Help with failed windows updates

I have a Win 7 Home Premium 32 bit laptop that I use only on rare occasions. Yesterday I booted it up and updated number of apps and programs. When I went to windows update there were 73 updates available. 69 were critical and 4 were recommended.

I ran the update and after several minutes I got a message that the updates could not be installed.The error was 0x80243004. The reason given was that the notification icon for Windows Update has disappeared preventing the installation of new updates. The instructions given was to click on show hidden icons in the notification area - however I find no show hidden icons button there, or any way to open this feature. Is there a way to remedy this?

I tried an alternate approach and went to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items>Notification Area Icons and found bracketed a list of icons in the notification area but found no Windows Update listed or any way to view hidden icons? Always show all icons box was checked on this screen.

Can anyone assist?

Frank

Thanks for the response Noel,

I did go to the Microsoft site for the error 0x80243004. There reason given was that the notification icon for Windows Update has disappeared preventing the installation of new updates. The instructions given was to click on show hidden icons in the notification area - however I find no show hidden icons button there, or any way to open the show hidden icons?

I wonder if there might be an alternate way to show and restore this icon. Something has altered this icon feature?

Frank

Thanks to Noel and Roland for their responses. The option for taskbar buttons "never combine" is on, Roland.
When I follow your instructions Noel, I get to the Notification Area Icons; there I find several Icons and their Behaviors listed in a chart like window - two of which may have a bearing/relationship to Windows Update:

Updater Client: and under Behaviors the field is blacked out but "only show notifications" can be discerned.

Windows Update:
Restart your computer to finish installing important updates; this also has a blacked out field for Behaviors but only show notifications is readable. The drop down arrows on this and all other Behavior fields do not work.

It should be noted that an earlier visit to the Notification Area Icons did not show Windows Update? Now it does? I will see if I now get a notification for future Windows Updates when they become available, if not I will again have to manually go to Windows Update to get current updates.

I revisited Windows Update and successfully DL'ed and installed the important updates. Still do not know what caused the icon to disappear and the failure issue to occur?

Frank