Win7 32x, format & reload, win updates 60% failing (50+ updates)

NSav · 30 Apr 2012

Last week I formatted my hard drive and did a clean install of Win7.
Windows update found 99 updates, eventually these were all installed.
No progs were loaded at this time. More than half have failed; five pages full on a 22" monitor. Many are 'important'. jpeg shows about 1/5 of the failures.

I have uninstalled one and reinstalled and it worked, but it was slow. How can I force a large quantity of updates to reinstall?

Thank you!

Joan Archer · 30 Apr 2012

Welcome to the Forum.

When doing that amount of Updates it is always better to do just a few at a time as there are some that need a reboot to finish installing properly, especially the .net ones.

If you could fill in your System Specs so the experts know just what machine you have it will make things a lot easier for them to help you with any problems, don't forget we can't see your machine so have no idea what you are using. There can often be differences between using a laptop to a desktop plus knowing what security software you use can help.

Again Welcome to the forum and I hope you can get the help you need.:)

NoelDP · 01 May 2012

There is no need to uninstall anything - if they are showing as failed, then they were not installed in the first place.
You should go pabck to Windows Update, and do another Check for Updates.
Now UNcheck any updates that are not Important, also UNcheck all .NET updates, whether important or not.
How many does that leave you with?
Now try installing those - some will install, and some won't
Go back and re-check for updates, and repeat the process.
If you get to the stage where all updates fail, then post back with the error message that you are left with, and the list of Updated remaining to do.

NSav · 01 May 2012

Thanks for replies - have updated system spec in reasonable detail.

This morning I thought to sort the WU by name (ie same KB), and many were in groups of four, three fails and one success - this was a great relief. However some failed completely, but at a glance many did install.
Re-running WU says I am completely up to date, only additional languages coming up.

Do I need to go through each update set and find those that failed completely, or can I trust MS WU to tell me what has failed?

BTW I have already done the following:

cleared my temp dir
ran SFC /SCANNOW
ran the windows update readiness tool
Windows6.1-KB947821-v20-x86.msu
ran the windows mrfixit for windows updates
MicrosoftFixit.wu.LB.136259245297532224.20.1.Run.exe
MicrosoftFixit.wu.LB.136259245297532224.24.1.Run.exe
MicrosoftFixit50123.msi

Thank you again!

Joan Archer · 01 May 2012

Thank you for filling in your system specs, it makes things a lot easier for the experts to help you when they have all the necessary information.

I think if you follow the post by Noel you can't go far wrong, good luck.

NoelDP · 01 May 2012

Just run a check for updates - it'll tell you what hasn't yet been installed.
I have one system here that has so far got 14 - or is it 24? - failed entries for a .NET update. I keep promising myself that I'll get around to fixing it, but as nothing on that machine uses .NET, there's no hurry <g>

NSav · 01 May 2012

I have just painstakingly worked through all the updates sorted by name. As I said in the last post there are commonly three fails then a success for the same item.
Looking for those that only failed, there were just two out of about 500 rows, one I uninstalled and successfully reinstalled, the other I found the MS download for, and it was "not suitable for my system" - so I AM UP TO DATE! yippee.

Microsoft - why show all the failures still, if it has been successful ????
just to induce panic !!!!

thanks all - case closed.

Win7 32x, format & reload, win updates 60% failing (50+ updates)

Win7 32x, format & reload, win updates 60% failing (50+ updates)

Spec updated - fixes tried so far..

panic over.. case closed