Windows 7 -- Failure to update

[salamander]

For the last several weeks on startup, I've been having the now infamous 'Failure to Configure Windows Updates -- Reverting Changes' problem.  But, starting just in the last couple of days, that's straightened itself out.  I honestly can't say that I've any effect even though I've tried several of the things suggested by internet searches for the problem.  Anyone here experienced this, and if so, how do you get passed it without just waiting for it to mysteriously fix itself?

[slink]

I think I have gotten through it more quickly by doing the update manually after that happens.  Maybe I just accelerate the rate of errors and get them all in one-half-hour instead of waiting several days as my husband does.

[salamander]

If I might ask, how do you identify which update is causing the problem?  Or, do you just install them until you find the problem?

[rkelly17]

I do remember this happening some time back--it was after I recovered from a massive crash and total (expletive deleted)-up caused by me accidentally turning the power off during the boot-up sequence.    I had to re-configure the whole (another expletive deleted) thing and it took two days to get it right. My memory is blurry about the whole incident, but I think I had to re-install and re-configure the Windows Update software to get updates working well again.

[slink]

It tells you if one of them fails, when you do it manually.

[solarscreen]

Sometimes an update will be superseded by a new update and that update replaces the one that was failing.

There are many reasons why an update will hang up, corrupt files, a badly behaved program that overwrites system files, and even malware.

Here is the Microsoft Fixit site that allows you to search on an issue and run a fix tool for the issue.

http://support2.microsoft.com/fixit/

[salamander]

Thanks to everyone.  I did try some suggested fixes from the MS site and from other places, but they didn't seem to have much effect.  The problem straightened itself out after the last MS update cycle, so it may be that what @solarscreen mentioned is what was going on.

I've bookmarked the 'fixit' link.  I'd never seen that page before you mentioned it, and it could come in handy in the future.  Thanks.

[rkelly17]

Glad it's fixed. Updates can be a mixed blessing. Just last night I had some trouble with the Nvidia update function--it updated the driver but the update program somehow didn't notice and just kept running and running and running. I finally had to strong-arm it into submission with my process hacker. Now it's behaving again.

[salamander]

I've had similar problems in the past with NVidia trying to update itself, to the point where I disabled it and do it manually.

[rkelly17]

I've had similar problems in the past with NVidia trying to update itself, to the point where I disabled it and do it manually.

Yeah, this was not the first time for me either. I have it set to ask me before it does anything, but even that didn't fully work this time. Well, it worked in that the new driver was downloaded and installed, but it didn't work in that the installation program somehow missed that it had worked--if you know what I mean. 

[salamander]

I know exactly what you mean.  Automatic updates are a convenience, but they do occasionally go screwy.  In those cases, it's nice to have some idea of how a computer works so you can clear up the confusion.  Unfortunately, I think a lot of recent users on the computer scene know how to do the normal stuff, but can't troubleshoot because they don't really know how the whole system works.