Updates fail, no record

I have just been looking at a WinXP Home SP2 laptop which has not been on
The Internet until today. I went to the Windows Update, from Internet
Explorer 6 Tools menu, and asked for available updates.
Windows Update required installing the validation component, so I told it to
go ahead.
After downloading and attempting to install the validation component, the
report told me that update had failed and to look in the update history for
further information.
Low and behold, no entry for a failed update, or a successful one either.
Repeated the process to no avail.
Went to Microsoft Downloads, found the download link for Windows Defender
and told it to go ahead and validate Windows. This worked. (Stopped short of
downloading Windows Defender at this point).
Went back to the update and this time proceeded to find all the critical
updates. Downloaded them, and failed to install everything. Once again, no
information in the update history.
Any clues?
Thanks
Dave

Here's how to find the update info -
Go to Start > Run > type in

%windir%\windowsupdate.log

Click OK

Start at the bottom of the log for the most recent entries:

How to read the Windowsupdate.log file
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093

> Example of a common failure
> First search for the key word "FATAL":


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


Dave Bolt wrote:

> I have just been looking at a WinXP Home SP2 laptop which has not been on
> The Internet until today. I went to the Windows Update, from Internet
> Explorer 6 Tools menu, and asked for available updates.
> Windows Update required installing the validation component, so I told it to
> go ahead.
> After downloading and attempting to install the validation component, the
> report told me that update had failed and to look in the update history for
> further information.
> Low and behold, no entry for a failed update, or a successful one either.
> Repeated the process to no avail.
> Went to Microsoft Downloads, found the download link for Windows Defender
> and told it to go ahead and validate Windows. This worked. (Stopped short of
> downloading Windows Defender at this point).
> Went back to the update and this time proceeded to find all the critical
> updates. Downloaded them, and failed to install everything. Once again, no
> information in the update history.
> Any clues?
> Thanks
> Dave
>
>