Windows 7: Windows Update won't update.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>REG QUERY HKU

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-442293324-438694571-2947008842-1000
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-442293324-438694571-2947008842-1000_Classes
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18



C:\Windows\system32>REG QUERY HKU\S-1-5-20

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\AppEvents
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Console
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Control Panel
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Environment
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\EUDC
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Keyboard Layout
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Network
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Printers
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\System

C:\Windows\system32>REG QUERY HKU\S-1-5-20\Environment

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Environment
TEMP REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp
TMP REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp


C:\Windows\system32>REG QUERY "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
\ProfileList\S-1-5-20"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-
5-20
ProfileImagePath REG_EXPAND_SZ C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkServi
ce
Flags REG_DWORD 0x0
State REG_DWORD 0x0


C:\Windows\system32>REG QUERY "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
\ProfileList"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
ProfilesDirectory REG_EXPAND_SZ %SystemDrive%\Users
Default REG_EXPAND_SZ %SystemDrive%\Users\Default
Public REG_EXPAND_SZ %SystemDrive%\Users\Public
ProgramData REG_EXPAND_SZ %SystemDrive%\ProgramData

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-
5-18
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-
5-19
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-
5-20
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-
5-21-442293324-438694571-2947008842-1000
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-
5-21-442293324-438694571-2947008842-1001
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\S-1-
5-21-442293324-438694571-2947008842-1003

C:\Windows\system32>

Hi Max,

Sorry for the delay.

I've never seen errors like these in a CBS log before:

Which also means that I don't know how to fix them. I had no idea that VSS even came into Windows Updates, looks like I better get learning!

I hate to say it, but I'm completely out of ideas here. I'm usually more than happy to attempt a fix, or at least diagnose the problem further, but I really have no idea where to even start on this one. If the others can't sort this out for you, then I'm afraid there's nothing left to do but attempt a repair install.

Tom

I have the repair disc from Dell. What all does that entail? Is it a wipe and re-install, or does it fox what is broken?

How the heck do all these errors happen anyway? If I upgraded to 8, would it be fixed?

Of course it uses VSS. It creates a restore point using Volume Shadowing. I can understand it can't read something while reading from shadowset. But why this happens on creating a restore point?

Now I write this I know why..... It uses NTFS transactions. Assume a patch replaces 3 files. They should be replaced all 3 (no other process sees it). If all is successful the transaction is COMMITTED and visible to other processes. NTFS transactions use VSS as well.

Try to delete all restore points. Or even better disable system restore on C, apply, reenable it and apply again.

Sorry, that was poorly written. I knew a restore point was made upon installing updates, but what I didn't know is why it was trying to load the components from the VSS cache.

Vista introduces Transactional NTFS (TxF) which requires VSS to ensure transactional consistency.

Transactional NTFS - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanks for the link! I'll have a read now