Windows Essentials won't download error 0x80070643

Help!
I was happily using Win Essentials Movie Maker yesterday.
Then last night it refused to open.
I had downloaded some codecs so I removed them all. In fact, I removed everything that had been downloaded for the last 2 days.
I used CCleaner.
Still no luck.
After many failed tries and visits to MS Website, I uninstalled and downloaded the installer for a fresh installation. Actually, 2 installers: one for the 2011 version and one for the 2012 version.
Neither version will install. I can get it into the 90% range (in fact I have a screen shot of a momentary "100% download") but then I get the dreaded x80070643 error message.
According to MS, this is because firewall needs to be turned ON. Although according to MS tech "experts" it needs to be turned OFF.
I have tried both ON and OFF and get the same message.
I have tried installing the entire package; I have tried installing just the parts I want (photo & movie maker only.)
I have tried online and offline (the latter due to advice from MS tech "expert") and found that there is no installation while offline--the installation stalls.
I have tried deleting all relevant files in x86.
I have tried system restore (hoping to recover the old version, which I did, but it would not work.)
I will include some screenshots. (I have plenty!)

This is becoming somewhat of a personal mission, having spent over 8 hours in two days and gotten very little sleep last night due to this issue.

richc46 said:

See if you can do it in safe mode.

Tried that; didn't change anything. Same failure notice as the screenshot above.

Also tried restoring to an earlier point but wasn't allowed to select a point far enough back (due to the many download attempts). I would like to go back a week or so but that is not an option. Also tried going back as far as possible, then repeating the restore process. But for whatever reason I wasn't allowed to go back any further than the previous attempt, which left me without the program on my computer.

Layback Bear said:

Welcome kawika.
I think you are our first member from Vanuatu.

Actually I hit that selection in error, but I kind of liked the flag. Plus they have some very interesting customs and have invested their guano profits wisely.

richc46 said:

Go to the website of your hard drive manufacturer, test your hard drive. It may be starting to fail.
Run a full antivirus scan. Download a run a full scan with Malwarebytes.

Tried that already.
This is a known issue which seems related more to some quirk in the program rather than anything about the individual machine. The MS site "experts" are pretty useless, with conflicting advice; that's why I thought I would try here, hoping to find someone who had been through this and found a solution.

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TZ,
Thank you for the input and link.

--Can you be a bit more precise as to which NET framework? Win Updates has installed scores of NET Frameworks, installing them on a regular basis.

--Is the uninstaller on the link secure? I have already run Uninstall and also gone into the x86 files to manually delete any residual items. After a number of unpleasant experiences from "safe" sites and downloads, I am leery of getting in any deeper.

The Win Movie Maker program isn't worth spending much more time on, and certainly not worth adding another problem to the mix. I like it; it does what I want; but there are other options.
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