Wins ME: update failure/error message

I have a Dell4100 Pen III 933/133 384mb 20gb Wins ME. I have been trying to do a Wins Me update and I keep getting this error message: "Setup was unable to install all the components. Please close all applications and try running setup again." How can I find out what components need to be installed?? Can anyone help me?? ODIE

 

BUMP HELP!!

 

You're just running a regular Windows Update, right? You go to Start -> Windows Update and it does not work, I assume. First question is does it get as far as starting the download/install process (just not finishing)? Like download 5% or 75% and then give the 'cannot install components' error? Or does Windows Update not even get this far?

If you haven't troubleshooted much, we could work on that level by all means, and go through all the standard stuff...

But if you're already at a place when it's time to skip all the obvious things you've read and tried over and over, below is interesting to me and something you may not have tried...I've never done this but I would...temporarily removing content of the IE uninstall folder may help get your ME updates finally, these would be the instructions....
Open Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer but Windows Explorer as in the file management program). From there go to C:/Program Files/Internet
Explorer/Uninstall Information. Right click on the Uninstall Information folder and select Properties. Uncheck the Hidden box and then click OK or
Apply. A confirmation screen will come up. Select the Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files button. This will unhide all of the files in the Uninstall Information folder. You then need to move (not delete) all of these files to another folder that is empty. Any one will do or make a new temporary folder. It doesn't really matter just as long as the Uninstall Information folder is empty. Reboot your computer. After rebooting double check and make sure that the Uninstall Information folder
is empty. You should then be able to install all of the troublesome components (hopefully). If everything goes well you can then move all of those files that you moved previously back into the Uninstall Information

 

FARBIB: Thanks for the help. The MS Update downloads the components to be installed but installation stops at 75% like you said. The Component to be installed is MS Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 I though about unstalling ME and reinstalling it. Do you think that would solve my problem?? Ill Try your suggestions but hope I can follow your advice and not get confused in the process. Thanks again! ODIE

 

Hi,I had the same problem last year,I could download the update but I could'nt get the update to install,kept on getting error message. So I wrote to Microsoft and told them what happen,step by step. They responded and sent me a patch for this,and it worked.
Hope that helps,

 

Instructions are straightforward, but it's alot of steps, do it with a clear head. Whatever that means to you after coffee or a meal or soda whatever, just don't do it in a rush. Good luck and I hope it works. Somebody had a similar problem like yours, it would fail at 75%, he had ME, and tried everything, then this which finally got it working so it's a legit shot.