Can't install Windows updates

go to windows update click on review your update history which is on the left tab and click on the red x and it will tell you what to do

if there was a problem with the genuine advantage tool
that means you dont have a valid copy of windows and cant update

Manually update your BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) and reboot.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3EE866A0-3A09-4FDF-8BDB-C906850AB9F2&displaylang=en

Put the office CD back into your computer, perform a REPAIR on the installation, then go back to http://officeupdate.microsoft.com and restart the update. This is common when various DLL's and parts of Office are corrupt.

Pgx()

How do you "perform a REPAIR"?

I have done sfc /scannow, is that what you mean by repair?

if you click start>run>appwic.cpl> then click on Office, and click remove/Change    You will get the option to Add components, REPAIR the install, or REMOVE the install. You might need to have the cd in the drive to run the repair.

If you anyone is still having problems with downloading/installing updates using XP, try this http://windowssecrets.com/2007/09/27/03-Stealth-Windows-update-prevents-XP-repair 


after applying this fix, everything started working back to normal.

Thanks prod,

That did the trick for me (I used the reg dll bit)

Sigh.... I am in the middle of rebuilding my pc after hardware failure and loosing all my files and having to fiddle with this is all that I need, God Bless MS :/

good news, glad it helped, knowledge is power!

Hi!
In every cases like these I just go to microsoft download and download the latest media player. Before you can download the media player you have to validate your copy of XP. When the validation is ready, try again to install the updates. (If i doesn't work, download the media player and install. That would do it...) I would work now.
Microsoft has clarified that this is a known bug, and the automatic genuine validator that comes with Windows Updates must be, in some cases, manually activated with this media player validation.

/CM