Cannot install ANY updates....

at first I was able to download almost all updates, but they'd all fail
install (Windows XP Pro)..... now I can't download or install anything, and
even when I download the reddistributable package for windows installer 3.1,
while unpacked it gives a "the system cannot find the file specified" error
and bails....

anyone have any ideas??

What is the installed Antivirus program/security suite ?

Is Windows Installer 3.1 (KB893803) showing as being installed in
Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel ?


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


SCastano wrote:

> at first I was able to download almost all updates, but they'd all fail
> install (Windows XP Pro)..... now I can't download or install anything, and
> even when I download the reddistributable package for windows installer 3.1,
> while unpacked it gives a "the system cannot find the file specified" error
> and bails....
>
> anyone have any ideas??
>
>

solutions below, option 2 sorted it for me, problem wit Win installer 3.1 ya
can dowload as much as you want but cant install, nearly thru my comp into
wall
===========================================
1. Click Start, Run, type: cmd and press Enter. Please run the following
command in the opened window.
2. Net stop WuAuServ
3. Click Start, Run, type: %windir% and press Enter.
In the opened folder, rename the folder SoftwareDistribution to Sdold.
Click Start, Run, type: cmd and press Enter. Please run the following
command in the opened window.
4. Net start WuAuServ
5. If the issue still persists, please move on to suggestion 2.

Suggestion 2: Reinstall Windows Update Agent 3.0
======================================
1. Please download the file at Windows Update Agent 3.0
2. Save the file to C: drive.
3. Click Start->Run, type: “C:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce�
(without quotations) and then press Enter to install the Windows Update engine
4. There is a space between “C:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe� and “/wuforce�
5. Note: If you are using Windows Vista, please save the downloaded file to
the D: drive, because the file cannot be launched directly from the C: root
directory.
6. If it still does not work, please proceed to suggestion 3 to reinstall
Windows Installer 3.1.

Suggestion 3: Reinstall Windows Installer 3.1
==================================
1. Press Start and choose Run.
2. Type in “cmd� (without quotation marks) and press OK.
3. In the command line, type in the following command and press Enter:
MSIexec /unregister
4. Then, type in the following command and press Enter:
MSIexec /regserver
After finishing the above steps, please check the result again. If the issue
persists, please click Start, click Control Panel, and click Add/Remove
Programs to check if Windows Installer 3.1 has been installed. If it has,
please highlight and remove it. After that, please reinstall Windows
Installer 3.1 from the following link.
Windows Installer 3.1 Redistributable (v2)


"SCastano" wrote:

> at first I was able to download almost all updates, but they'd all fail
> install (Windows XP Pro)..... now I can't download or install anything, and
> even when I download the reddistributable package for windows installer 3.1,
> while unpacked it gives a "the system cannot find the file specified" error
> and bails....
>
> anyone have any ideas??
>
>