Windows 7: Cannot Complete Installing Updates, or Check for New Updates

My last successful update check was September 11, 2012. Some updates installed successfully, others failed. The failed ones were:

Update for Windows 7 (KB2719857) Recommended
Update for Windows 7 (KB2735855) Important
Update for Windows 7 (KB2741355) Recommended

Windows Update now says, "Restart your computer to install important updates." When I do, the computer shuts down, saying "Preparing to configure updates..." When it restarts, it says, "Configuring updates...100% completed..." then restarts again. Upon reaching the welcome screen this time, it says "Failed to configure updates...reverting changes...Welcome" and returns me to my desktop. At this point, when I try to manually check for new updates (or if I just leave Windows Update alone until it checks itself), Windows Update tells me "Restart your computer to install important updates," and the process loops again, so I cannot check for updates.

Things I have tried:
-FixIt (MicrosoftFixit.wu.LB.137271463094452760.1.1.Run)
-Manually installing the failed updates (each one tells me that "The update is not applicable to your computer")
-Startup repair (though, I'm having no problems starting up)
-Rebooting in safe mode, then restarting
-Disabling F-Secure firewall and antivirus
-System Restore to a point before these updates were attempted (this resulted in a message saying that System Restore failed, but at the same time, System Restore also presents me the option to undo the System Restore, which also gives me a failure message 0x80071a91)

I've never posted on a help forum like this before, so please be patient and clear with instructions on how to provide any information I need to you!

There are a few hundred MS Fixits - which one have you used?

MicrosoftFixit.wu.LB.137271463094452760.1.1.Run

I take it my issue is a unique one? (Please excuse the double post.)

To an extent, all issues are unique - because no two computers are ever in an identical state once removed from the packing and booted for the first time.
(sorry about th elack of response, but I seems to have missed it)


Please run the CheckSUR tool from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947821
(you'll need to look in the details for Method 2)

then zip the CheckSUR.log and attach it to your reply.
The tool can take anywhere from 5 mins to a couple of hours to run (or 'Install') depending on how much it has to do, and will exit silently - it may appear to freeze for most of that time, but be patient.

Thanks for being willing to help me out, Noel. Here's the CheckSUR.log.

Your CheckSUR log shows only one remaining error.
Unavailable repair files:
winsxs\manifests\x86_microsoft-windows-capi2-certs_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.20928_none_c332980a0e6364ee.manifest

Since I'm still a learner at this aspect of the logs, it'll take me a little time to get my act together on it and get back to you - please be patient

Hmm - I'm going to have to call in the troops on this - I can find no reference to that manifest file anywhere, and don't know well enough what I'm doing to guess!

Usually you can get away with sourcing the location of the manifest by seeing what .mum and .cat files are missing in the log as well - seeing as there aren't any in this log it just makes our lives harder! I decided to give it a go with Google and I found a few updates, but after downloading and extracting them, they didn't find the file. Time to source it the hard way!

QuagsireQing, could you zip up and attach the following file to your next post please?

C:\Windows\system32\config\COMPONENTS

Tom

Attempting to add this file to an archive failed, due to the file being in use by a process (I don't see any process named "Components" running at the moment, though). I usually use WinRAR; is there another free archiving program that will allow me to add system files for you? or is there a process I can safely stop that will unlock COMPONENTS and allow it to be added to an archive?