Windows Update - Reset

Hi Brink,

Please Note: Sorry if this post is long winded, but I have made extensive detailed notes on EVERYTHING I have done to date, so I'm just providing the main jist.

I have used the information on this site many times to help resolve windows issues, most of the time with great success, so I'm hoping the same will happen this time.

My problem is I cannot get the damned Reset Batch file to work correctly.

A little info on the issue:

Computer was working ok for some time, then got flaky, ended up repeated crashing, freezing, etc. Turns out the motherboard was on it's last legs. So, since replacing the motherboard, all has been working fine. As can be gathered by my Nic, I can run various different OS's on the system for some time without issues.

So this is where the issue stands: Wipe drive and use OEM System Recovery Media to install Windows Vista Home Premium (No SP pack), run & install updates perfectly fine, until 2 days ago. System had a spaz attack while attempting to download the next load of Updates (I have it set to alert me, but I choose what & when to download, if any), I think it's the battery that caused that issue, as the status light for the battery don't always light up, or display the right colour. Any how, when I restarted the system, after leaving it charge for a while, there was a list of about 40 updates that all failed to install. I tried again, and success for all bar 1, KB972145. That update still refuses to install via Windows Update, 0% downloaded after 30 mins, then shows fail. I manually downloaded the update, install it with Right click/Admin priv, install takes time but completes to 100%, however once installation completed, WU says update failed, again. After multiple attempts, I've given up with trying to install that update, as the next update to install is Vista SP1, if it's needed, SP1 should resolve it.

The crux of the issue, is now I have well over 40 failed errors in the WU History list.

I have tried to use your Option 3 file, without success:
"Failed to reset windows update due to appidsvc failing to stop".

I've tried that Option 3 Batch File multiple times, same response, both from Explorer/Right click/Run as Admin, and from an elevated CP Box. I've read every post in all 27 pages of this thread, and nothing has worked. I noted a message somewhere suggested trying "net stop appidsvc" in an elevated CP Box, I tried that, twice, both times it returned an error saying that "appidsvc" is not installed on my system.

Does that mean because I don't seem to have it on my system, I can't get the fix to work? What does 'appidsvc' actually do?

Without much else to go on, I changed "goto loop3" to "goto loop4", and deleted (how to message out a line so it don't process it?) the "net start appidsvc" from the end section. Saved, and ran in elevated CP Box.

It worked a treat, everything seemed to go through correctly, just before dissapearing, it said I'd need to reboot to get the fix to finish working, which I did.

I can honestly say it worked, all the fails have gone, but so has everything else, WU says I don't have any Updates installed, and never checked, clicking on 'View update history' shows a completely blank page. I know for a fact the OEM Installer adds a good 30+ updates in the install routine.

I know I can run a system restore to some point yesterday (just checked to be sure I got some restore points). If I do a restore, I'll get the old list back, and the ruddy fails.

So, what do I need to do to resolve this issue.

Thanks Brink, and thanks for the fast response.

I have been able to download & install other updates after that one that won't, it's just that one that refuses to install, in WU it won't get past 0%, but via manual install with elevated privs, it gets 1oo% then fails. I've had it before where either an update refuses to install, and later another update takes it's place, or it will completely disappear from the list, and eventually something else takes it's place, so I'm not too concerned about that one, because SP1 & SP2 are ready to go on next.

I actually have Vista SP1 ready to install next from WU after running the Check for Updates, but I know from previously that that is just cr@p, it's a 1.9Mb file that don't do jack. I've got the full SP1 & SP2 files previously downloaded, and ready to install.

As it stands, all bar that 1 file has installed, but currently nothing is in the history list, is there some way I can get the history list back, and delete the fails (reset)? I'd like to have a history list that I can use to check up on which actually shows what I've previously installed.

As that 'appidsvc' won't continue in the default file, only my edited version, is there something I need to check, add, delete, change, to get it to work correctly? I've had a look in 'Start/All Programs/Administrative Tools/Services', there is no Application Identity Service, the nearest is Application Information Service, right clicking that has Stop, but doing that comes back with:

"Windows could not stop the Application Information Service on Local Computer.
The service did not return an error. This could be an internal Windows error or an internal service error.
If the problem persists, contact your system administrator."

I've just finished reading through that entire thread, I've saved notes on the essence of what to do for the failing update, I will attempt that later.

My question still stands with regard the history list disappearing although I attempted to use option 3 batch file. My understanding is that option 3 .bat should delete everything from the history list, as well as reset and re-register all previously installed updates, which means I should have the history list showing ONLY what was successfully installed? My history list is empty.

I know I can system restore, but if I then try option 3 .bat file, it WILL FAIL as appidsvc is not currently detected on my system, and using the edited version deletes all history, but not re-register.

What do I do to get the history list sorted?

My understanding of 'reset and re-register' is that after deleting the history, it re-lists all completed/successful installs. Is that perception correct?

If that is the case, the the problem is, it isn't. It does delete the history, but once the computer has been rebooted (once, twice, and even three times), the history list doesn't show anything as being installed. Yes, I can install more updates after then, but only the new updates show up in the list, nothing previous.

OK, thank you for the clarification. Is there no way to remove the fails and keep the successful? Like a selective edit or some such?