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Windows Updates does not work (0kb total, 0% complete)

A client brought me a laptop which has the following peculiar problem: It won't update.

The laptop is a Dell Inspiron 1545 running Windows 7 Home Premium (x64). It has 4GB RAM and a 500GB drive.

When I try to run Windows Updates, the laptop reports that there are a number of available updates, but when I try to actually download and install the updates, the status line (that shows download progress) shows '0KB total, 0% complete' forever. None of the 18 available updates are ever downloaded or installed.

NOTE: I researched this issue and found several mentions of problems with Google Desktop interfering with Windows Updates, so I have removed ALL Google software on this system. I have also disabled the security software on this system.

I found a procedure and fix-it tool on MS' support site (in MSKB article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058); there are two procedures that Microsoft prescribes to fix it. The first method is the use of Microsoft Fix-It tool 50202, which has two possible modes; 'normal' and 'aggressive'. Neither has worked. The second method is a manual procedure, which hasn't worked either (see below).

NOTE: The fix-it page tells me that this page addresses operating systems other than W7 and may not be relevant, but numerous threads, both from MS MVP's at answers.microsoft.com and elsewhere, point to this as the appropriate page for this problem under W7. I could find no KB page addressing this issue in W7.

When I tried to use the Fix-It tool, in either mode, I got an error saying that "Service 'BITS' could not be stopped. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to stop system services." I tried using the services tool (services.msc) to turn this service off as a way to work around this error. When I did, the service's status was reported as continually 'Stopping' but never 'Stopped'. I rebooted the computer (after having tried to turn off the service) but the service seemed to restart itself then repeated the error. So I tried disabling the service and rebooting again.

The second time I rebooted, I checked the BITS service; it was off. Then I ran 'Fix-It 50202' again; this time, it prompted me to turn BITS on, so I enabled it and retried. This time it couldn't stop the Windows Update (WUAUSERV) service. Checked the services panel; like the BITS service, it was 'Stopping' forever but never 'Stopped'. So I aborted, went back and disabled both 'BITS' and 'WUAUSERV' services to make sure they would both would boot as 'off' and rebooted.

Then I ran the Fix-It tool again, enabling and starting the BITS and WUAUSERV services when prompted. This time it seemed to run; it found 24 updates this time (there were 18 originally). Thinking that it might be the first update in the list that was causing the problem, I tried selecting a small (72k) security update from the middle of the list and chose to download and install it. It downloaded (without the eternal '0%') and tried to install but failed; after a couple of hours, I quit the process and rebooted. When I rebooted, it reverted to the original behaviour.

Running the Fix-It tool, in both modes, failed, as before. Then I tried performing the 12-step manual approach specified by the article. This basically involves editing the registry, removing (by renaming) the Windows Updates components and directories, stopping the services involved (BITS and WUAUSERV), re-registering all of the 36 relevant DLL components and then reinstalling the latest version of the update agent.

In performing this procedure, neither the BITS nor the WUAUSERV service could be stopped from the command line interface (CLI), so I had to manually disable them (in services.msc) and reboot. I rebooted the laptop and then re-started this procedure, enabling the services (again, using services.msc) and then disabling them from the CLI; this allowed them to be disabled.

Then I tried to rename the directories named in the procedure with the following results. The commands:
Ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore *.bak
Ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download *.bak
generated the following error:
directories could not be renamed to *bak (filemame, directory or volume label syntax is incorrect)

Ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 *.bak
generated the following error:
catroot2 - access is denied

When trying to re-register the DLL's resulted in a number of errors:

The module "xxx.dll" was loaded but the entry-point DllRegisterServer was not found. Make sure it is a valid OCX or DLL file.
The above error appeared for the following DLL's:
mshtml.dll
shdocvw.dll
browseui.dll
qmgr.dll

The module 'xxx.dll' filed to load. Make sure the binary is stored at the specified path or debug it to check for problems with the binary or dependent .DLL files
The above error appeared for the following DLL's:
msxml.dll
gpkcsp.dll
sccbase.dll
slbcsp.dll
initpki.dll
wuaueng1.dll
wucltui.dll
wuweb.dll
muweb.dll

When entering the 'netsh reset winsock' command: Command was not found: reset winsock

I tried downloading and installing the latest Windows update agent (windowsupdateagent30-x64.exe) and rebooted but this has not changed the original behaviour.

Is there some way to restore Windows Updates functionality on this system without reinstalling the OS? Is it possible to do a repair install in Windows 7 and would that resolve this problem? Any help or advice will be very gratefully received and carefully considered.

Don

Have you tried the "Fix it" here?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822798

Don

Or the System Readiness tool

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=914fbc5b-1fba-4bae-a7c3-d2c47c6fcffc

Reece

Give this a whirl...

http://support.microsoft.com/fixit/

Choose the steps that best describe your problem.

Reece

Sorry, should've help u a bit more there... I was leading to the Fix It tool that dstewartjr mentions... It worked for me:

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/windows_security_diagnostic/en-us

cscadmin

ASKER

Thanks very much for your advice.

I am going to try the abovementioned Fix-It tool, even though I am not getting any of the error messages mentioned in it, and will post the results as soon as it is complete.

Thanks again!

cscadmin

ASKER

First, many thanks for the suggestions. I'm glad to learn of these tools; they'll come in handy in the future.

I tried the Microsoft Fix it 50528 solution suggested by dstewartjr; the procedure completed without error. I then tried to perform an update; the behaviour was still the same.

Then I downloaded and ran the System Update Readiness Tool. That was about quitting time, but I let it run, figuring I could drop in and check it later. I checked into the office, earlier this evening, to find that, though it had been running for about 5 hours, it was still 'Searching for updates on this computer...' I aborted it, rebooted and tried again. It ran for over two hours, still 'Searching for updates on this computer...'

I canceled that tool and ran the Security Fix-It tool (MATSWiz.exe) and got the following error: "We're sorry but the diagnostic encountered a runtime error. Please try again later." The error code listed in the Fix-it error window was: 0x80092003 I tried this several times.

I also looked this error code up and it looks like the recommended fix is to run the System Update Readiness Tool ... but I just ran that tool, without results (other than continually searching for updates).

I also tried your suggestion to run the Windows Security Diagnostic, reecem27. Again, thanks for the suggestion; I hadn't found this tool before and I'm sure it will prove useful in future work. The diagnostic ran without a problem but the only things it could suggest were turning on the UAC and installing Phishing filters. I had the UAC turned off to try to reduce the substantial number of times I've had to click 'Continue' on this laptop; I didn't turn it on, as I couldn't see the point. I planned to turn it back on when I'm done; please let me know if I should do it as part of the diagnostic process.

Anyway, before leaving the office last night, I went back to a re-try of the System Update Readiness Tool and left that running. I just came in to the office to find it still (after 9 hours) 'Searching for updates on this computer...'

It seems that there is a vicious circle (or maybe it's a Mobius strip) wherever I turn.

Are there any other tools or procedures that might solve this problem? I'm edging closer to the uncomfortable conviction that copying docs, formatting and replacing docs is the way forward but would like to avoid that if that is reasonably possible.

In any event, my thanks, again, to dstewartjr and reecem27; I really appreciate the help.

Don

Please post the windowsupdate.log

Don

Some other suggestions to try are using the Hidden admin account

http://blog.eches.net/how-to-enable-windows-7-hidden-administrator-account/

or resetting registry/file permissions

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2006/09/04/739820.aspx

cscadmin

ASKER

Thanks, dstewartjr; here is the log:

I'll try the procedures you've suggested. Thanks, again, for the advice! Have a great day!

WindowsUpdate.log

Don

Are you using a proxy ?

http://djseppie.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/windows-update-error-0x8024000c/

cscadmin

ASKER

No; my LAN does not use a proxy and the 'proxy server' in the Interent Options control panel is set to 'Off'.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Don

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Don

Havent tried(Dont have windows 7 at home) but maybe this Bits repair tool might also work on 7

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyId=C9E36415-E97B-46A6-AB7E-4F89FFF4D8AF&displaylang=en

cscadmin

ASKER

dstewartjr,

I knocked off work late Saturday afternoon, but I'm back in the saddle and ready to go!

Thanks for these latest suggestions; I'll be trying them this morning.

Don

Ok, you will have to use the manual steps

cscadmin

ASKER

dstewartjr,

Thanks for your guidance; the reset of BITS has done the trick. After I performed it (which required Method #3 - Safe Mode), it started downloading updates. There were 32 updates, by this time. I performed updates in groups of three or four at a time, sometimes using the Windows update tool directly, other times invoking it from within Internet Explorer; I wanted to make sure that the fix was both lasting and robust. It worked every time. Thanks again!

I have a follow-up question. In trying to troubleshoot this issue, I used the following tools (among others):

Fix-it Tool 50202
Fix-it Tool 50528
System Update Readiness Tool
Windows Security Diagnostic
BITS reset procedure

I was wondering: what is the most efficient logical diagnostic path when troubleshooting Windows Updates problems of this kind?

I ran into the same problem with another client about 3 weeks ago, so it occurred to me that it would be a good idea to assemble a 'kit' of the appropriate tools and files, in case I ran into it again. If you were to do so, what would that kit contain and what would be the diagnostic steps you would follow?

Again, thanks so much, dstewartjr; I really appreciate your help ... and so does my client!

cscadmin

ASKER

Don

The most helpful tool is the windowsupdate.log. From there you can (Usually) determine what your next step is gonna be. Start from the bottom of the log looking for error =

Then by looking up the error you should normally find a resolution(to the most common ones) Since this was on a 7 client, the symptoms were less documented.

cscadmin

ASKER

I will. I'm going to go back and examine the one I copied and sent you to see if I can't educate myself in this way.

Thanks again. May the Stars Shine Upon You!