Windows 7 - Windows Can't Check For Updates Automatically

Getting error code:
80070005

I have made sure I am logged in as administrator.
Also tried rebooting PC, modem and router.
Done Malware and Virus scans.


I'm also having trouble installing updates from online services. I think these problems are related.


Any help appreciated, thanks guys.

Its a permissions error. Read here windows update error 80070005

Might be related to your malware (Norton?)

The second post in that link apparently has the solution to this problem but then the third post says:

"Changing permissions throughout the registry and file system is absolutely the wrong thing to do -- the system becomes essentially unsupportable from that point forward....."

Should I still try it? Is there a "safer" workaround?

Hello!

Aaron is correct. Tim's solution in regards to changing permissions is incredibly dangerous. Under no circumstances should you attempt it. That fix was designed for Windows XP. Running it on Vista/7 damages permissions to such an extent that they can never be fixed, and leave your system wide open to infection, because one of your primary lines of defence has been removed.

There are better solutions. Firstly, I concur with zigzag3143.

This error code is often caused by anti-malware tools. Can you please list every anti-malware tool on on your computer, and I shall see if you have any which are known to cause this problem.

The worst of the lot is Norton Enterprise Edition. This program is meant to be managed by a system admin. It is not a home use product. Without proper managment, it breaks things.

Richard

...sounds like most Norton products of the past 12 years, then

I am a great believer in simplicity when it comes to security - complex solutions like 'Suites' from any manufacturer accumulate bloat as they compete for customers by adding fripperies.
Norton led the charge on this, and all the AV makers seem to have fallen in behind them, with the result that it's not easy to buy a vanilla AV in the shops any more (but still possible over the Internet, thank goodness).
I've lost track of the number of times I've had to fix systems that were broken because of residues from 'Suites' - ranging from the Windows Firewall being disabled, to an inability to install (or even run) anthything, to losing IE or other browsers.

The only anti-malware tools I use are Malwarebytes, TDSSkiller (?), Spybot. I don't use any of those 'suites' you guys are talking about. As for anti-virus and firewall I just use the built in ones from Windows 7.

OK, I managed to find the solution to this. Was a lot simpler than I thought it would be.

- Right click windows directory, select properties and check 'Hidden'
- Choose 'ignore all' when it says can't apply to certain files
- After it hides all the files in the directory, uncheck the 'Hidden' box to let it unhide all the files

This method also works for any other program that requires updating online.

I hope this helps other people with the same problem. The bigger question is how some of the files became hidden in the first place and why would it affect updates?

You lost me somewhere in there - I think it was on the first instruction....
<quote>
- Right click windows directory, select properties and check 'Hidden'
</quote>
There's no such menu/option that I'm aware of - can you be more specific, please??

I think he might mean this, though Im not certain

That's definitely a possibility - but the obvious question then becomes, how did it get hidden in the first place?