Windows Updates Not Loading -- really confused

Hi -- I have looked at your very detailed description of what I'm supposed to do as I post about my problems with Windows Updates, but I am worried about Step 2, the SFC scan. Am I right that I may have to source a Windows installation disk before running step 2 in case something needs fixing?

The up-shot of my issue is this: I run an Asus K53E laptop with Windows 7 64 bit. I have Service Pack 1. I run Norton 360 Premier because we got a license for all the machines in the house. I also manually run Malwarebytes, and recently downloaded the Malicious Software Tool from Microsoft which found nothing in a quick scan.

I have had problems with failed updates over the years, most of which seem to have eventually loaded. A lot of those that aren't loading, pertain to Internet Explorer versions that are newer than mine (I have IE 8, and if I don't have to update that, I don't really want to).

I admit I've been a bit of an ostrich about this, sticking my head in the sand. If the machine still functions, then that stuff in the background isn't really of interest to me (since most of it was about IE 9 or 10).Now, though I get 16 updates that refuse to load (they say they're downloaded, but they won't install). I can't get the updated Windows updater to install either.

I have clicked to update the installer, but it won't do it. I have run various fix it programmes which say everything is ok. The automated troubleshooter said some programs couldn't update, and I couldn't even download the recommended hotfix.

THEN -- and now I might have screwed everything up -- someone suggested (and many people had it work successfully) that I turn off Windows update on services, go a rename the Software Distribution file in windows, then turn Windows update back on. This was to get rid of the message that said it couldn't automatically check for updates even though I had changed the settings to do so. Well, this suggestion didn't help. So I went back to change Software Distribution file name back to the original (just took an extra "x" off the end), and I've merged the folders, saving any duplicate files as (2). Not sure what havoc this has caused, but I'm not finding my update logs in the update window anymore.

Error codes I have received before doing this are 800736B3 and 9C47.

Nothing happens now except that it says I first must update the updater. I've just tried again, and I get 800736B3.

I realise the first thing I'm supposed according to your pinned post is to run the SURT, but do I need to make a back-up first? Dumb question, I know, but though I back-up my files onto an external drive regularly, I don't really know what it means to "make a back-up" of my system, how to do it, and where to store it. I wouldn't even know how to re-use/re-store it should I tinker the machine to death. We have a network drive (which I don't really know how it works -- it's brand new).

I know some people who have this problem have even gone so far as to system restore, and maybe even to re-set to factory settings, and still have the problem.

So in words of one or two syllables, please, can you start to work some of your magic?

Thank you so much for your response and walking me through step one. Or, should I say, step pre-one, because I'm now looking online about how to make a restore point, a system image, and a backup. I think. These words trip off my "tongue", but I don't really know what they mean. To be continued ...

Thanks, Layback Bear. I have printed those off, and intend to follow them as soon as my backup is complete. It has taken HOURS and still only 50%, so it might not be till tomorrow before I can start step 1. Kat

Thanks Berkey -- that's good advice. I just thought that having *a* back-up was better than *no* back-up (I have backed up important files, but not the system).

Now I'm trying to install the SURT. It seems permanently hung up, but there was a warning on the pinned notice that it may take a few hours, so I'm sitting patiently.

I have been waiting for SURT to do something for over two hours. It just looks like this (image attached)

Hah! So now it's suddenly complete.

I tried running updates again. It told me to update the updater, which I tried to do and got error code 800736B3.

Now onto step 2 -- the sfc scan

Kat

I have run the SFC scan and received the news that "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

So what now?

I still can't update the windows updater, and so can't check for updates. I'm in a loop.