why has vista stopped automatic updates?

Just a heads up that the **KB3178690** (MS17-014: Security Update for Excel 2010: March 14, 2017) you have listed in your recommended speed up patches <here> for the March 2017 Patch Tuesday updates has a serious bug

Update replaced. Note how they not issue an update (KB3191855) with its appropriate Security status. Again.

https://answers.microsoft.com/message/d2d8f10d-4b10-4662-ad43-0807070efc86?threadId=d319fcc7-974d-4277-afa7-158a391d2e1d

Hi MM - Suggest you try setting Windows Update to Never Check, restart PC, go to Services and STOP Windows Update Service, then without restart, open Windows Update, manually check for updates and leave on over night if needed to get the last three - might work.

I followed your instructions exactly and opened Windows Update. I began the usual search and to my surprise, after just a short delay, it came up with FOUR 'important' updates, the new one being "Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - March 2017 (KB890830). Each of the four updates proceeded normally with the green progress bar extending to the end in each case, then up came this summary:

Succeeded  -  1 update

Failed       - 3 updates   (the same 3 failures as before)

Error(s) found  Code 80070490

Windows Update encountered an unknown error.

"Get help with this error."

This link produced no help at all, but a Google search on 80070490 produced a solution which involved reinstalling Windows Vista from the DVD, with an assurance that this would not affect existing files. However, I do not have a DVD; the laptop came with Vista pre-installed.

Suggest you try setting Windows Update to Never Check, restart PC, go to Services and STOP Windows Update Service, then without restart, open Windows Update, manually check for updates and leave on over night if needed to get the last three - might work.

Hi OUgrad:

Disabling automatic Windows Updates [Windows Update | Change settings | Important updates | Never check for updates (not recommended)] and re-booting is often helpful because this terminates any Windows Update sessions already running in the background and resets the Windows Update components, but Windows Update will not run correctly if the Windows Update service (wuauserv) is stopped.

The standalone .msu installers are associated with the Windows Update Standalone Installer (C:\Windows\System32\wusa.exe) and can be manually installed on computers even if the Windows Update service is stopped and/or your computer is disconnected from the internet.  The .msu installer should prompt you to re-boot your computer once the installer has run to completion, and this re-boot will automatically start the Windows Update service (assuming the service was temporarily stopped and wasn't permanently disabled) and allow you to run Windows Update.

32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.0.1 * NIS v22.9.1.12 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

Hi MM - Suggest you try setting Windows Update to Never Check, restart PC, go to Services and STOP Windows Update Service, then without restart, open Windows Update, manually check for updates and leave on over night if needed to get the last three - might work.