Perhaps a Third party program is affecting the WU Service (anti-spwyare
programs, Internet/web accelerators, Firewall/Anti-Virus programs) or the
downloaded file is corrupt.
You receive error code 8000FFFF when you click "Check for Updates" in the
Windows Update Control Panel item on a Windows Vista-based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946414
Another suggestion you rename the SoftwareDistribution folder to whatever
you like. This will take care of any corrupted downloaded files.
How to rename the SoftwareDistribution folder in Vista -
1. Stop the Windows Update service (make sure you are logged on as an
Administrator)
Start button || Control Panel ||System and Maintenance ||Administrative
Tools
Double-click Services
(Provide the Administrator password or confirmation if prompted to do so.)
Right-click the Windows Update service and click Stop.
2. Click Start, type %windir% in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
Locate and rename the SoftwareDistribution folder.
3. Start the Windows Update service
Start button || Control Panel ||System and Maintenance ||Administrative
Tools
Double-click Services
(Provide the Administrator password or confirmation if prompted to do so.)
Right-click the Windows Update service and click Start.
This procedure will erase your history on the Windows Update Site. Not
important.
Or you may need to contact Microsoft for support issues, visit the
International Support Web site:
https://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx
To make sure you receive the appropriate support information for your
location, select your region setting from the list and then click the arrow
button
Also it would be better to post to the WU Newsgroup -
Windows Update newsgroup:
(OE newsreader)
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof....windowsupdate
or
(Web)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...ang =en&cr=US
Xposted for your convenience
TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Services
http://taurarian.mvps.org
======================================
How to ask a question:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
Disclaimer: The information has been posted "as is" with no warranties or
guarantees and doesn't give any rights.
Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco
"Ian the seagull" <Iantheseagull@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:07BDC7FF-C31C-4DBB-B094-59A1332CACD0@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for trying to help!
> Tried step 1 + 2 - no better
> Went on to step 3. When I performed the last step and tried to run the
> program to install the update engine the message came back after going
> through the whole process "Install failed with the following error
> number0x80000ffff"
>
> this is doing my head in!
>
> "TaurArian" wrote:
>
>> Notes from a previous MS Response -
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Windows Update Client failed to detect with error 0x8000ffff.
>>
>>
>>
>> The error can occur if one of the following factor is true:
>>
>> 1. The relevant Windows Update services stop working.
>>
>> 2. The temporary folder of Windows Update has been corrupted.
>>
>> 3. Windows Update Agent does not work.
>>
>> At this time, let's try the following steps to troubleshoot the issue.
>> After
>> completing the steps, please perform Windows Update to check the result.
>>
>> Step 1: Verify the relevant Windows Update services
>> ============================
>>
>> 1. Click Start, type services.msc in the Start Search box and press
>> Enter.
>>
>> 2. In the right pane, please check whether the following three services
>> have
>> been started:
>>
>> Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
>> Windows Event Log
>> Windows Update
>>
>> If not, please start them one by one.
>>
>> Step 2: Rename the Windows Update SoftwareDistribution folder
>> =========================================
>>
>> 1. Click Start, type notepad in Start Search box, and press Enter.
>> 2. Copy the following commands and then paste them into the open Notepad
>> window:
>>
>> net stop wuauserv
>> net stop Cryptsvc
>> ren %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SD.old
>> ren %windir%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.old
>> net start wuauserv
>> net start Cryptsvc
>>
>> 3. After pasting the above commands, please close the Notepad window.
>> Choose
>> Save when you are prompted to save the file. Type "register.bat" as the
>> file
>> name and choose Desktop from the left panel as the location.
>> 4. Refer to the Desktop, right click the register.bat file, and choose
>> Run
>> as administrator.
>> 5. You will see a DOS-like window processing.
>>
>> Note: Please look at the cmd window and make sure it says that it was
>> successfully started. After that, please run Windows Update to test the
>> issue again.
>>
>> If the error 0x8000ffff persists when searching for updates, let's
>> reinstall
>> Windows Update Agent 3.0.
>>
>> Step 3: Reinstall Windows Update Agent 3.0
>> ===========================
>> 1. Please download the file from the following link:
>>
>> A new version of the Windows Update Agent is available
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946928
>>
>> 2. Save the file to D: drive.
>>
>> Note: Please select a drive where Windows Vista was not loaded because
>> the
>> file cannot be launched directly from the system root directory.
>>
>> 3. Click Start, click Run, type: "D:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe
>> /wuforce"
>> (without quotations) and then press Enter to install the Windows Update
>> engine.
>>
>> Note: There is a space between "D:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe" and
>> "/wuforce"
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Services
>> http://taurarian.mvps.org
>> ======================================
>> How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
>> Disclaimer: The information has been posted "as is" with no warranties or
>> guarantees and doesn't give any rights.
>> Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco
>>
>>
>> "Ian the seagull" <Iantheseagull@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
>> message
>> news:E6DB2A0E-A9F1-4619-B11A-5D7E78D7F58E@microsoft.com...
>> > The WUA automatically installed itself, I suppose It did a restart as
>> > well. I
>> > have McAfee protection software and it was on
>> >
>> > "MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Was the system restarted afterwards ?
>> >> If yes, was the installed antivirus/security suite actively monitoring
>> >> the system when the WUA installed and, who is it's manufacturer ?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> MowGreen [MVP 2003-2009]
>> >> ===============
>> >> *-343-* FDNY
>> >> Never Forgotten
>> >> ===============
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Ian the seagull wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > I am running windows vista business (with service pack 1 installed.)
>> >> > On
>> >> > a 32
>> >> > bit system. on the 4th of september windows automatically installed
>> >> > Windows
>> >> > update agent 7.2.6001.784 and since then I get the message "windows
>> >> > cant
>> >> > check for updates" when I try to manualy check i get error code
>> >> > 8000ffff
>> >> > Which i believe is " unspecified error". This update is now further
>> >> > back than
>> >> > my eirliest system restore point and I cant uninstall this update
>> >> > from
>> >> > any of
>> >> > the lists either. I'm stuck. Please help.
>> >>
>>
>>
>>
Linear Mode
