Growing List of Updates That Fail When Running Windows Update

Hello,

I am looking for some help with Windows Update. I have 11 updates that fail every time I try to run them. Every month when Microsoft releases new updates, I will typically have at least one new update that fails and adds to my growing list of failures. I am on a Dell XPS8500 running Windows 7 Professional 64 bit SP1 on an Intel core i7-3770 @ 3.4GHZ processor.

I receive the Windows Update error 80073701 when the updates fail. I have attached a copy of the error along with the Windows Update history showing the 11 failed updates.

I followed the directions on this site and ran the SURT and SFC /Scannow, but afterwards, the updates still failed. The SFC scan completed without finding any integrity violations. As the CBS log was too large to upload to this forum site, I put it up on Dropbox. The link to the files is:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d3c1fo8jc...K0hHNvDAa?dl=0

Any help with this issue would be most appreciated. Thanks!

Bruce

Noel,

Are there directions on this site on how to do a Repair Install? I did a search and there 59,000 entries matching the phrase! If you can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.

With a repair install, will I have to reinstall all of my individual software programs or will the repair leave most of them alone.

Bruce

Thanks for the link to the document on how to do a Repair Install. I reviewed this (as well as other documents on the web) and it seems like a fairly easy task. However, I'm confused about the media that I need to use for the Repair Install and want to be sure I understand EVERYTHING before proceeding.

I have a Dell machine with Windows Professional SP1 on it. Dell did not provide an installation disk with this machine-- only the ability to create a recovery disk, which I did a while ago. I realize I cannot use this recovery DVD for the repair install. The Windows Seven forum repair instructions note that I need to use the latest official "Windows 7 with SP1 ISO" file and provides links to the site where I can obtain this ISO file. However, the links supplied in the document take me to sites where they indicate that, per Microsoft, those ISO files are no longer available. If the ISO file is no longer available, it sounds like I would need to borrow a retail Windows 7 (SP1) installation disk from someone and use that for the Repair Install (or go out and buy a new copy of Windows 7- an large, unwanted expense). Is this correct?

Assuming it is possible to install from a borrowed Windows 7 Installation disk and assuming I can find someone to borrow one from, after I do the repair, can I use my existing machine's Windows product key. From what I have read online (and I know some articles cannot be trusted), this should NOT be an issue as the OEM Windows 7 product key is permanently associated with the particular machine. I don't know if it makes a difference (some articles seemed to think it would), but the product key on my machine does not have the letters "OEM" on it. So can I register and activate the repaired installation with my existing product key?

Regarding the product key, for kicks, I used one of those product key retrieval programs (ProduKey) and the key it returned for Windows 7 is different from the one on the sticker on my machine. The only Windows installation ever done on this machine was the original one by Dell so I have no idea why they don't match. Should the different numbers concern me or should I just assume the sticker on the machine is correct.

Lastly, having never done this before, I realize I will need to make various adjustments after the repair (the forum instructions point some of those out). However, will I need to reinstall all my software programs or should my expectation be that most of them will still work fine?

Sorry for the length of this post, but I really need to understand this thoroughly before proceeding.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Bruce

The key you got from Produkey is the factory key they use when mass installing, the one on the COA sticker is the correct one to use. It is your specific key.

From this link,

Repair Install

In the blue box at the top,

   Note

Do a Repair installation if:

• A System Restore did not help fix your Windows 7.
• There is no other easier option left that can fix your Windows 7.
• You DO NOT want to do a Clean reinstall of Windows 7.
• You DO want to preserve your user accounts, data, programs, and system drivers.

Yes, it will preserve your programs.

Hopefully my last post on the issue!!!

Thanks for your input Laybackbear & Derekimo.

Yes, I have a COA that looks like one of the pictures in your post.I also have located an OEM Retail Installation disk from a friend for Windows Pro SP1 64 bit (the exact same edition I currently have installed on my machine).I see a lot of differences on various online repair install instruction documents, so if someone could please confirm the following points for me, I would really appreciate it.

1) I CAN use someone else’s OEM retail installation disk for the repair install (provided it is the identical edition to my currently installed edition—which it is)

2) After upgrading with my friend's installation disk, the product key on the COA sticker on my Dell computer will allow me to activate the newly repaired installation.

In addition to confirming the above, one last question—I plan to create a restore point prior to the repair install.Should the repair install go badly, can I restore to the state of the machine prior to the repair install using that restore point.Or, does the repair install wipe out the possibility of using a previously set restore point.

I would love to do the repair install in the next couple of days so if someone “in the know” could confirm my understanding of things, I would be very grateful.


Thanks so much!

Bruce

You're welcome Bruce,

1.) Yes.

2.) Yes.

If I were you I wouldn't count on a restore point for this operation, a system image would be wiser in my opinion if you needed to revert back for some unforeseen reason.