A one-click fix for Windows Update problems - How do I reset Windows Update components ?

I tried the 'fix it' but it didn't work. I'm up to 22 updates that need to be installed now.

any other ideas?

Please start a new thread in the Windows Update forum , tjfaloon.

Try another attempt at updating.

If/when it fails , close the Windows Update window.

Click the Start orb

In the Start Search field type in windowsupdate.log

Click the windowsupdate.log that is now showing and allow it some time to open.

Scroll all the way to the bottom and copy&paste at least the last 50 or so lines into the thread you started.

MowGreen MVP Data Center Management - Update Services Consumer Security

Ok, I had done a disk check from properties before, but I just did it again anyway. Unfortunately, I had to finish making supper and wasn't at the computer when it finished and continued to boot to windows. Where do I find a log of what it found, fixed and recovered? I don't know how to read the CheckSur log. If I posted some of it would you please tell me if it's missing anything? If so let me know how much you would like to see as it's QUITE long lol.

Was chkdsk run with the volume offline via an Elevated Command Prompt ? AFAIK, the Application event log shows the result of a chkdsk in XP. Since I haven't run one in Vista yet ... suggest you check there. <w>

Post the section of the CheckSUR.log from the most recent dateyou ran it, please. We don't need to see the entire log.

SFC/scannow question: This computer is an Acer and came without a Windows disc. Isn't it pointless to run SFC/SCANNOW if you don't have the Vista disc for repairs? I have an Ultimate disc, (his version is home premium) can I use it? I'm thinking that unless it has completely different registries wouldn't the repair option just pick the data it needed to fix the Home premium and ignore the extra stuff that Ultimate has? If I CAN'T do that, can I use an x86 disc of Home Premium or are the versions sold to the computer manufacturers different than the OEM and Retail versions that I can buy? At just $89.00 for an OEM copy of Home premium at newegg, I have suggested he buy one to fix this and for any problems he may have in the future. I was hoping that if he does buy a copy, we can just pop it in and do a repair or SFC/SCANNOW than a complete re-install. Are any of these things an option?

EDIT: Ok, I answered a few of my question by running SFC, but now I have new ones. I found KB 929833 "How To Use the System File Checker Tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files on Windows Vista or Windows 7." However I am not certain how to interpret the results.

I typed the command: "findstr /C:"[SR] Cannot repair member file" %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log >sfcdetails.txt" and hit enter. It gave me the cmd prompt again. I then typed the next one from the KB: "edit sfcdetails.txt" and hit enter. At that point I got a screen (which I don't know how to copy paste lol) which basically gave me 4 past files that couldn't be repaired and 4 from this recent scan. They ALL concern the Windows sidebar, which I have turned off and somehow doubt have anything to do with the computer failing to update. Have I done something wrong?

Acer has a hidden partition that can restore the system back to it's factory Defaults. There should also be an option to burn a Vista Disk, which in effect, is a copy of Windows Vista. I think this burning option is present in Control Panel but don't recall precisely where.

You should be able to copy and past what's listed in the sfcdetails.txt by pressing Ctrl+c to copy and Ctrl+v to paste.

In fact, you should be able to navigate to sfcdetails.txt via Windows Explorer, copy the file to the Desktop, and then open it.

You may need to agree to a consent prompt to copy it.

Then open it and scroll all the way to the bottom.

Then you can check for the files that can not be replaced/repaired.

Then replace them using the steps laid out in KB929833

MowGreen MVP Data Center Management - Update Services Consumer Security

Ok, I had done a disk check from properties before, but I just did it again anyway. Unfortunately, I had to finish making supper and wasn't at the computer when it finished and continued to boot to windows. Where do I find a log of what it found, fixed and recovered? I don't know how to read the CheckSur log. If I posted some of it would you please tell me if it's missing anything? If so let me know how much you would like to see as it's QUITE long lol. SFC/scannow question: This computer is an Acer and came without a Windows disc. Isn't it pointless to run SFC/SCANNOW if you don't have the Vista disc for repairs? I have an Ultimate disc, (his version is home premium) can I use it? I'm thinking that unless it has completely different registries wouldn't the repair option just pick the data it needed to fix the Home premium and ignore the extra stuff that Ultimate has? If I CAN'T do that, can I use an x86 disc of Home Premium or are the versions sold to the computer manufacturers different than the OEM and Retail versions that I can buy? At just $89.00 for an OEM copy of Home premium at newegg, I have suggested he buy one to fix this and for any problems he may have in the future. I was hoping that if he does buy a copy, we can just pop it in and do a repair or SFC/SCANNOW than a complete re-install. Are any of these things an option?

EDIT: Ok, I answered a few of my question by running SFC, but now I have new ones. I found KB 929833 "How To Use the System File Checker Tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files on Windows Vista or Windows 7." However I am not certain how to interpret the results.

I typed the command: "findstr /C:"[SR] Cannot repair member file" %windir%\logs\cbs\cbs.log >sfcdetails.txt" and hit enter. It gave me the cmd prompt again. I then typed the next one from the KB: "edit sfcdetails.txt" and hit enter. At that point I got a screen (which I don't know how to copy paste lol) which basically gave me 4 past files that couldn't be repaired and 4 from this recent scan. They ALL concern the Windows sidebar, which I have turned off and somehow doubt have anything to do with the computer failing to update. Have I done something wrong?

I tried the 'fix it' but it didn't work. I'm up to 22 updates that need to be installed now.

any other ideas?