Updates KB821557 & KB839645 keep failing to install.

For the past few days, Windows update keeps telling me to
install these two security updates it has downloaded for
me (KB821557 and KB839645). However, it always fails
during the first update. I've tried installing the second
one first, but I get the same error. Help.

"Initializing installation... done!
Installing Security Update for Windows XP (KB821557)
(update 1 of 2)... failed!
Installing Security Update for Windows XP (KB839645)
(update 2 of 2)... "

After this, the update bar idles at halfway for a minute,
then I'm told that "Updates were unable to be successfully
installed."

I might know what you are talking about. Have you, or anyone else altered or
modified the service configurations in windows xp? If so you might have
turned off the "Cryptographic Services" and windows update does not always
like that. So if you did change it, change it back and if you don't know
email me at

"Steve" wrote:

> For the past few days, Windows update keeps telling me to
> install these two security updates it has downloaded for
> me (KB821557 and KB839645). However, it always fails
> during the first update. I've tried installing the second
> one first, but I get the same error. Help.
>
> "Initializing installation... done!
> Installing Security Update for Windows XP (KB821557)
> (update 1 of 2)... failed!
> Installing Security Update for Windows XP (KB839645)
> (update 2 of 2)... "
>
> After this, the update bar idles at halfway for a minute,
> then I'm told that "Updates were unable to be successfully
> installed."
>