Windows 7: Security Updates Fail [80071A91] after image restore

Hello!


My system specifications, briefly:


Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
i7-720QM
6GB RAM
256GB SSD
ATI 4670


[Dell Studio XPS 1645]


Here are some things that happened in the last two weeks which may be of relevance, but I don't know:

• UAC was turned off. Turning UAC on stops my gadgets from working.
• About a week ago, I had Speech Recognition not working with some locale issue. Inserting this registry entry, ctfmon"="CTFMON.EXE, at HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, fixed the issue. However, I cannot find that registry entry anymore.
• A few days ago, I attempted to apply some themes to my system using UXStyle and Universal Theme Patcher; I changed explorer.exe, shell32.dll, and a few other files. The themes failed, so I changed everything back (I think; is there any way to be sure?).
• Four days ago, I had slow internet speed. I ran a "Full" Microsoft Security Essentials scan and it found many exploits (Explot: Java/CVE-2009-3867.BX, TrojanDownloader:Java/OpenConnection.AK, TrojranDownloader:Java/Rexec.c, and about a dozen others). I removed all of them. The internet speed returned to normal.
• This morning, I updated the firmware on my SSD to enable TRIM. I restored an image of the drive I made with Windows Backup and Restore right before updating the drive.

Here's the issue:

• I tried Windows Update after updating the SSD. It downloads all the updates, installs, and prompts for a restart to finishing installing. On Shutdown, some files are "configured". On reboot, during the Windows GUI Boot (flying circles) there is a burst of code, something about a few *.dll files. On logon, it gets to "35%" and then states "Failure to Configure Updates, Reverting" or something like that. I get a notification that the updates have failed.
• On Windows Update, only Silverlight, Windows Malicious Software Removal, MSE Definition Update, and an Office Publisher update are successful.
• ALL other updates (Security Updates, Cumulative Security Updates, Updates for IE, Updates for Windows) fail with the error code 80071A91.
• If you're looking for the updates that fail, here they are: KB2416400, KB2296199, KB2305420, KB2385678, KB2423089, KB24236673, KB2442962, KB246759, and KB2443685.

What I have tried:

• Attempted Disk Cleanup (and unfortunately removed all restore points in doing so). Did not work.
• Attempted sfc /scannow. It found some files it could not correct; I have the CBS.log if you need it. However, updates still do not work.
• Attempted to reset the File Resource Manager with "fsutil resource setautotest true c:\". It is successful. However, after reboot, the updates still do not work.
• Attempted a Full scan with MSE. No problems are found.
• Attempted to reset Windows Update Components (using the Vista Fix-It via KB971058). Updates still do not work.
• Attempted Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool (Dec 2010 update) Full Scan, no malicious software was detected. Updates still do not work.
• Attempted Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware Full Scan, no malicious software found. Updates still do not work.
• Attempted the solution given in this post:
• Update Error 80070643
• Updates still do not work, however after changing the directory to \Machine and attempting to set the attributes, CMD spits back that no *.TM* files exist. Some files remained after testing in normal mode and some in safe mode; I attempted running the commands with a system recovery disk, but the commands do not work as it is a contained OS itself and the command prompt can't redirect me to my original OS installation.
• Attempted the "WU Fix Utility". Updates still don't work.
• Attempted to reset Windows Update (with 7Forums tutorial). However, updates still don't work.
• Attempted to reset and re-register Windows Update Components (with 7Forums tutorial). However, updates still don't work.

I do not think the issue is malicious software, but a Windows problem....My internet has been wonky over the past two days, lots of packet loss (pages only "half" load, some frames missing, etc.). Not sure if that is related, but it downloads the updates fine. It fails consistently at the "35%" marker on rebooting.

I'm out of ideas. What's next?

Thanks,

~Ibrahim~

P.S. It's a repost from ALL security updates fail with 80071A91 error code, but I've gotten few responses...lol.

Niemiro is our ace Win Update expert. He isn't on line at the moment. I'll leave him a message for you.

You have already tried everything I would have suggested for the Update problem.

Check back he will take a look I'm sure but I don't know when.
We are all volunteer but he checks in every day as far as I know.

Mike

Thanks, Hopalong. I've updated the first post with some more details, if they are at all useful.

~Ibrahim~

UPDATE

OK, all right, I had a "brilliant" idea, one I should have thought a long time ago. Try the updates one at a time!

So, apparently, most of them worked perfectly fine. Here are the problem three:

Update KB2443685, the one updating for the new Daylight Savings stuff, fails with the error code 80070643 as soon as it finishes installing.

Updates KB2305420 and KB2416400 cause the 80071A91 error upon reboot.

Then, I completely left alone Windows Update and installed the KB files from Microsoft's site. Again, all the installations failed!

~Ibrahim~

Excellent work! If one update in a group fails, the whole group fails. Standalones were a good idea. I shall be back very soon. Got a massive influx of work just this night, and I want to look at them all before spending time on one, if you can forgive me.

Thanks!

Richard

Haha, of course, no worries. It's a minor issue, really.

Hello and welcome to the Seven Forums!

Your patience has been rewarded! I can now ask for some logs! Soon you will find out that this means a bit of work, but it will help enormously.

Please re-try Windows Update. This puts the error at the end of all the logs, and makes my job easier. At the very least, you *MUST* have tried these updates within the last 24 hours, because some of these tools only snip the last 24 hours - for that is what I have told them to do. 24 hours is exact. lol. 24 hours and a few nanoseconds will be fine, as long as it doesn't round up the milisecond, which is the accuracy that the logs go to! lol. Too in depth!

NOTE TO OTHER USERS: The fixes for these diagnostic logs (below) are different for every computer, even with the same error code. You MUST post these logs in your own thread, and not follow any user specific fixes I post to this user. Thanks!

This applied the same to Vista and 7. Do not worry that it says Vista: Please run steps 1, 2A, 3 (about 15 minutes), 4, 5 from this tutorial System Files - SFC Command Don't worry about the logs for the time being. I have a very good reason for not asking for them!

Download and run this tool: Description of the System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista, for Windows Server 2008, for Windows 7, and for Windows Server 2008 R2 When it has finished installing the update, it is done!

When the above has completed, download and run FireGenUL: Altair Technologies Ltd. A console application will show on the screen for a few seconds.

Right, this has produces a log of logs for me. Please now upload them. To do this, create a new folder on your Desktop called LOGS. Navigate to C:\Windows\Logs and copy the entire CBS folder into your new LOGS folder. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32 and copy FireGenULReport.htm into your LOGS folder.

Close the LOGS folder, and right click on it > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. Upload that new zip file. Either upload it here, ideally, or if it is too big to Speedy Share or any other media sharing website. Uploading here is always the ideal, if only because Speedy Share is blocked at my work place, so anyone uploading there would get a slower responce, waiting for me to finish work, if I was not on holiday!

Thanks, and good luck!

Richard

P.S. I know there is a lot here. Take care!

To make myself slightly clearer, I want SFC re-run. This is also the tool we use to check on the status of your failed theme! lol The log will come in the LOGS folder, so don't worry about that!

Hello and thank you very very much! If you look at the topic I posted at Microsoft Answers, the reply quite simply tells me to do something I've already done with no other information attached.

Anyways, yes, the *.zip file is attached with the CBS logs and the FireGenUL output. For some reason, I could not find the output file in System32 in Explorer (hidden files are set to be shown), so I just saved the *.htm file from Firefox when it opened to my new LOGS folder.

Are you sure you want to look through all of these? I think the FireGenUL log was well over 10,000 lines. And the CBS.log file is nearly 12MB!

Thanks for the theme update...I made lots of changes, but I think I reverted them all correctly. It's good to check.

Haha, thanks for the note to the other users. I was tempted to attempt your fixes in that 9-page thread, but I thought better, lol.

Anyways, don't trouble yourself over this too much; I daresay I will be mercilessly attacked by a hacker and get very upset if I cannot browse the web for a day or two.

Oh, the last time I attempted the update should be at 11:22AM.

Thanks again very much,

~Ibrahim~

P.S. Another addendum: I don't have .NET installed (unchecked in Windows Features) because of the solution provided here: Update Error 80070643

I don't read the whole log. I look at one log for a start (CheckSUR.log) and then read around the error in the other logs. For you, I will also skim over a small section of CBS.log to look at your theme. Be back soon!

P.S. Vista x86 fixes for another user would not help you! lol