Windows Update MYSTERY - 6 Updates won't install!

This laptop runs Vista home Premium 32-Bit SP2 (no mention of SPs in the installed program list so I imagine it was pre-installed).

Basically I noticed that there were 5 Important and 1 Optional Windows updates that would claim to install successfully, but never disappear from the list. Also they don't appear to Actually install at all as there's no sign of them in the Installed Updates list within Programs and Features (interestingly, other than Office, .Net and Works updates I don't see Any updates listed for Windows itself). There are no other noticeable problems with the computer.

Specifically the updates are:

Important:
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2393802)
Security Update for Windows Vista (KB2676562)
Update for Windows Vista (KB2158563)
Update for Windows Vista (KB2679255)
Update for Windows Vista (KB971029)

Optional:
Windows Internet Explorer 9 for Windows Vista​

History:
- It did have malware but now does not: Malwarebytes, Superantispyware, Avast, TDSSKiller, gmer, and mbr.exe all show nothing beyond cookies.
- I noticed there was a found.000 folder in the root directory so I ran CHKDSK. It found free space marked as allocated, but shows 0 bad sectors & clusters.

Things I've done so far:
- Determined there is no Malware.
- Used CHKDSK to find the file structure is good
- Used SFC /SCANNOW followed by the findstr command on cbs.log to determine everything is fine (beyond that ini of the sidebar that always comes up)
- Used Tweaking.com's Windows Repair 1.71 to make sure all the permissions are as they should be
- I created a new administrative user account, and tried all subsequent attempts with that new account
- Tried to install each update one at a time individually
- Repair install Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5
- Uninstalling and then Reinstalling Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5 *interestingly it appeared in the Windows Update list after I uninstalled it, and then installed from there with no trouble, as did it's SP1!*
- Stopped the crypt service, renamed Catroot2, rebooted, reenabled the crypt service and Check(ed) For Updates again
- Stopped the Windows Update service, renamed the SoftwareDistribution folder, rebooted, reenabled the Windows Update servoce, and Check(ed) for updates again
- Attempted to follow the KB article KB910339. When you visit that site it pops up with a Fix It now solution. When you run that it attempts to install Powershell. Powershell fails to install on this laptop with the message "Troubleshooting cannot continue because an error has occurred" followed beneath by "We're sorry but Windows PowerShell failed to install. Please try again later.".
- Attempted to install both Powershell 1.0 and Powershell 2.0 via the 32-bit Vista standalone installers, both gave the same message.
- God help me, I even 'tried again later' just in case that was reasonable advice
- I compared the laptop's services.msc list to Blackviper.com's here. There were a couple that didn't match including ones that related to WLAN, which I believe is due to the laptop having a physical WLAN disabling button, and the VSS which was manual but not started (the list shows in SP2 is should be started too). In any case, setting them each the same had no impact on either the updates or installing Powershell(s).
- I also downloaded each update as a standalone installer, each claimed to install just fine, but still they continued to appear in the download list and didn't truly get installed
- Via Msconfig I unchecked all services other than Microsoft ones, and all programs, rebooted, and installed via the standalone installers

In each case the updates will claim to install correctly, but clearly do not. The most obvious example is IE9.

Is there anything else I could try or any ideas what might be going on? I'm totally at my wit's end trying to figure this out!

 

Update:
- HDD passes the manufacturer's (Western Digital) diagnostics, under UBCD
- 10 passes with Memtest+ show no errors

 

I did a few more things before reading your post, and I'm posting those results for posterity.

AV Removal Tools
While no anti-viruses showed up in the Installed Program list, I went ahead and ran several AV removal tools to be sure. Kaspersky and McAfee both ran just fine. The logs on Kaspersky showed that it was never installed, and McAfee didn't produce any logs I could find. Norton removal tool wouldn't run. Much troubleshooting and messing with the registry later, I was able to run it. During which I did discover numerous registry entries which indicated the laptop had Norton 360 at one time, though there was no mention of Norton/Symantec in the Installed Programs list.

It's possible the Norton removal tool worked from the beginning, but it had a very strange behavior. From the moment I start(ed) the Norton removal tool, a progress bar pops up and disappears, the Vista egg timer runs for a few seconds and then.... nothing.... for over an hour. After which time the removal tool suddenly appears as if by magic, and proceeds without problem. During the time I was exploring the registry I discovered two undeletable keys referring to 'Norton' or (in this case) Symantec:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_EECTRL
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_IDSVIX86​

The Norton Removal Tool did not remove these keys but after some research I was reasonable comfortable that these wouldn't effect the Windows Update problem, in part due to neither driver file they refer to actually existing on the computer.

KB2117917
Next I tried to Install IE9 via the Microsoft Download Manager. While it again declared it was successful but failed, I did notice a fresh CBS.log (previously I'd only thought to look in there after sfc /scannow commands). I read through it and found this particular line of interest:
....Plan: skipping package since its start and target state are both absent for package: Package_for_KB2117917~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.0.1.5.....

This led me to research KB2117917, and I did find other people having Windows Update problems from having installed that update without KB947821 first. Anyway long story short, I ran the Vista Readiness tool. It found lots of missing components, but ultimately didn't fix the problem. In any case, no change with the Windows Installer problem

Reply to DavidGP

Not to my knowledge, although this isn't my computer. The owners are not very computer savvy, and in fact are moving out of state with the computer in just a few days. I told them today that they will probably have two choices: either live without being able to install these updates, or let me reinstall Windows and understand they will need to reinstall their programs (not documents). They prefer to keep the computer as is, and I let them know I'd then continue to work on it up until they'd have to go.

To make life simpler I've been clean booting through most of the attempts. I attached it anyway as startup.txt.

The Installed Program list show(ed):

Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5 SP1
Microsoft .Net Framework 4 Client Profile​

(Both had various updates associated with them under the Installed Updates list.)

I attached the log of that as cleanup_main.txt.

Installing via that link failed with the message:

.....Requirements and Software Prerequisites
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP1​

I tried and failed to find .Net 2.0 SP1, so I checked on Windows Update. There I'm offered the 6 familiar updates, and:
Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 and .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update (KB951847) x86

Since I couldn't find .NET 2.0 SP1 necessary to install .NET 2.0 SP2, I paused on the .Net activity there until I hear back for further instruction.

It's attached as abridged windows update.zip (the file was too big to upload as plain text)

Thank you for your help with this. I know these lengthy complex problems are the worst to troubleshoot so I really appreciate you helping us out.

 

Best idea

This is what i do when i want to find some thing.

I use the windows Search and it does normally find stuff only if its spelled correctly.

I never really have a issues with the windows update system.

 

Goldenskull - I'm sorry I didn't really understand what you meant with your post?

 

I meant lol do a windows search in the start menu next time this happens or for any program that you want to find or delete.

 

Oh I think we're at a misunderstanding. I think maybe you're referring to the .NET 2.0 SP1 installation file? If so I meant I couldn't find where to download it, not that I can't find where it's installed.

My understanding is that Vista either gets .NET 2.0 SP1 bundled as a part of Vista SP1, or packaged into the .NET 3.5 update. This computer has Vista SP2 installed, so the error message when I attempted to install .NET 2.0 SP2 was unexpected!

 

Well i hope this helps Table of Content From Micro soft

http://i3.msdn.microsoft.com/Areas/Global/Content/clear.gifOperating System Support


Some versions of the .NET Framework are installed automatically with the Windows operating system, but other versions must be installed separately. The following table identifies the installed and supported versions of the .NET Framework for client operating systems.

Client operating system
Includes
You can also install
Windows 8 Release Preview
.NET Framework 4.5 RC
.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (see Installing the .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows 8 Release Preview)
Windows 7
.NET Framework 3.5 SP1
.NET Framework 4.5 RC, .NET Framework 4
Windows Vista SP2
.NET Framework 3.0 SP2
.NET Framework 4.5 RC, .NET Framework 4, .NET Framework 3.5 SP1
Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition
—
.NET Framework 4, .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, .NET Framework 2.0 S

 

And i think the NET 2.0 SP1 has been retired i think.

NET 2.0 SP1

But if you want to down load it here is the link

This is the 64bit
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=16614

This is the 32bit
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=7740

 

Hey there,

Welcome back from your vacation and I appreciate the continued advice very much!

The trouble is that I don't believe the updates are in fact installed. The most notable example is IE9, but also there's the problem that none of the Windows updates (not the updates to other MS software) appears in the Installed Updates list of Programs and Features.

I agree .NET is probably fine, and Windows Update must be okay for the other updates to install. I suspect you're also right that the only solution to this will be to reinstall Windows. I'd love to be able to figure out this problem to allow me to learn for the future though, and reinstalling Windows always feels like a failure!

I'm currently wondering if something is reporting a different version or Windows to the installers, so it completes the installation without actually installing the update. Then when Check(ing) for Updates the identity of Windows is obtained from a different source so the same updates reappear. What confuses me totally is why then the updates would declare they were successful!? Also the fact I cannot get Powershell to install suggests an underlying problem. The only dependency listed for Powershell is .Net and Windows so there's no good reason for it to fail!

I've had two issues with the version of Windows being declared differently from different sources in my computing history. Once on my personal laptop after installing one of the Vista SPs the System menu reported the new SP was installed, but the msinfo list (I forget the file that's in I'm afraid) showed it hadn't been. In that situation I spent hours on the phone with MS and they ultimately had be restore the SYSTEM, SOFTWARE etc to the originals and the problem was fixed (though I suspect I had to reinstall everything afterwards). The other experience was with a computer I accidentally ran SFC /scannow with a Windows XP Professional disk in without noticing the PC had XP Media Center loaded. I don't remember the problems that caused however.

 

DavidGP

Yes I do! They were meant to collect it on Saturday but didn't show up. My wife and I are going out of town sometime starting before the next weekend so regardless of when they collect it, I will have to finish before then (though I guess there's an outside chance they won't collect it until we've gone and come back).

Well that's just it, there aren't any Windows updates listed. There are .NET updates, ones for MS Office 2007, Works 9, Silverlight, and (bizarrely) Adobe Reader 8. I'm looking for Windows updates via the Installed Update list of Programs and Features btw. I don't know if there's a better place to find installed updates (<XP used to have KB____.log files but I guess Vista stopped that).

Yes, I'm afraid it is both Started and set to Automatic (delayed). BITS and Crypto are both Started and Automatic too.

No sadly not . powershell doesn't come up in the start menu search, and there are no results to a search for powershell in regedit either.

Very clever observation, I hadn't thought to look at that! I checked all the Vista PCs in the house and they all show the same 7.4.7600.226. I'm not sure why none of them have 7.6.7600.256, but the consistency tells me it's probably a red herring.

Not a random thought at all! I'd discovered some random post which suggested removing excess languages packs too, but sadly this wasn't the case - the comp didn't have any other language packs installed.


KB971058
I found this KB article: How do I reset Windows Update components?. I followed the manual steps using the aggressive approach. Rather annoyingly it looks like the guy that wrote up those steps made several mistakes, which isn't very reassuring at all. So I followed each step and encountered a few problems along the way, some of which I remedied:

Success
Success

Success

The command itself seems to be wrong, or at least didn't work:
"The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect."
So I manually renamed each folder...

...all but catroot2. catroot2 wouldn't rename because he forgot to tell us to stop the Cryptographic Services earlier. After doing that, I was then able to rename catroot2 as instructed.

Code:

sc.exe sdset bits D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)
sc.exe sdset wuauserv D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)

Success
Success

Most of these were successful but some were not. The unsuccessful ones produced one of two errors, and I recorded which gave which error as follows:
The module "________" was loaded but the entry-point DllRegisterServer was not found. Make sure that "________" is a valid DLL or OCX file and then try again.

mshtml.dll
shdocvw.dll
browseui.dll
msxml.dll
qmgr.dll​

The module "________" failed to load. Make sure the binary is stored at the specified path or debug it to check for problems with the binary or dependent .DLL files. The specified module could not be found.

gpkcsp.dll
sccbase.dll
slbcsp.dll
initpki.dll
wuaueng1.dll
wucltui.dll
wuweb.dll
muweb.dll​

This failed. However this command was successful:
netsh winsock reset

Success (I also restarted Cryto here too)

Success

Well the article simply tells me to obtain the latest version of the Windows Update Agent by.... using the Windows Update Agent. So I ignored this step and went to the final step - restarting the computer.

Anyway the end result.......no change

Could those failed DLLs be a clue or do they just relate to different version of windows? Perhaps I should use the standalone Windows Update Agent installer you found rather than just open Windows Update?

 

Sorry I forgot to respond to the question about MSXML. I don't know the answer to this - how can I find what versions are installed?