XP Service Pack 3 Problems

[~kev~]

For those of you thinking of downgrading to service pack 3 for XP, well - there are some problems.

The automatic updates problem:
On some computers auto-updates can not install updates after service pack 3 is installed. The updates are downloaded through automatic updates, but can not be installed. If downloaded separately from microsofts website, the updates can be installed fine.

Related links:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r20665649-XP-Pro-Cannot-install-updates-on-Windows-XP-Service-Pack-3

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20666274

http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/32574366/help--can-download-but-c.aspx

How, and why this problem is happening, I can not find out. I just updated a computer here at the office and now it can not install updates either. If anyone finds a fix for this, let me know.

[Hammock]

I did the steps from this site http://www.pchell.com/support/windows_updates_download_but_wont_install.shtml

Follow the steps below to solve this annoying problem when the Windows XP updates will download but won't install.

Make sure Windows installer 3.1 is installed correctly


Click on the following link to visit the Microsoft Download Center and download Windows installer 3.1


Download Windows Installer 3.1

Reboot the computer and try to download Windows Updates, if they still fail to install, continue with the next step.

Stop the Automatic Update Service


Click on Start, Run
Type the following command and press Enter

services.msc


Right-click on the Automatic Updates option in the Name column and click Stop
Close the Services window

Show Hidden Files and Folders


Open My Computer
Click on Tools, Folder Options
Click on the View tab
Under the Hidden Files and Folders section, select "Show Hidden Files and Folders"
Click Ok
Delete the Previously Downloaded Windows Updates


Open My Computer
Double-click on Drive C (or whatever drive Windows is installed on)
Double-click on the Windows folder
Double-click on the SoftwareDistribution folder
Double-click on the Download folder
Click on Edit on the menu bar
Click on Select All
Click on File on the menu bar
Click on Delete and delete everything in the download folder
Return to the SoftwareDistribution folder by clicking on the green up arrow on the toolbar
Double-click on the EventCache folder
Click on Edit on the menu bar
Click on Select All
Click on File on the menu bar
Click on Delect and delete everything in the eventcache folder

Restart the Automatic Updates Service


Click on Start, Run
Type the following command and press Enter

services.msc


Double-click on the Automatic Updates option in the Name column
Click on the Start button under Service Status to restart the service
Select Automatic under Startup Type to start the service each time Windows starts
Click Ok
Close the Services Window
Download the Latest Version of Windows Update Agent


Click on the following link to download the latest version of the Windows Update Agent and save it to your desktop.

Download Windows Update Agent

Warning:

If you receive a message stating the Update Agent is already installed follow these extra steps:

Click Start, Run
Click the Browse button
Navigate to where you saved WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe on your desktop and click it one time
Click on the Open button
On the Open line, go to the end of the command. After the last quotation mark type the following

/wuforce


The line should look something like the following now:

"C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe" /wuforce

Click Ok and install the Update Agent
Download and Install the KB927891 Update


Click on the following link to download the KB927891 Update for Windows XP or click here to read more about the update

Download KB927891 Update for Windows XP


And before I started the updates I did the following:

Try this:

Copy the text in the blue box and paste it into a blank notepad document:


Quote:
regsvr32.exe c:\windows\system32\wuweb.dll

regsvr32.exe c:\windows\system32\wups2.dll

regsvr32.exe c:\windows\system32\wups.dll

regsvr32.exe c:\windows\system32\wucltui.dll

regsvr32.exe c:\windows\system32\wuaueng1.dll

regsvr32.exe c:\windows\system32\wuaueng.dll

regsvr32.exe c:\windows\system32\wuapi.dll

Click Start, Run and paste each line into the run line (one line at a time), and press enter after each.

I've done SP3 on over 50 computers easily and only had this problem once. The following steps above fixed my problem

[Ihmhi]

You know what you have to do to install SP2? I click on my installer, and it runs.

Seriously, the fuck is up with this.

[~kev~]

Thank you hammock, but that did not work. Automatic updates still will not install.

So I am removing service pack 3 and going back to service pack 2. I have a lady that is waiting on her desktop and I do not have time to play around with this. How can microsoft put out a patch that messes up so much?

[Innoc]

Thank you hammock, but that did not work. Automatic updates still will not install.

So I am removing service pack 3 and going back to service pack 2. I have a lady that is waiting on her desktop and I do not have time to play around with this. How can microsoft put out a patch that messes up so much?
This would not be a first for Microsoft... (edit: nor was SP2 a first for them either...)

[SomeOldGuy]

Don't know if any of this will help, but here are a few articles (with links to other sites) on issues of sp3 installation failures and how to address them:

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/xp_sp3_installation_woes_more_light_on_redmonds_to p_reasons_and_solutions

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145889/faq_windows_xp_sp3_reboot_hell_and_how_to_get_out_ of_it.html