The Widows update icon is chilling in the task bar. When I mouse over, it says "Windows cannot check for updates." When I open it and click "Check for Updates" it says the same thing, with "An error occured while checking for updates on your computer, Error(s) Found: Code 80070424. It's been that way since fall. I've had Avast since I got my computer for virus protection. Avast updated to a new engine (5.0 from 4.8) back in fall. On my netbook and desktop, it updated fine. On my laptop, which is considerably more high performance than the others, I went through the motions to update. I can update it, or I can install it, and either one works all the way through. When I try to run it, though, it says "blah blah blah application failed to start because the side by side configuration is incorrect." or some such. I looked online for each problem separately, and they seem to occur together in many cases. I just stared out the window and forgot where I was. I've checked things I've been told to check, and they checked out as they're supposed to. One of the major suggestions is to update the latest C++ from Microsoft. I did that. Downloaded it, ran it, everything, but I always get the same error for THAT. 1935. And I believe I see the damn 80070424 somewhere for that one too. WHAT. IS. HAPPENING. Suggestions? Surely you chaps can help me before I pay someone too much for a simple fix... Any information, even, is appreciated, as to why this could happen. My girlfriend unplugged my laptop once when it was updating, and it died mid-update and never finished that one. Seems logical enough of a cause (not to blame her or anything). No other detection program, SuperAntiSpyware, Malwarebytes, or Seach & Destroy found anything wrong. Please help, before my innocent P6860FX is found at the scene of an "accident" or something. Once more, or tl;dr - Gateway P6860FX laptop @ Vista x64 Windows can't update, 80070424. Avast: side by side incorrect. Can't even install AVG or anything else. C++ = 1935 error.
Try the windows update option in ie, it works differently to the normal windows update so it could work. Then hope that if it did work it installed a patch for your prob.
Vista can't do Windows Update in IE, it just directs you to the WU control panel. rtfp As to your problem... quick solution: Vista sucks ass, upgrade to Windows 7. "Might fix it" solution: remove the SoftwareDistribution folder* in C:\Windows, reboot, and scan for updates. Failing that, run the System Update Readiness Tool here: Description of the System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista, for Windows Server 2008, for Windows 7, and for Windows Server 2008 R2 (go to method 2 and download your appropriate version). Then re-check for updates. * - SoftwareDistribution is a semi-temporary folder that contains all the information about downloaded and applied updates, holds the "temporary" downloaded files (should be temporary but Windows never cleans-up that folder), and all sorts of other fun shit. If you delete it, it'll just get rebuilt the next time WU checks for updates.
The first suggestion didn't do anything. Second poster, when I try to delete that folder, it says that the action can't be completed because the folder is open in another program.
Reboot. While it's rebooting (at the very first screens) keep hitting F8 on the keyboard until it beeps at you. When you get to the Windows boot option menu, choose Safe Mode and press Enter. Once Windows loads try deleting the folder again.
Safe mode, deleted that folder, rebooted, Windows still can't find updates. The only difference now is that it doesn't show when my last update was. I tried the link, too. Downloaded it and opened it, but the dialog box did the same thing twice. Initializing installation...done! Installing Hotfix for Windows (KB947821) (update 1 of 1)... And that's where it stops. The loading bar hasn't moved and nothing has happened for a while. I've looked all over the internet before knowing there was a section for this kind of matter on GC, and I'm confident you chaps can help me! Any other ideas? The Windows recommend fix was to go to the Background Intelligence Transfer Service and make sure everything was "started." It was. Windows didn't suggest I do anything else if that didn't work.
Well, checked back on it after forgetting about it and it said installation complete. Restarted laptop. Went to Windows Update...search for updates... Same thing it's said this whole time. Can't find them, 80070424.
Yeah, that tool takes a long time to run, up to 2 hours I think. Well, in that case, no MBAM scan results, no effect from update readiness tool, no effect from deleting SoftwareDistribution... meh, not worth the hassle. Run Windows Easy Transfer, back your shit up to an external drive, nuke the fucker, Easy Transfer back. That's what I'd do.
Surely it's not come to that! I might laze around and pretend nothing is wrong with it for a while, or perhaps keep trying fixes, before I pull a Truman.