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Question

Tried to install SP1, didn't work and now I can't update

Dec 18, 2014 4:31PM PST

I have been at this for 5 days because a job that requires me to have IE10. Anyway, in order to get IE10 I needed to install Service Pack 1 on my Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit and that is when this all started. The update was showing up under past updates once I "installed" it, yet when I look under the system information and other areas it doesn't show up at all. I also started getting error code 80072EFE, which led to other problems, and sometimes it switches to 80080005 (current error) and back again. I know for sure that the issue is the download because I got it to work again somehow, no clue, and when I tried again it happened. Both times the download happened so late while I was asleep that I didn't see if any error came up and the laptop was off by the time I was awake.

I have been going back and forth on one forum, but this is taking way too long because the job emailed me on Sunday to start testing and it is now Friday. I have tried various solution. So far I have done, for what I remember, the Kaspersky solution, virus/malware scans, checking time/date, firewall check, removing downloads from SoftwareDistribution folder, system restore (doesn't work properly cause of update error), checking connection, hot fix install, Windows Update Diagnostic run, and that is about all I remember running. Windows Update Diagnostic even tells me that the error is "Problems installing recent updates" and when the 80080005 shows up it gives that one also as one of the "Not fixed" issues. I feel like the solution would be to remove any pieces of the updates that didn't work as possible so that it gives me the "Windows Update needs to be updated" message I got yesterday allowing me to retry the install. I figure maybe a manual install after doing that will get it to work.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Suggestion.
Dec 18, 2014 4:46PM PST

1. Back to factory conditions. Just plain Windows 7 as it was originally.
2. Update to SP1 and all other security patches afterwards.
3. Install all your other software.
4. Restore your documents from your backup (don't forget to make one before you start with #1).

Since SP1 is more than 2 years ago already, it's a mystery why you didn't apply it earlier.

Kees

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No disc
Dec 18, 2014 5:22PM PST

Is there any way around this first? I don't have another hard drive to transfer all my stuff to nor the disc to reinstall Windows. How could I clear out all the messed up bits of the updates that didn't work and do it? Right now it is giving the 80080005 error instead of 80072EFE by the way.

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Re: no disc
Dec 18, 2014 5:39PM PST

No backup, no Windows disc and unsupported version of Windows (Windows 7 without SP1). That's a mess.

Surely the fastest solution is to find another PC (a second hand desktop or a cheap Windows 8 notebook) that already has IE 10 or IE 11.

If IE10 can be replaced by Google Chrome for the job, even a Chromebook might do.
And if IE10 can be replaced by Firefox for the job, just boot from a Linux Live disc to run that. Or install Linux on your PC (might even be possible with full functionality on a laptop) and stop using Windows.
But that's not clear from your post.

Kees

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IE10
Dec 18, 2014 6:07PM PST

It is necessary to use IE10 or I would gladly use Chrome. I don't have money to go out and get even the cheapest computer right now or anything apart from maybe a Win7 disc, but there is still the issue of having nowhere to load all my files, programs, and games on to. If I were to go out and get a disc with Win7 Ultimate with SP1, would it be possible to just upgrade without losing anything? Would these error messages stop me from being able to if it is by disc? Also, what about deleting those files that I mentioned? I really think if I can find the registry keys/files from the messed up download and remove the update done to Windows Update that I could get it back to where it was and hopefully install it properly this time. And I don't have Linux.

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Re: install
Dec 18, 2014 6:35PM PST

A clean install (if done right, without formatting) *should* leave all your data somewhere on the hard disk (partly in a windows.old directory), if there is enough free disk space.

Most of your installed programs must be reinstalled from the original media or the (latest) setup program downloaded, so it's not important if they get lost. You can save your own files to a 64 GB USB stick maybe, just for safety?
Why not ask Santa Claus if he can give you a nice external disk for backups?

Kees

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And ..
Dec 18, 2014 6:39PM PST

installing from a standard Windows disk might result in a system that's only partly functional (for example, USB and sound and WiFi don't work) unless you're sure that you have all necessary drivers from the makers site. It's kind of risky to do it.

Are you sure your laptop doesn't have a recovery partition to boot from to go back to factory settings? That's the common way to do such nowadays. There even are some makers that have kind of an intelligent recovery that only updates the OS and leaves all your data alone. There are no standards here, so you would have to find out in the user manual and on the makers site what is possible.

Kees

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Update
Dec 19, 2014 1:18AM PST

Well, I have no clue where that would be or if it is available since I had no clue that the person I got this from had also turned off updates. I have an update about the situation that I find odd. I did absolutely nothing to the computer from my last message until now because I was asleep, but now the error code is back to 80072EFE instead of the 80080005.

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Just for giggles I googled that
Dec 19, 2014 1:22AM PST
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Scan
Dec 19, 2014 5:42AM PST

I ran scans from Avast, Malwarebytes, Hijack This, TDSSKiller, CCleaner, and AdwCleaner. Avast, Malwarebytes, and TDSSKiller found nothing at all. CCleaner found some .msu "OpenWithList" file and another thing that it keeps finding is a System32 file called wuaucpl.cpl which I'm sure is Windows Update, and AdwCleaner found:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{1E9E0E98-4AB7-40B0-A0CE-69105C1B7C92}
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{AE805869-2E5C-4ED4-8F7B-F1F7851A4497}
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{1E9E0E98-4AB7-40B0-A0CE-69105C1B7C92}
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{AE805869-2E5C-4ED4-8F7B-F1F7851A4497}
MaintainerSvc4.52.864054

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If you are asking me what those are
Dec 19, 2014 5:46AM PST
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Yes there is an easy way
Dec 19, 2014 9:56AM PST

Install Virtual Box from Oracle, install the evaluation copy of Windows 10 from the ISO file microsoft provides, it's good till april 2015, it also has IE10 included in it. Maybe. I just looked and I have IE11 instead, but that might have been an upgrade after I put W10 on. You should have at least 4 GB of RAM to do this and share 2GB to W10. When you close the virtual box with W10 in it, all 4GB of RAM will be available again to the underlying W7 system.

Here are the settings that work.


Here's the IE in it.


Or you can install W10 to replace W7 now if you want with the evaluation copy, then buy it next year before Apr 2015 when it stops. There's two ways to do it. You back up all your personal data files, then do a clean install, or you carve out a partition from your windows 7 drive and then install W10 there in a dual boot. They should have something by then you can buy the system and enter the product key and upgrade the last evaluation build. I think the virtual system is easiest, least risky.

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Install
Dec 19, 2014 11:12AM PST

So this would essentially allow me to have both systems on my computer without either being affected by the other? Wouldn't Windows 10 be messed up since the whole Windows Update error? Also, I only have 2GB of RAM with 1.75 available for some reason. I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop so I'm not sure if I could upgrade RAM or how expensive that would be. Is it 4GB no matter what OS or could I do this same thing with Windows 8 as a temporary fix until I can get Windows 7 fixed?

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I lost an answer
Dec 19, 2014 1:43PM PST

I had a longer answer prepared and lost it. In short, you need 4GB of RAM to use virtualizationa nd the RMA you think is missing now is used for onboard video sharing.

I was looking around for something we use in Linux for IE, and found it, but those files wouldn't work in windows, but more searching and I found virtual IE hard drives which are used for testing web applications against browsers. They are complete working copies of IE various versions and can be directly placed into a virtual machine and used. If you can't get it installed any other way, you can give this a try.

https://www.modern.ie/en-us

https://www.modern.ie/en-us/virtualization-tools#downloads

Pick the one you want, the platform (windows for you), download. You can then use Virtual Box or Microsofts Virtual PC 2007 with it.

Basically you import them into the virtual machine and they are ready to run.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=3702&6B49FDFB-8E5B-4B07-BC31-15695C5A2143=1


Instructions

https://modernievirt.blob.core.windows.net/vhd/virtualmachine_instructions_2014-01-21.pdf

more info

http://blog.reybango.com/2013/02/04/making-internet-explorer-testing-easier-with-new-ie-vms/

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VPN
Dec 19, 2014 10:32PM PST

Would I be able to still make IE think that I am in another country by using the VPN I have (CyberGhost5) or is that not going to be possible?

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Depends
Dec 20, 2014 3:09AM PST

If you have access to a proxy server you can trust and allows what you want to do, then you could. People do use them for viewing video online that may be country blocked. I'm not familiar with that software, you can read it's operating manual and find out more probably. In past on occassion when I've used open and public proxy servers, some of the services allowed through them were limited. If you have a friend you trust and who trust you, he could install a proxy server for you to use, password protected of course.

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The underlying Windows 7 was 32 bit.
Dec 19, 2014 12:25PM PST

I've yet to see Virtual Box to access more than what the host OS can offer.
Bob

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But
Dec 19, 2014 10:40PM PST

Wouldn't it work anyway since Windows 10 would come with IE already installed? I mean I can't actually run it anyway since it requires 4GB of RAM and I have only 2GB. James did post another option for using IE that I will try if it allows me to use a VPN to make it seem like I am in another country. I need to do that for testing. Anyway, if this were to not work, do you know if I could put Windows 8 or 10 on a USB stick and use that for dual-booting? Or if I were to put Windows 7 SP1 on a USB could I upgrade without losing anything? I don't mean downloading the service pack and installing because I tried and it doesn't work, I mean doing it as if it were a disc. Or could I do a reinstall of Windows that wouldn't remove my programs but still bring functionality back?

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Re: USB stick
Dec 19, 2014 10:51PM PST

No, you can't install Windows on an external disk or a USB stick.
But with a $200 DVD you might be able to do a refresh or reset and get a working system.

Kees

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Temporary
Dec 19, 2014 11:34PM PST

But couldn't I get an ISO and do a 30 day trial while I work and can figure something out? I found a site with the ISO (not torrents) but they are trials until you put in your product key.

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the windows 10
Dec 20, 2014 3:20AM PST

is an ISO file and will install (burn to) and boot from a USB flashdrive, but you'd have to use one of the free special programs available to put it properly on that USB flashdrive. If you boot to the flashdrive instead of running virtual from a host system like W7, then your 2GB will be sufficient. It doesn't create a LIVE DVD or USB system like Linux install disc do. On Linux you can run the system from the DVD or USB, or install and run from the hard drive. What this will do is create an installation disc on the USB drive and you can then install it to a partition on your hard drive, which you have created by shrinking the W7 down in free space, creating a new partition from the space, and formatting it. When you install the windows 10 you need to follow the steps to create a dual boot with W7, then at startup you will have a choice of which system to run. This might be your best option.

How to Install Windows 10 To USB Flashdrive from ISO file.

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-install-windows-10-technical-preview-from-a-flash-drive/

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trial
Dec 20, 2014 4:33AM PST

A trial shouldn't need a product key to run.

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Re: iso
Dec 20, 2014 6:00AM PST

Depending on what iso, it could be used to make a multi-boot system, or to reset/refresh your current Windows 7 Ultimate. But you have to know what you do.

Kees

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You're wasting time trying to go the Win 10 route.
Dec 21, 2014 5:54AM PST

As I mentioned above, newer versions of Windows won't load older versions of MSIE. So even if you get Win 10, install it, etc., you won't be able to load IE 10 anyway -- the same as you can't load IE 10 onto Win 8.

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(NT) Again, why would I need to load 10?
Dec 21, 2014 5:57AM PST
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MSIE 110 won't run on any Windows version after Win 7
Dec 21, 2014 5:45AM PST

The different MSIE versions do check what version of Windows the user is trying to install on. Windows 8 won't load anything prior to MSIE 11. I can't say for certain, but there's no reason to believe Win 10 will let IE 10 install.

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Odd. MS IE 11 has other settings. Maybe you didn't know.
Dec 21, 2014 5:47AM PST
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IE9
Dec 21, 2014 10:15AM PST

I actually decided that for now I will keep it how it is an use IE9 because they originally sent me a file saying the requirements were IE9 to IE11 could be used, but then another email I was told IE10. If they say anything I will just have to format and update it but I don't want to unless I get the job. I also found out now that it is corrupted files, that I'm guessing are in the PendingRename file in Winsxs. Microsoft confirmed that the problem is corruption, they just wanted me to pay to have it fixed and I can't afford that right now.

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You don't have to do all this
Dec 20, 2014 12:26AM PST

If it were my computer, following these instructions would be a major pain in the butt that would last maybe two weeks before I got the thing running again the way I want it to.

A better option is just to call Microsoft Support. Because this is an installation/update issue, assistance will be freely provided. Their service is prompt and courteous -- you contact them, and they call you back within minutes.

They will have you install an app that lets them take remote control of your machine (get over your paranoia here -- they aren't interested in any of your data even if you've got pirated stuff up the wazoo). They will almost certainly be able to solve your problem within a half-hour or so with your entire configuration perfectly intact.

And let this be a lesson to you. Keep your O/S updated, and make sure your restore points are recent.

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Support
Dec 20, 2014 1:06AM PST

Do they offer chat support that is free too? I am not in the US at the time, which is why I need to know if I can use that Virtual Box version of IE10 with a VPN because the job needs the search results I do to be relevant to America.