error code

[Tom]

Why do I keep getting error code 0x80070424 when I try and do update? I use
windows xp and I can't get it to update.

[Shenan Stanley]

Tom wrote:
> Why do I keep getting error code 0x80070424 when I try and do
> update? I use windows xp and I can't get it to update.

What operating system?
What service pack level?

Start button --> RUN --> type in:
winver
--> Click OK.

The picture at the top of the window that opens will give you the general
(Operating System name) while the line starting with the word "version" will
give you the rest of the story. Post both in response to this message
verbatim. ;-)

Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan (separately) with the
following two applications (freeware versions are the ones to use for this):

SuperAntiSpyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/

MalwareBytes
http://www.malwarebytes.com/

After performing a full scan with one and then the other and removing
whatever they both find completely, you may uninstall these products,
if you wish.

Reboot.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemRoot%\system32\net stop wuauserv
--> Click OK.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemRoot%\system32\regsvr32 %SystemRoot%\system32\wups2.dll
--> Click OK.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemRoot%\system32\net start wuauserv
--> Click OK.

Download the latest version of the Windows Update agent from here (x86):
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=91237
... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root
of the C:\ drive, do the following:

Close all Internet Explorer windows and other applications.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemDrive%\windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe /WUFORCE
--> Click OK.

(If asked, select "Run.) --> Click on NEXT --> Select "I agree" and click on
NEXT --> When it finishes installing, click on "Finish"...

Reboot.

Download/Install the latest Windows Installer (for your OS):
( Windows XP 32-bit : WindowsXP-KB942288-v3-x86.exe )
http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=5A58B56F-60B6-4412-95B9-54D056D6F9F4&displaylang=en

Reboot.

Log on as an user with administrative rights and open Internet Explorer and
visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and select to do a CUSTOM scan...
(Every time you are about to click on something while at these web pages -
first press and hold down the CTRL key while you click on it. You can
release the CTRL key after clicking each time.)

Once the scan is done, select just _ONE_ of the high priority updates
(deselect any others) and install it.

Reboot again.

If it did work - try the web page again - selecting no more than 3-5 at a
time.

The Optional Software updates are generally safe - although I recommend
against the "Windows Search" one. I would completely avoid the Optional
Hardware updates.

Come back - let us know if that worked.
... Really - come back and let everyone know if that worked.

If it seemed to have failed, do this:

Check the staus of these two services:
- Automatic Updates
- Background Intelligent Transfer Service

Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK. In the list of
services, find those two, right click on them one at a time and choose
properties. In the Startup type list, what is each of them set to?

Report that here.

Then:

Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type: %windir%\windowsupdate.log
and then click OK.

Scroll down towards the bottom for the latest entries to locate any error
code(s) or explanation as to why the page cannot be displayed.

You can copy/paste the last 50 or so lines here...

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

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

[TaurArian]

Error message when you use Windows Update or Microsoft Update Web sites to
install updates: 0x80070424
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968002/

and/or

Click Start, select run, type: regsvr32 wuaueng.dll
click okay (works for Vista)

Always state your operating system including SP level as it really does
help.
--

TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Services
http://taurarian.mvps.org
======================================
Disclaimer: The information has been posted "as is" with no warranties or
guarantees and doesn't give any rights.

"Tom" <T...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CFE70889-D4EF-4ADA...@microsoft.com...

[Tom]

Windows XP Media Center Edition
version 5.1 (build 2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.080814-1236 : Service Pack 3)

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> .... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root

> .... Really - come back and let everyone know if that worked.

[MowGreen]

Just in case you didn't see all the replies to your post due to the use
of a web-based newsreader, check out Taurarian's answer from 4/23:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Error message when you use Windows Update or Microsoft Update Web sites to
install updates: 0x80070424
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968002/

and/or

Click Start, select run, type: regsvr32 wuaueng.dll
click okay (works for Vista)

Always state your operating system including SP level as it really does
help.
-- TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Services
http://taurarian.mvps.org
======================================
Disclaimer: The information has been posted "as is" with no warranties
or guarantees and doesn't give any rights.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HTH,

MowGreen
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

[Tom]

It worked. I have been able to install updates since I used your
instructions. Thank you. My next problem is I can't defragment because I
dont have enough free space on my hard drive. I have used disk cleanup and
removed some programs but I'm still at only 10% free space and it tells me I
need 15%. Any recommendations? Thanks.

Tom

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> .... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root

> .... Really - come back and let everyone know if that worked.

[Shenan Stanley]

Tom wrote:
> It worked. I have been able to install updates since I used your
> instructions. Thank you. My next problem is I can't defragment
> because I dont have enough free space on my hard drive. I have
> used disk cleanup and removed some programs but I'm still at only
> 10% free space and it tells me I need 15%. Any recommendations?

If you want ways to free up space:

If you are comfortable with the stability of your system, you can delete the
uninstall files for the patches that Windows XP has installed...
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm
( Particularly of interest here - #4 )
( Alternative: http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm )

You can run Disk Cleanup - built into Windows XP - to erase all but your
latest restore point and cleanup even more "loose files"..

How to use Disk Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312

You can turn off hibernation if it is on and you don't use it..

When you hibernate your computer, Windows saves the contents of the system's
memory to the hiberfil.sys file. As a result, the size of the hiberfil.sys
file will always equal the amount of physical memory in your system. If you
don't use the hibernate feature and want to recapture the space that Windows
uses for the hiberfil.sys file, perform the following steps:

- Start the Control Panel Power Options applet (go to Start, Settings,
Control Panel, and click Power Options).
- Select the Hibernate tab, clear the "Enable hibernation" check box, then
click OK; although you might think otherwise, selecting Never under the
"System hibernates" option on the Power Schemes tab doesn't delete the
hiberfil.sys file.
- Windows will remove the "System hibernates" option from the Power Schemes
tab and delete the hiberfil.sys file.

You can control how much space your System Restore can use...

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the System Restore tab.
3. Highlight one of your drives (or C: if you only have one) and click on
the "Settings" button.
4. Change the percentage of disk space you wish to allow.. I suggest moving
the slider until you have just about 1GB (1024MB or close to that...)
5. Click OK.. Then Click OK again.

You can control how much space your Temporary Internet Files can utilize...

Empty your Temporary Internet Files and shrink the size it stores to a
size between 64MB and 128MB..

- Open ONE copy of Internet Explorer.
- Select TOOLS -> Internet Options.
- Under the General tab in the "Temporary Internet Files" section, do the
following:
- Click on "Delete Cookies" (click OK)
- Click on "Settings" and change the "Amount of disk space to use:" to
something between 64MB and 128MB. (It may be MUCH larger right
now.)
- Click OK.
- Click on "Delete Files" and select to "Delete all offline contents"
(the checkbox) and click OK. (If you had a LOT, this could take 2-10
minutes or more.)
- Once it is done, click OK, close Internet Explorer, re-open Internet
Explorer.

You can use an application that scans your system for log files and
temporary files and use that to get rid of those:

Ccleaner (Free!)
http://www.ccleaner.com/

Other ways to free up space..

SequoiaView
http://www.win.tue.nl/sequoiaview/

JDiskReport
http://www.jgoodies.com/freeware/jdiskreport/index.html

Those can help you visually discover where all the space is being used.

In the end - a standard Windows XP installation with all sorts of extras
will not likely be above about 4.5GB to 9GB in size. If you have more space
than that (likely do on a modern machine) and most of it seems to be used -
likely you need to copy *your stuff* off and/or find a better way to manage
it.

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

How to reclaim disk space on a Windows XP-based computer that has a hard
disk capacity of 4 GB or less:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956324

PS: We still don't know your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3).
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002