I've had this issue before on Vista Home Premium x86. This is what I
had to do:
1) Open C:
2) Open folder Windows
3) Open folder SoftwareDistribution
4) Delete all the contents of the Download folder
5) Delete all the contents of the DataStore folder
(for 4 and 5 you may need to reboot your computer before you are
allowed to delete them)
6) run Windows Update again. It will think this is the first time
you've run it, but you will have NOT lost all the previous updates.
I did as specified, though taking it one step further: I boot into Safe
Mode to delete the contents of the Download and DataStore folders, then I
reboot into "normal" mode. Then I can at least get Windows Update to start
via the Start menu.
I found that on x86, it's best to download/install each update one at
at time, not all of them at once, because it often lead to that error as
you are describing. There is clearly something wrong with the x86
Windows Updater, but, this way seems to be a route around it.
When I get into Windows Update, I let it go ahead and "gather" updates.
Then I get to the screen where I can either have Windows install all the
updates or choose which updates to install and click on Choose Which Updates
To Install (or whatever it says), so I can install one update at a time.
That's when it hangs. I walked away from my computer for several hours, and
the Windows Update screen was still hung! However, the computer wasn't
frozen -- just Windows Update.
Are there any other tricks you know, or should I keep trying? Also, I don't
know if this is relevant to the situation, but my anti-virus and
anti-spyware, in addition to Windows Defender, is Zone Alarm Security Suite.
I don't think there's a software conflict, though, because Windows Update
worked when I first installed Vista. It just won't work now.
Thank you,
ChildFree23
