Windows Update fails with no error

[Guest]

windows 2000 Server STD, SP4 is kept offline most of the time it contains
data required by legal to be kept for 5 years. I bring up the server every 2
or 3 months to run updates to the OS and antivirus, etc. I tried almost
everything, automatic updates, we also have a WSUS server, searched the
WindowsUpdate.log
There are 21 Critical updates that will not install: "Updates were unable
to be successfully installed"

 

[Roger Abell [MVP]]

The relevant newsgroups which might help are

microsoft.public.windowsupdate
previously
microsoft.public.win2000.windows_update
and for SUS
microsoft.public.softwareupdatesvcs
and WSUS
microsoft.public.windows.server.update_service

Otherwise, have you tried pulling it out of it by manually
installing the pre-downloaded updates after verifying the
machine is free from malware?

 

[Guest]

I did verify the machne had no malware, and I manually installed the updates
(21 of them). Windows update identifies the updates needed, and downloads
them Ok but fails to install them, so I printed all the KB numbers of the
failed ones and manually installed them.