Windows 8 Update Service Problem

[frederick]

Have a Windows 8 computer (not 8.1), that will not update. It is a Dell Inspirion 660. When you start the service, the service just stops. When you go to Windows Update (through the control panel), it will download, begin installing and stop at 8%. 50/50 on the Windows Update window saying that it stopped responding when attempting to install.

Other errors include: ESENT (taskhostex) and Service Control Manager (Interactive Services Detection). No other errors except a few warnings about the printer driver. Though it has not shown to affect anything, not even the ability to print.

What I've done:
SFC reports issues, and that it can't repair. Go figure. Using a Repair/Install Media to repair the OS, I get back that it fixed it, but go figure, it did not fix this issue.

Have performed a clean boot, which did not resolve the issue either.

Manually downloading and manually trying to install them does not work. They will start to install, but then stop. I can install and uninstall other programs (I installed C&C Generals, started it up, it worked, I uninstalled it).

No viruses/rootkits/other malware found or even suspected. Currently running Malwarebytes and Bitdefender.

Client says no to a re-format. Other than dell crap, no other third party programs are installed except MS Office 2013.

No errors populate in event viewer when the updates cease to install.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Can you create a system image and maybe do a system refresh? I think the refresh is the one where it deletes the apps but keeps their files etc.

 

[frederick]

I can try. Was hoping I wouldn't have to. Client lost the card with the MS Office 2013 key on it.

Edit: Can't get the key for it from the system. same with the OS key. which could be another problem I am having with this system.

 

[tek9]

I can try. Was hoping I wouldn't have to. Client lost the card with the MS Office 2013 key on it.

Edit: Can't get the key for it from the system. same with the OS key. which could be another problem I am having with this system.

Is Office activated? Can you find the product key by checking the Accounts section of the File/Help menu?

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Would definitely grab a system image just in case.

 

[frederick]

The install date for office is December. When you open it, says nothing about activate. When you go to look at the key, or even open a new document, it crashes. Event viewer says Application Hang. Going to be doing an image later this afternoon and just see if I can't break it...looks like a re-format might need to occur.

I've been seeing a lot of Windows 8 systems (not 8.1) that have a nice amount of issues that can't be solved, and require a re-format...

I'm going to take the image, see if the refresh works. It hasn't worked with other systems, but none of the other systems have had this issue like this.

 

[johnrobert]

As mentioned earlier a refresh should do it, its basically a clean install but saving all docs, but make a backup just in case.
I also had a problem getting office 2013 serial
I guess you could get it by logging into their account

 

[frederick]

A refresh did not fix the issue on the clone. After talking to MS, the only solution is to reinstall. They got me access to the key as well, a nice little registry edit.

According to them, its a problem fixed with 8.1. But if you can't update, you can't get 8.1, which means the problem can't get fixed unless you reinstall the OS.

We got her stuff backed up, OS reinstalled, and it is working fine now. In the process of taking it to 8.1.