Vista cant install any updates.....

[xxsilk109xx]

I have a vista machine here...32bit

Machine had a few virus on it, mainly all adware. I removed the adware with MBAM, SAS, combofix, and eset online scanner. Windows does not have SP1 installed at this point.

Computer seems to be operating fine but windows just wont update. When I go to update, the windows update window comes up and it shows 31 updates and a few optional hardware updates. When I try to let it update it downloads and installs them, then it says its done, all were successful and to restart the computer. When I restart the computer it comes up to the startup repair window, it does its thing, says it applied the fix or whatever then it boots into windows. The same updates are available to install. I have tried to copy SP1 over to the desktop and tried installing it from there but I get the same startup repair problem. I guess the startup repair is resetting all the updates it just did.

The only other wacky thing going on is that there are no icons on the desktop and no matter what I do I cant get them to show, but they are showing up in the Desktop folder when I navigate to it in Explorer.

Any ideas? I have tried the Fix Windows update utility, tried running the updates in safe mode with SafeMSI installed. Cant get past this.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[MobileTechie]

How about the update readiness tool: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947821

The thing here seems to be that it's doing a repair startup - why is it doing this? Does it do it when you've not installed updats?

 

[xxsilk109xx]

no it only does the startup repair after I install updates. when i normally restart the computer it comes up just fine.

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

no it only does the startup repair after I install updates. when i normally restart the computer it comes up just fine.

sounds like it's system restoring to the point before the updates were installed

have you tried installing SP1 & SP2 on it?

 

[Snazzy PC Repairs]

Regarding the desktop icons, I accept this may be stating the obvious, but if you Right-Click on the desktop, go to View, is Show Desktop Icons ticked?

And if you untick it, and re-tick it, still no icons?

 

[xxsilk109xx]

Yes I have tried to install SP1 and it does it without error, then we i restart it resets it back with the startup repair. After I installed SP1, restarted, watched it go through startup repair, then I tried to install SP2 and it says SP1 must be installed first, so I am pretty sure that starup repair is resetting all of the updates after I install them. I wish there was a way to disable the startup repair, if so I wonder if windows would boot after I install the updates. I am installing the update readiness tool, I am waiting on it to complete now..we will see if that helps.

I finally got the desktop icons to show and stay there when I reboot the system, however how can I keep the taskbar in place upon reboot? I move it down to where it needs to be (it was on the right) and when I move it and then lock it and then restart the computer it moves back to the right again..

 

[Snazzy PC Repairs]

I had a nasty virus a few months ago which exhibited similar behaviour, although not quite exactly the same. Every time I would restart, various settings I had changed would revert back.

It may be worth checking your HiJackThis log and/or AutoRuns in case there is still something lurking there.

 

[xxsilk109xx]

Well I tried that windows readiness tool and watched the update a little closer this time and i am still having the same problem. Issue is when it completes stage 1 of 3 and then restarts is when it is coming up with the startup repair.

im gonna try hijack this and see what comes up.

 

[Martyn]

I had a similar problem the other day from a cd. Did the update online and it worked.

 

[xxsilk109xx]

all the updates i am doing are from online..

 

[xxsilk109xx]

well at this point i have spent more time on this than its worth. I am going to nuke and pave, there is nothing on here that needs saved anyway, as this computer has been sitting since the family got laptops for christmas last year...

 

[ZenTree]

Just out of curiosity, did you try:

1. The update fix tool that I'm pretty sure is linked to in the software section of the site.

2. SFC /scannow to see if anything shows up as corrupted?

You probably did the right thing with the nuke and pave, I've spent way too long on some repairs when I should have done that, it almost gets personal lol