BITS will not start; Windows Update attempts fail

When I try to use Windows Update under Windows XP Professional, it shows
me the available downloads, but when I try to install them it fails. I
get the error message 0x80246008 which has been discussed at length in
this newsgroup. I can download and install updates manually but that's a
pain.

When I open Services and look at Background Intelligent Transfer
Service, it is not running. When I try to start it, I get the error
message "service-specific error code -2147024894".

I have manually downloaded and re-installed the BITS update, KB842773,
but that didn't help.

Since the last time I successfully ran Windows Update, I had a problem
with Norton System Works 2005 which required me to uninstall it. The
normal uninstall didn't work, so I had to use a special uninstall tool
from Symantec which uninstalls all Symantec programs. I suspect this
might be what caused the problem, although that's just a hunch.

Any suggestion on what I should try next? Please don't tell me to call
Symantec, as I have had nothing but trouble dealing with them and at
this point I don't want to reinstall their buggy software. I just want
to get Windows Update working again.

Thanks!

John
--
Please reply in this newsgroup. I never post my true
email address to prevent spam. Thank you.

Hi,

Please try this:

Start Regedit.exe (from Start/Run)

Locate the registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\BackupRestore\

Create the following key if it does not exist:
FilesNotToBackup

so you have this path when finished:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l
\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup\


Try to start BITS again...

Regards,
Torgeir


John wrote:

> When I try to use Windows Update under Windows XP Professional, it shows
> me the available downloads, but when I try to install them it fails. I
> get the error message 0x80246008 which has been discussed at length in
> this newsgroup. I can download and install updates manually but that's a
> pain.
>
> When I open Services and look at Background Intelligent Transfer
> Service, it is not running. When I try to start it, I get the error
> message "service-specific error code -2147024894".
>
> I have manually downloaded and re-installed the BITS update, KB842773,
> but that didn't help.
>
> Since the last time I successfully ran Windows Update, I had a problem
> with Norton System Works 2005 which required me to uninstall it. The
> normal uninstall didn't work, so I had to use a special uninstall tool
> from Symantec which uninstalls all Symantec programs. I suspect this
> might be what caused the problem, although that's just a hunch.
>
> Any suggestion on what I should try next? Please don't tell me to call
> Symantec, as I have had nothing but trouble dealing with them and at
> this point I don't want to reinstall their buggy software. I just want
> to get Windows Update working again.
>
> Thanks!
>
> John


--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

Hi Torgeir,

The key was not present, and adding it has fixed the problem! After
starting BITS, I was able to use Windows Update to download and install
a critical update.

Following that update, it was necessary to re-boot. I now see that BITS
is not running, but it is possible to start and stop it manually. Does
Windows Update start this service and then shut it down when updates are
completed? Or should I change the startup type setting from manual to
automatic?

Thank you very much for your help!

John

Torgeir Bakken (MVP) wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Please try this:
>
> Start Regedit.exe (from Start/Run)
>
> Locate the registry key
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\BackupRestore\
>
> Create the following key if it does not exist:
> FilesNotToBackup
>
> so you have this path when finished:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l
> \BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup\
>
>
> Try to start BITS again...
>
> Regards,
> Torgeir
>
>
> John wrote:
>
>> When I try to use Windows Update under Windows XP Professional, it
>> shows me the available downloads, but when I try to install them it
>> fails. I get the error message 0x80246008 which has been discussed at
>> length in this newsgroup. I can download and install updates manually
>> but that's a pain.
>>
>> When I open Services and look at Background Intelligent Transfer
>> Service, it is not running. When I try to start it, I get the error
>> message "service-specific error code -2147024894".
>>
>> I have manually downloaded and re-installed the BITS update, KB842773,
>> but that didn't help.
>>
>> Since the last time I successfully ran Windows Update, I had a problem
>> with Norton System Works 2005 which required me to uninstall it. The
>> normal uninstall didn't work, so I had to use a special uninstall tool
>> from Symantec which uninstalls all Symantec programs. I suspect this
>> might be what caused the problem, although that's just a hunch.
>>
>> Any suggestion on what I should try next? Please don't tell me to call
>> Symantec, as I have had nothing but trouble dealing with them and at
>> this point I don't want to reinstall their buggy software. I just want
>> to get Windows Update working again.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> John
>
>
>


--
Please reply in this newsgroup. I never post my true
email address to prevent spam. Thank you.

Hi,

Windows Update starts the BITS service when it needs it. There is no
need to set it to Automatic, it is supposed to be in "Manual".


Regards,
Torgeir


John wrote:

> Hi Torgeir,
>
> The key was not present, and adding it has fixed the problem! After
> starting BITS, I was able to use Windows Update to download and install
> a critical update.
>
> Following that update, it was necessary to re-boot. I now see that BITS
> is not running, but it is possible to start and stop it manually. Does
> Windows Update start this service and then shut it down when updates are
> completed? Or should I change the startup type setting from manual to
> automatic?
>
> Thank you very much for your help!
>
> John
>
> Torgeir Bakken (MVP) wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Please try this:
>>
>> Start Regedit.exe (from Start/Run)
>>
>> Locate the registry key
>> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\BackupRestore\
>>
>> Create the following key if it does not exist:
>> FilesNotToBackup
>>
>> so you have this path when finished:
>> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l
>> \BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup\
>>
>>
>> Try to start BITS again...
>>
>> Regards,
>> Torgeir
>>
>

--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx