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Reinstall Windows Update

Last modified: 2012-04-12 11:41:11 EEST

The "joys" of Automatic Updates/Microsoft Update in Windows XP and Windows Update in Windows Vista/7 not working are numerous. This might end with not receiving or not being able to install updates, or in worse cases, endless reboot cycles in Windows Vista or 7.

First, check if you have enough free disk space (at least 1 gigabyte) on your hard drive. If not, read the Remove temporary files article on how to get rid of unnecessary files with CCleaner.

Luckily there is a small program for quickly fixing Windows Update problems - Microsoft's own Fix It tool. The tool works in Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. You can also run it in Safe Mode with Networking, although it will then tell you that problems were not fixed.

Downloading Microsoft Fix It tool

Open Microsoft's How do I reset Windows Update components page.
If the following dialog pops up on the web page, click Run now - this is not an effective way of repairing Windows Update.

If the pop-up does not appear, click the Fix it button.

Using Microsoft Fix It tool to fix Windows Update components

After downloading and launching, Microsoft Fix It installation will start. Click Accept.

Click Detect problems and apply the fixes for me (Recommended).

The Fix It tool will then create a System Restore Point, download Windows Update components and run fixes. This usually takes a few minutes only. Click Next after the process is complete.
Please note that in Safe Mode the Fix status column will always state "Not fixed" because Automatic Updates service cannot be started.

After this, you can test if Windows Update works correctly. Closing the Fix It tool is optional.
If you want to give feedback to Microsoft, choose an option in Did this fix your problem screen and click Next.

Finally, click Close in the Thank you screen.

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