Updates won't install

[Old Enough]

When I bought my computer, the installed OS was Windows 98.
Later, I bought and installed the XP SP2 upgrade.

This has served me well for a long time, but every time I decide to
"clean" my machine, I first have to install W98 and then run the
upgrade disk.
Takes a long time, but it works. However, this may not be relevant.

Recently, I had a problem which I hoped would be corrected if I
re-installed W indows XP.
I inserted the XP disk, and went through all the motions. Took about
an hour.

Everything seemed to be OK (except that it did not fix the problem I
had hoped it would fix. But that's a different story).

Now, the system continually tries to install updates. The little
yellow shield at the bottom tells me "Updates are ready for your
computer. Click here to install these updates".

When I click there, it tells me "Windows has found 85 updates".
When I say "install", a panel tells me "Some updates could not be
installed" and "The following updates were not installed" and it lists
84 updates (as nearly as I could count them).

Belarc Advisor tells me that 81 Microsoft security updates are
missing, and lists them all.

Whatever I do, I seem to be unable to install these updates.

Can anyone help me?
It wouldn't have anything to do with that &*%$** Genuine Windows
Advantage thing, would it?

HELP!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!
_________________________________
Old Enough
to know I don't know a thing ....

 

[Shenan Stanley]

When I bought my computer, the installed OS was Windows 98.
Later, I bought and installed the XP SP2 upgrade.

This has served me well for a long time, but every time I decide to
"clean" my machine, I first have to install W98 and then run the
upgrade disk.
Takes a long time, but it works. However, this may not be relevant.

You can cleanly install from the Windows XP CD *if* you have an actual
Windows 98 installation CD as well. Just boot from the Windows XP CD, start
the process by deleting the partition(s) and creating new partition(s) and
continuing to follow the prompts - when it asks for a qualifying upgrade
product - insert your Windows 98 CD...

Recently, I had a problem which I hoped would be corrected if I
re-installed W indows XP.
I inserted the XP disk, and went through all the motions. Took
about an hour.

"Repair install" <- okay.

Everything seemed to be OK (except that it did not fix the problem
I had hoped it would fix. But that's a different story).

Now, the system continually tries to install updates. The little
yellow shield at the bottom tells me "Updates are ready for your
computer. Click here to install these updates".

When I click there, it tells me "Windows has found 85 updates".
When I say "install", a panel tells me "Some updates could not be
installed" and "The following updates were not installed" and it
lists 84 updates (as nearly as I could count them).

Belarc Advisor tells me that 81 Microsoft security updates are
missing, and lists them all.

Whatever I do, I seem to be unable to install these updates.

Can anyone help me?
It wouldn't have anything to do with that &*%$** Genuine Windows
Advantage thing, would it?

No - it has nothing to do with WGA nor is that a bad thing in my experience.

Did you search for the answer to your problem at all before posting? I
only ask because this newsgroup is over-flowing with the following
answer ( I know - I have posted it many times myself... ;-) ):

Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update,
from Microsoft Update, or by using Automatic Updates after
you repair a Windows XP installation
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144

(Try it even if you did a clean, not repair, installation.)
(Try it even if you performed some sort of restore - not repair install.)
(Try it even if you did an upgrade installation.)

You may want to scan for (custom) updates manually:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Do all suggested methods. Hope that helps!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

When I bought my computer, the installed OS was Windows 98.
Later, I bought and installed the XP SP2 upgrade.

This has served me well for a long time, but every time I decide to
"clean" my machine,

Why do you decide that? It's very seldom necessary, or even a good
idea.

I first have to install W98 and then run the
upgrade disk.

No you don't. The requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own* a
previous qualifying version's installation CD (with an OEM restore CD,
see below), not to have it installed. When setup doesn't find a
previous qualifying version installed, it will prompt you to insert
its CD as proof of ownership. Just insert the previous version's CD,
and follow the prompts. Everything proceeds quite normally and quite
legitimately.

You can also do a clean installation if you have an OEM restore CD of
a previous qualifying version. It's more complicated, but it *can* be
done. First restore from the Restore CD. Then run the XP upgrade CD
from within that restored system, and change from Upgrade to New
Install. When it asks where, press Esc to delete the partition and
start over.

 

[Old Enough]

Did you search for the answer to your problem at all before posting? I
only ask because this newsgroup is over-flowing with the following
answer ( I know - I have posted it many times myself... ;-) ):

While I usually google for solutions to my problems, this time I made
the stupid mistake of thinking that my problem just had to be unique,
so I asked on the newsgroup..

Thank you, Shenan, for you help and answers.
I followed the directions, and things are OK now.

Thanks again!
_________________________________
Old Enough
to know I don't know a thing ....

 

[Old Enough]

Why do you decide that? It's very seldom necessary, or even a good
idea.

Not really sure - I've "heard" that doing a clean install every so
often (perhaps once a year) cleans all the crap ouit of the machine.
I also did a clean installl once to fix a problem I coculd not fix in
any other way. It worked.

Thanks for your other pointers.
I've learned something !
_________________________________
Old Enough
to know I don't know a thing ....

 

[Shenan Stanley]

You can cleanly install from the Windows XP CD *if* you have an
actual Windows 98 installation CD as well. Just boot from the
Windows XP CD, start the process by deleting the partition(s) and
creating new partition(s) and continuing to follow the prompts -
when it asks for a qualifying upgrade product - insert your Windows
98 CD...


"Repair install" <- okay.


No - it has nothing to do with WGA nor is that a bad thing in my
experience.

Did you search for the answer to your problem at all before
posting? I only ask because this newsgroup is over-flowing with
the following
answer ( I know - I have posted it many times myself... ;-) ):

Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update,
from Microsoft Update, or by using Automatic Updates after
you repair a Windows XP installation
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144

(Try it even if you did a clean, not repair, installation.)
(Try it even if you performed some sort of restore - not repair
install.) (Try it even if you did an upgrade installation.)

You may want to scan for (custom) updates manually:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Do all suggested methods. Hope that helps!

While I usually google for solutions to my problems, this time I
made the stupid mistake of thinking that my problem just had to be
unique, so I asked on the newsgroup..

Thank you, Shenan, for you help and answers.
I followed the directions, and things are OK now.

Thanks again!

Glad you got it sorted!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Not really sure - I've "heard" that doing a clean install every so
often (perhaps once a year) cleans all the crap ouit of the machine.

Although there *are* people who feel that way, I strenuously disagree.
In my experience, those who do so are people who simply are extremely
sloppy at maintaining their computers.

With a modicum of care, it should never be necessary to reinstall
Windows (XP or any other version). I've run Windows 3.0, 3.1, WFWG
3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows
Vista, each for the period of time before the next version came out,
and each on two or three machines here. I never reinstalled any of
them, and I have never had anything more than an occasional minor
problem.

I also did a clean installl once to fix a problem I coculd not fix in
any other way. It worked.

Yes, it always works, if it's not a hardware problem (and note that it
sometimes *is* a hardware problem). However, it leaves you without
your having found out what caused the problem, and therefore very
likely to repeat the behavior that caused it. In many cases, people
who do that quickly find themselves right back in the same situation.

Sometimes, you have to give up and reinstall; there may be no other
reasonable choice after a while. But reinstalling should never be a
substitute for troubleshooting and should always be a last resort.

Thanks for your other pointers.
I've learned something !

You're welcome. Glad to help.