?

[Geoff]

I've checked the log and there is an error code which I can't remember off the top of my head - I know that much Googling has turned up nought.

Did you check C:\Windows\WindowsUpdate.log or just the event log?

[Ric_]

@EluSiV3: Indeed I do have enough disk space and the other machines of the same model and build all work fine.

@Geoff: I checked the log file in C:\Windows - the Event Logs didn't really show anything up

[Michael]

@Ric_ - If you post the error code we'll hopefully be able to help better. Windows Update can give quite a few different error codes depending on the problem. Hopefully Microsoft will have it documented somewhere!

If you don't have time to search for the problem, you could always clone a working installation of Windows then sysprep it and see how that goes.

[Ric_]

@Ric_ - If you post the error code we'll hopefully be able to help better. Windows Update can give quite a few different error codes depending on the problem. Hopefully Microsoft will have it documented somewhere!

If you don't have time to search for the problem, you could always clone a working installation of Windows then sysprep it and see how that goes.

Will post the code when I get time... if I remember...

As for the sysprep idea, I have done that effectively by wiping it and RISing it again. I even zeroed the disk with Diskclave so that all the data was well and truly gone!

[tosca925]

I have a couple of scripts that i used on a similar problem when i deployed WSUS. The one may be of help to you but they are at work.

Let me know if you want to try them.