Windows automatic update fix Win XP

This is the solution to something that had been bothering me for some time now.

Here is the deal, you have just done a reinstall of Windows XP over the top of your existing install to fix whatever problem might be bugging you at the time (there are many names for this procedure, maintenance install, overlay install, dirty install, etc) and as if by magic all seems to be working just peachy until you hit that all important Windows Update button. The system springs into life frantically downloading update after update, listing them of one by one as if we are supposed to know or care what they do. Finally it starts installing them and as you wait with baited breath to find out if all your hard work has paid off, the computer reaches out its proverbial hand and politely slaps you across the face with an error message stating that it can’t install any of the updates.

Well stress no more because here is the answer.

Disclaimer: Please be careful, I have used this fix a lot and never had a problem but that doesn’t mean you won’t, I offer no warranty or guarantee on this fix. Use at your own risk if something goes wrong please feel free contact me, I will help if I can but I will not be held responsible for any mishaps or damage that this procedure may cause.

Ok so here we go.

Click the start menu and select ‘RUN’
At the command prompt type ‘net stop wuauserv’ and press enter
After the service has stopped type ‘regsvr32 %windir%\system32\wups2.dll’ and press enter
A dialog box will popup saying that the file has been successfully registered, click ‘OK’ to close the box
Back at the command prompt type ‘net start wuauserv’ and press enter
You should get a message saying the service has started again
Close the command window and restart the computer
Run windows update

If all went well the updates should all take and you can stop holding your breath.

If you don’t like all that typing, download the file below, extract its contents, (it’s a rar file, you will need winrar or something similar) and run it. This will do everything listed above. Don’t forget to restart the computer after you have run the file.

Good luck