Comments for What is Error 8000FFFF when I try to install a Windows Vista Update?

Comment from omar on 2009-09-10

2009-09-10T10:05:14Z

Hi!
i reinstalled vista and when i tried to update windows i got that error message.
previously i had reinstalled the antivirus and updated it but i didn't scan the computer which was telling me that i should run a complete scan. that's what i did and ... i don't if that's the problem, but it worked: i managed to download and install the vista updates.
Regards.
so i tried that

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Comment from Emily on 2009-06-21

2009-06-22T02:12:18Z

I tried following the directions from the website left here, and I got up to Step 8 which says this: In the Save in box, click Desktop, and then click Save to save the file to your desktop.
I did that, but step 9 is this: "In the details pane, right-click PendingXmlIdentifier, and then click Delete. If this value does not exist, go to the next step." I have no clue what the details pane is! Can someone please help me? Thanks. :)

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Comment from Rachael on 2009-05-28

2009-05-28T17:07:21Z

okay so i have read just about everything that comes to this error 8000ffff. i found this website and it fixed the problem for me cause i had a HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\COMPONENTS\AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving porblem.
now its all fixed thanks so much everyone...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946414#Fixed

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Comment from Paul on 2009-05-25

2009-05-26T03:20:00Z

I have a Dell with 6 GB RAM and also have this problem. Where can I find "Wendy's" solution? Is it usable for a techno-dunce like me?

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Comment from Alex on 2009-05-22

2009-05-22T21:58:14Z

You have 32-bit Vista installed.
32-bit operating systems can address a maximum of 3.25 GB of system RAM.

I'd recommend installing SP1 as well. Then your first problem will be resolved. SP1 will display your 4 GB of RAM as well.. but you'll never be able to access more than 3.25 GB. It's mathematically impossible for a 32-bit system to do so.

- Alex

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Comment from AchAttacK4 on 2009-05-18

2009-05-18T12:22:31Z

I have this error to my SONY Vaio NR-31E with Vista Home Premium and tried your solution. I deleted the files from regedit to the hard drive after extracting the whole detail's pane to my desktop and restarted my computer. Same problem appears

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Comment from Kim W. on 2009-05-16

2009-05-16T19:26:20Z

I am NOT a computer guru AT ALL and I was a little hesitant about doing the things Wendy suggested, but took the chance and IT WORKED!!! Thank you Wendy!!! I've been dealing with this issue for over a year and finally took the time to mess around with it before taking it to a computer store for a diagnosis. It ended up installing over 50 updates! Thanks, again!!!

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Comment from kevin on 2009-05-01

2009-05-01T19:11:32Z

sorry forgot to give H. Saalas the credit for the solution

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Comment from kevin on 2009-05-01

2009-05-01T19:08:17Z

Itried various approaches on a clients Acer Laptop (3 gb of ram), none had worked. The fix for me was to delete the registry key, HKLM\Components /v AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving, referenced above.

this worked for me - thanks

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Comment from Kyle on 2009-04-18

2009-04-18T14:08:50Z

Wendy's didnt work for me, what did i do wrong? i followed every step. please help.

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Comment from tom on 2009-04-16

2009-04-17T01:25:28Z

i have the same problem but on an XP, would you know how to solve this problem as well?

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Comment from Kareem on 2009-04-13

2009-04-13T15:38:41Z

Follow Wendy's directions and you will be set! THANK YOU!!! I ALMOST WASTED $30 BUCKS ON A PROGRAM SAYING THAT IT WOULD FIX THIS!!!

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Comment from Gerry Thorpe on 2009-04-03

2009-04-03T07:57:24Z

Hi, I am recently upgraded from Windows Professional to Vista Ultimate (wishful thinking with the name!) on an IBM T30 laptop with 1gb of memory (when I can get the machine to recognise it!) and have been experiencing the '8000FFFF' problem. I have made the changes suggested and am currently downloading 47 updates!... so thanks ... fingers crossed.

As a 'veteran' of computers, I am willing to bet that this is a memory addressing problem, hence the 'ffff's rather than a meaningful error code. But no matter...that's something for the younger 'anoraks' to debate. The downloads are happening as we speak.

One question I have is what is the effect of the changes I have made to the registry, i.e. is there a downside, or do I need to re-apply the deleted lines at some point?

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Comment from patricia hannafin on 2009-03-30

2009-03-30T15:40:43Z

I HAVE A HP G6000, FROM NEW JUST OVER A YEAR AGO NOW. I HAVE HAD THE SAME TROUBLE AS ABOVE, WITH THE SAME ERROR 8000FFFF. I HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT NOTHING WORKS, THIS IS DRIVING ME NUTS!. MICROSOFT DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY INTEREST IN THIS. I WILL KEEP LOOKING IN THE NET TO SEE IF THERE IS A SOLUTION TO ALL THIS - I WILL NOT HOLD MY BREATH!.

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Comment from Edgardo Garcia on 2009-03-18

2009-03-19T02:08:26Z

Thanks !!!

The Wendy's instructions works 100 percent and fix my Acer laptop with Vista .

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Comment from Wendy on 2009-03-18

2009-03-18T07:27:29Z

1. Click Start
Collapse this imageExpand this image
Start button
.
2. In the Start Search box, type regedit.
3. In the Programs list, click Regedit.exe.

Collapse this imageExpand this image
User Account Control permission
If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or click Continue.
4. Find and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\COMPONENTS
5. Right-click COMPONENTS.
6. Click Export.
7. In the File Name box, type COMPONENTS.
8. In the Save in box, click Desktop, and then click Save to save the file to your desktop.
9. In the details pane, right-click PendingXmlIdentifier, and then click Delete. If this value does not exist, go to the next step.
10. In the details pane, right-click NextQueueEntryIndex, and then click Delete. If this value does not exist, go to the next step.
11. In the details pane, right-click AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving, and then click Delete. If this value does not exist, go to the next step.
12. Restart the computer.

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Comment from sonny s. on 2009-03-12

2009-03-12T14:45:41Z

I have a Dell laptop with the same 8000FFF problem and not knowing how to fix computers what can I do now?

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Comment from H Slaas on 2009-03-06

2009-03-07T03:03:39Z

What do you folks suggest we do with a Vista Home laptop, 2 gB RAM and WU error 8000ffff when there is NO registry entry in COMPONENTS id'ed with AdvanceInstallerNeedResolving????

Give me XP Pro anyday. Still I'd like to see some more ideas from you guys if you're willing to share, please.

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Comment from jarty on 2009-02-25

2009-02-25T21:45:49Z

Itried various approaches on a clients Acer Laptop (3 gb of ram), none had worked. The fix for me was to delete the registry key, HKLM\Components /v AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving, referenced above.

Thanks all!

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Comment from Bryanb229 on 2009-01-12

2009-01-12T21:29:41Z

i have the same problem with 8000ffff and it is with an ACER, not Dell. This Vista is driving me crazy with its quirks and downright inconveniences when it decides what it will do correctly and what it does not.

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Comment from dan on 2009-01-11

2009-01-11T14:59:31Z

It's not just dell, I have a home made computer with 4 gigs, however in system properties it does report that I have 4 gigs of ram, I guess this is a 4 gig of ram issue?

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Comment from Dizz-E on 2009-01-04

2009-01-04T13:40:43Z

You don't have 3.3 GB RAM. If you take your 3326 MB and devide it by 1024, you'll see that you only have 3.248 GB of RAM. Also, you can't run 4 GB on Windows 32 bit system. You'll need 64 bit to use all 4 GB.

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Comment from james on 2008-12-25

2008-12-26T06:39:06Z

this prompt worked immediately, THANKS!

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Comment from Nick Ogbourne on 2008-12-25

2008-12-25T19:26:36Z

Thanks for that.
uninstalled the update. After the uninstall was complete, Vista prompted me to reboot so I did. When it came back up, I reinstalled the .msu file and this time it succeeded.
Spot on solution Vista Premium 4 GB. I didn't get the error on the machine (Dell XP420 desktop) as received but it cropped up after a rebuild.

Thanks

Nick

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Comment from Anonymous on 2008-12-25

2008-12-25T15:25:05Z

Deleting "HKLM\Components /v AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving" worked for me.

I had a backup of multiple updates (39 MB worth) that installed without a hitch following the above delete. FYI - I have a 1 year old HP Compaq laptop running Vista Home Premium with 2 gig of RAM.

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Comment from McCann on 2008-12-19

2008-12-19T18:40:52Z

worst os ever!!!!!!!!

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Comment from Dan Rap on 2008-12-01

2008-12-02T00:23:27Z

The command
reg delete HKLM\Components /v AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving

works for me too i have a vista laptop with 1gb ram. if dont have 4gb ram and your getting this error just by random and not because you changed hardware try this first. it fixed mine fast.

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Comment from petrus on 2008-11-21

2008-11-21T23:46:43Z

Update Agent error codes :

http://pierrechauvin.free.fr/windows-update-error-code/wua.html

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Comment from Antirealist on 2008-11-20

2008-11-20T18:48:41Z

For some reason when I try to uninstall KB929777 it won't allow me. I get a message saying that the program was not uninstalled. Is there some way around this, so that I can uninstall the update?

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Comment from Raptor on 2008-11-08

2008-11-08T19:49:30Z

from whatever i read this far, its seems all us who are facing this problem have one thing in common - we all have Dell laptops with pre-installed Vista.
so someone might wanna consider the possibility that the problem might be with Dell's hardware configurations itself and not with Vista.

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Comment from chris on 2008-11-05

2008-11-05T23:21:32Z

ive got a gateway 3gig with the same problems.i guess that im stuck with a error code 8000ffff .can only tell u that mac is looking better and better to me.why should i have to pay to fix something new and they know about it.
my next comp will be mac.

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Comment from Ben on 2008-10-07

2008-10-07T16:15:50Z

Microsoft has one solution to this problem at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946414/en-us. This link shows the symptoms, cause, resolution and procedures for editing the Windows registry. Follow the procedures as closely as possible when you get to the 'Components' step. In my Vista they looked a little different.

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Comment from Fastfreddie1959 on 2008-09-09

2008-09-10T04:34:40Z

This worked for me...
reg delete HKLM\Components /v AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving
To execute this commend you need to click on Start. Then type cmd. When you see the Command application, right click on it and Run as Admin.
Type in the command that's posted above and that should fix the issue.
Posted from another blog.
http://blogs.technet.com/kailash/archive/2007/09/20/windows-vista-autoupdate-error-8000ffff.aspx

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Comment from Paul on 2008-09-07

2008-09-08T02:33:55Z

What worked for lots of others worked for me too. I'm on a Dell Latitude D830 with Vista Ultimate and 4GB of RAM. I downloaded the install file from Microsoft's website (Windows6.0-KB929777-v2-x86.msu) and tried to install it manually. The install failed. I went to Control Panel > Programs and Features > View Installed Updates and uninstalled the update. After the uninstall was complete, Vista prompted me to reboot so I did. When it came back up, I reinstalled the .msu file and this time it succeeded. Horray for the internet.

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Comment from Z on 2008-09-03

2008-09-04T03:55:27Z

have a look at this:

http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=556997&SiteID=17

it solved my problem:

1: Open up "Control Panel" and navigate your way to "Programs and Features".

2: Click "View installed updates" on the left hand side.

3: Find the update KB929777 and uninstall it.

4: Attempt to install the update again in Windows Update

5: Once successful, restart your PC.

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Comment from mobot on 2008-08-22

2008-08-22T19:58:34Z

I also just updated my Dell (dimension E521) to 4 gig and instantly started getting the error messages. I've just removed 2 gigs and am attempting the update... Update appears to have worked. This is insane. The best part of this 8000ffff error is that if you search the Microsoft Knowledge base it will autofill the search bar as you type out the error number but there's no information on the actual error code. F You Microsoft and your stupid buggy OS!

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Comment from Chris on 2008-08-19

2008-08-20T04:40:48Z

I just updated my Dell XPS M1710 to 4gig of ram and now I have the same problem. I have never had this problem till I updated the ram.

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Comment from Marc Liron MVP on 2008-07-28

2008-07-28T12:20:44Z

...I also have an article posted here on this error:

http://www.instantvista.com/8000ffff.html

Regards

Marc Liron - Microsoft MVP

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Comment from Grant Porter on 2008-07-12

2008-07-13T01:24:16Z

My PC came with Vista installed and only 1 Gig of memory. Cant get of rid of the error either.

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Comment from buck on 2008-07-09

2008-07-09T16:45:53Z

ALL 32 bit Os's can only address 4gig of memory max, considering other devices in your pc use memory addressing to you wont see all 4gigs unless you go to a 64 bit os. So its not something that microsoft can 'fix', its simply how computers work, so you might want to edit that part of the page, its noobish.

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Comment from GiMorale on 2008-07-02

2008-07-03T00:08:20Z

I have 4Gigs and I'm having this problem.

I just bought my dell 1720 and ran into so many problems with Vista that I tried installing XP. I got it on my computer but there was no way to download all the drivers it needed. I couldn't even connect to the internet. It was a mess, I had to a call Dell tech, because I'm a total Noob, and they can only help me putting back Vista. Which leaves me here, trying to fix this update problem.

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Comment from NTT3 on 2008-06-12

2008-06-13T00:19:59Z

We understand 32 bit memory addressing. The issue is the error messages, interruptions, and hassle.

DOS is such a pathetic OS. Oh, did I say DOS? All the "window" dressing in the world won't make Windows a useful OS because of the hoops it has to jump through to manage memory.

I'd buy a Mac if I could justify the cost.

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Comment from Mike Fritz on 2008-06-09

2008-06-09T20:27:49Z

4 GB of memmory will only show up if using a 64bit OS....32Bit OS's can't see all of the memorry.

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Comment from Marc on 2008-06-03

2008-06-03T17:29:53Z

None of these solutions work. I've tried them all and the update KB929777 still fails. I've tried Stopping services like windows firewall, defender, and update service. Then manually downloading the patch from MS and it fails. I've renamed the SoftwareDistribution folder and letting the update service recreate it. Fails to install. I've checked those registry keys. They don't exist.

I believe this is related to having 3 or more GB of memory. The Dell XPS Laptop I'm trying to update has 4GB RAM and shows 3.5GB. All I want is to exclude it so that I can image this thing and drop on about 10 similar systems. How Microsoft can release such a problem with no solution is beyond me. And I've spent hours reading solutions posted all over, and none work!

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Comment from perris on 2008-04-16

2008-04-17T01:20:11Z

for those suggesting solutions with the command pront running as administrator, for future referance please use the following instructions

windows key+r to bring up run, type in cmd and instead of hitting enter alone hit control+shift+enter

cmd as administrator which you will verify in the title bar

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Comment from perris on 2008-04-16

2008-04-17T01:14:20Z

it's not that you have 4 gigs of memory, I have two gigs and get the same error

my guess is another update is still downloading or vista thinks it's still downloading and windows won't search for future updates until the one that download is resolved

further, I am guessing again this is a windows defender update problem

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Comment from tweeza pizza on 2008-03-22

2008-03-22T20:21:01Z

I have had the same error since August 2007 when running Windows Update. I submitted an email with the Window Update log attached via Microsoft online support.Microsoft support responded with an email detailing two suggestions for fixing the problem. It worked for me. Please see below for detai:

After checking the Windows Update log which was attached when submitting the case, I found the error code 0x8000FFFF.

This issue can be caused by one of the following factors:

1. Corrupted Windows Update Temporary folder

2. Some registry keys are corrupt.

In order to narrow down the cause of this issue and resolve it, please refer to the following steps. After completing each step, please check the result again on the Windows Update website.

NOTE: Some third party programs can affect the Windows Update service. If you are running any third party applications such as Spyblocker, Internet or web accelerators, programs designed to boost the speed of the Internet connection, security or anti-virus programs (Norton, McAfee, etc.) I recommend we temporarily disable or shut them down and then try accessing Windows Update later. Please understand that we are disabling these programs only for the purpose of troubleshooting and we can re-enable them after we finish troubleshooting.

Suggestion 1: Rename the Windows Update Softwaredistribution folder

=====================================================

This problem may occur if the Windows Update Software distribution folder has been corrupted. We can refer to the following steps to rename this folder. Please note that the folder will be re-created the next time we visit the Windows Update site.

1. Close all the open windows.

2. Click the "Start" Button, click "All programs", and click "Accessories".

3. Right-click "Command Prompt" and click "Run as administrator".

4. In "Administrator: Command Prompt" window, type in "net stop WuAuServ" (without the quotes) and press Enter.

Note: Please look at the cmd window and make sure it says that it was successfully stopped before renaming the folder. However, if it fails, please let me know before performing any further steps and include any error messages you may have received.

5. Click the "Start" Button, in the "Start Search" box, type in "%windir%" (without the quotes) and press Enter.

6. In the opened folder, look for the folder named "SoftwareDistribution".

7. Right-click on the folder, select Rename and type "SDold" (without the quotes) to rename this folder.

8. While still in the "Administrator: Command Prompt" window, type the command "net start WuAuServ" (without the quotes) in the opened window to restart the Windows Updates service.

Note: Please look at the cmd window and make sure it says that it was successfully started. However, if it failed, please let me know before performing any further steps and include any error messages you may have received.

After that, let's access the Windows Update website to check if we are able to get updates this time. If not, let's proceed to Suggestion 2.

Suggestion 2: Remove the incorrect COMPONENTS key

=========================================

Before we go any further, let's backup the registry key first.

1. Click "Start", type REGEDIT in the Start Search bar and press Enter.

2. Select "My Computer" (the root node) on the left pane, under the "File" menu, click "Export", under Export, choose "All Export" range, and select "Desktop" in the Save in box and type "backup" as the File Name. Click "Save".

Please Note: If any unexpected issue happens, we can restore the registry key simply by double-clicking the backup.reg file.

3. Still in "Registry Editor", locate the following Registry batches by clicking the PLUS (+) sign

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\COMPONENTS

4. Check if these three values exist under the COMPONENTS key:

PendingXmldentifier

NextQueueEntryIndex

AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving

5. If so, delete them.

6. Quit "Registry Editor".

After completing the above steps, please restart the computer and try to run Windows Update again.

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Comment from KHO on 2008-03-11

2008-03-12T00:54:40Z

Some notes on the error here:
http://taurarian.mvps.org/WU_Vista/8000ffff.htm
8000FFFF - Generic Unexpected error.

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Comment from s Smith on 2008-03-02

2008-03-03T01:57:18Z

When will Microsoft fix the 8000FFFF error. -- Should we wait or take Vista off the computer. ??

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Comment from Matt Merz on 2008-02-27

2008-02-28T04:25:42Z

Windows Updates fails refuses to get the newest updates. i have a error code 80073712. I need help to resovle my windows upates in windows vista home premuim edition. my computer a custiom built. please help me out. thank you

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Comment from Tammy Moon on 2008-02-18

2008-02-18T13:14:30Z

Hey, I have a laptop and have been trying to install the updates required and keep getting the Error 8000FFFF when I click on help it gives me alot of information that I can't understand and I have looked on my Trend Micro PC-cillian and it is saying that the secruity patches need to be installed I try to do that also and it keeps coming up with Error 8000FFFF what can I do to fix this apart from taking it back to the retailer that we brought it from? Thanks for any information you can provdie for me.

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Comment from Bob Smiley on 2008-01-29

2008-01-29T10:25:13Z

I got a computer from someone with Vista Home Premium pre-installed. I've been running the gambit of update error codes, too, starting with 80073712 and now 8000FFFF. I followed the various instructions to try to remedy the 80073712, and when all said and done I end up with 8000FFFF. So, from what Leo says, I went from a rather specific error code (which I couldn't find much info about on the net) to a generic error code. They have a hotfix for Ultimate and Business version to correct something like this. I tried d/l'ing it to see if it would take on Home Premium. Nope. It's smart enough to tell which version you're running, so even if it was the same fix, because I'm not using Ultimate or Business, I get shut out. Apparently Home Premium users (or folks on lesser versions) aren't considered high priority, because folks on the net have been hollering about this issue for some time now.

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Comment from OutOfOrder on 2008-01-16

2008-01-16T23:00:17Z

Disable windows defender, firewall, automatic updates. Turn off system restore. Run disk clean up. reboot. manually run windows update. after all updates have completed, enable defender, firewall, automatic updates.

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Comment from Anthony on 2008-01-07

2008-01-08T07:07:01Z

Before removing my RAM which is not a big deal
I tried to uninstall the update and then reinstall it. This worked flawlessly
Thanks for the great tip that worked
KUDOS Aval

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Comment from same problem on 2007-12-04

2007-12-04T17:02:29Z

I have the exact same problem, and no clue on how to fix it.

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Comment from Chris on 2007-10-15

2007-10-15T20:11:28Z

But then I tried the fix suggested by Aval, which was, uninstall update KB929777, then restart, then update, then restart. I've restarted twice since then and both times it's told me that all updates have been installed correctly!

So easy! Sheesh, and this was AFTER opening the machine up to take out some RAM as directed elsewhere, and realizing that my 16GB RAM is in 4 4GB sticks, so it wouldn't've helped anyway...

And then after trying some convoluted method on another site in which you have your machine pretend that it has less RAM than it actually has...that one caused a blue screen of death, and I was dang lucky to be able to get things back to normal, since the instructions on that site for getting back to normal didn't work!

So thanks!

Apparently the KB292777 DOES install correctly, but Vista for some reason doesn't recognize that it's installed and so keeps prompting you. But it shows up in the list of updates you can uninstall, so it must just be some notification bug.

Thanks again, that lousy error message was driving me nuts.

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Comment from Chris on 2007-10-15

2007-10-15T19:08:15Z

Tried Sudheer GN's suggestion, didn't work for me on a Dell Vista Ultimate 64-bit with 16 GB RAM.

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Comment from Mark Duncan on 2007-10-14

2007-10-14T13:36:52Z

Be warned if you use a 64bit version of Windows that many hardware manufacturers don't make 64bit drivers. It's the reason I use 32bit Vista on my machine. If hardware manufacturers would just open their specs up, it would be a win for everyone.

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Comment from Mark Lewis on 2007-10-09

2007-10-10T00:54:28Z

By the way the issue with only 3.326Gb is if you have Vista 32bit installed this is the maximum th eOS can see and use as with ALL 32bit MS OS`s if you have 64Bit OS you will see the full 4gb. Hope this helps in some way.

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Comment from Mark Lewis on 2007-10-09

2007-10-10T00:50:05Z

This one worked great for me

I found this at Microsoft TechNet and it did the trick for me.

1) Launch REGEDIT

2) Go into HKLM\COMPONENTS, and check if these three values exist under the COMPONENTS key:

PendingXmldentifier
NextQueueEntryIndex
AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving

3) Providing they do exist, back up the Components key, then delete the three above values.
4) Restart the computer, and Windows Update should now be working fine.

Posted by: Eric M. at September 21, 2007 07:42 AM

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Comment from Phil H on 2007-09-30

2007-09-30T21:15:09Z

Figlet

It's a sub category of HKEY-LOCAL MACHINE

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Comment from Figlet on 2007-09-30

2007-09-30T19:19:35Z

I cant Find HKLM\Components /AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving in Regedit.

All i have is:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
HKEY_USERS
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

Where do i go in here ?

PS: ive tried all sergestions.

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Comment from Aval on 2007-09-29

2007-09-30T03:04:19Z

Solution that worked for me on error 8000FFFF installing Windows update KB929777, was this:
Go to Control Panel click on Programs in Programs and Features, click on View installed Updates. 1.Scroll to the hotfix KB929777 and uninstall it.
2.Reboot
3.Reinstall the update
4.Reboot.

Keep trying that until it installs successfully.

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Comment from Phil H on 2007-09-26

2007-09-27T01:06:16Z

This worked for me after a load of abortive solutions:

regedit: delete or rename (eg add OLD to the end ) the string "AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving"
found in HKLM\Components /AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving

Be safe backup your registry first though !!!No liability accepted if you screw your system.

good luck.

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Comment from Scott on 2007-09-21

2007-09-21T15:51:40Z

I have tried all of these, have contacted HP and Microsoft. At least the HP people tried to help, never heard word one from MS in 3 weeks!.

I am returning my computer for a Mac.

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Comment from Eric M. on 2007-09-21

2007-09-21T14:42:23Z

I found this at Microsoft TechNet and it did the trick for me.

1) Launch REGEDIT

2) Go into HKLM\COMPONENTS, and check if these three values exist under the COMPONENTS key:

PendingXmldentifier
NextQueueEntryIndex
AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving

3) Providing they do exist, back up the Components key, then delete the three above values.
4) Restart the computer, and Windows Update should now be working fine.

]]>

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Comment from Steven Sherman on 2007-09-08

2007-09-09T03:54:30Z

I tried this fix:1. Open an Administrator command prompt by right clicking on Start -> All
Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt and selecting "Run as
Administrator" and clicking "Allow" for the elevation prompt
2. In the command prompt, type the command below
fsutil resource setautoreset true C:\
(This assumes that C: is the drive in which Vista is installed. If it is
installed on another drive like D:, please change the drive letter
appropriately)
3. Reboot the machine

and it didn't work for me.

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Comment from toz on 2007-09-05

2007-09-05T16:25:51Z

Thanks. Tried it and it works.

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Comment from Hamilton Bill on 2007-09-04

2007-09-04T09:21:47Z

I tied it also and it works, but for the dummies (me) you have to right click on the command prompt to get to run as administrator, thanks again Sudheer GN

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Comment from Jean-Pierre on 2007-08-30

2007-08-30T20:27:59Z

I tried the solution of Sudheer GN and it works !!! Thanks to him

Sudheer GN
Microsoft, WU Client
Posted by: Casper at August 26, 2007 06:26 PM

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Comment from Casper on 2007-08-26

2007-08-27T01:26:17Z

Here is the solution that worked for me getting the same exact error (8000FFFF in Windows Update). The solution below is from a guy at Microsoft. My best advise would be to write down this fix because it also works for the 8007000b error in Windows Update. I usually have to do this once every month or so.

1. Open an Administrator command prompt by right clicking on Start -> All
Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt and selecting "Run as
Administrator" and clicking "Allow" for the elevation prompt
2. In the command prompt, type the command below
fsutil resource setautoreset true C:\
(This assumes that C: is the drive in which Vista is installed. If it is
installed on another drive like D:, please change the drive letter
appropriately)
3. Reboot the machine

After reboot, please try to install the updates again and let me know if
that resolves the issue.

--
Sudheer GN
Microsoft, WU Client

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Comment from Karl_Koch on 2007-08-22

2007-08-22T09:21:27Z

i've also a HP (nc8430) with 2 gigs RAM. and vista shows me the same errormessage.
i searched also in other forums, but i didn't get any answer for my (our) problem.

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Comment from Tony on 2007-08-20

2007-08-20T16:48:37Z

Well figured out a solution (possibly), drastic but works. What I did:
1. Have a friend with the NON-OEM version of VISTA (Same version obviously)
2. DO NOT upgrade, use your KEY to install a fresh copy.
3. VISTA will create a new folder called Windows.old in C: "C:\Windows.old"
In this folder all of your previous programs and drivers will be stored, however you cannot use the programs anymore.
4. To re-install your factory drivers just go to the device manager click on the desired hardware and search your HDD in the "C:\Windows.old" directory.
5. Windows will find the driver and install the device.
DOWNFALLS:
ALL the factory installed help software/drivers and programs are deleted. Have to re-install.
Confirmed working for me; just got done downloading 28 updates and installed successfully. Anyone else have any luck with this option/solution?

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Comment from McQDOGG on 2007-08-20

2007-08-20T15:03:54Z

First of all, after reading numerous posts regarding the dreaded 8000FFFF error, I feel like my brand new laptop was born into this world with a rare, incurable disease. Can we start a pledge drive or something for the victims of Vista?
Anyways, one of the many promising solutions calls for the uninstallment of kb929777, then a manual reinstallment after that. Well my Inspiron 1520 won't let me uninstall the hot fix. any way around this? I am the administrator. Oh, and my 8000FFFF error comes up after I click the "Check for Updates" box and sometimes after I click the box, nothing happens and it gets stuck in an eternal search for updates. For merely pennies a day, you can help save this notebook.

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Comment from Tony on 2007-08-20

2007-08-20T13:59:37Z

The problem seems to be limited to DELL computers and their version of Windows Vista. I have an HP system with 3 gigs of memory same as dell but the HP actually has no problems at all. Works perfectly. I've also had some software compatibility issues on the Dell which I don't have on the HP.

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Comment from Ankit Kumar on 2007-08-17

2007-08-17T16:55:34Z

it still comes after following all steps .When can we get a resolution.

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Comment from atom on 2007-08-03

2007-08-03T15:44:01Z

none of the solutions here work...new install of vista, no updates installed

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Comment from Albert Miller on 2007-07-08

2007-07-08T18:54:52Z

Since my post of 6/15, things got so bad that every time I tried to check for updates, it kept telling me that I needed to download a new windows update. When I tried this, I got the same error code. I haven't been able even check for updates,let alone install one, not even using a stand alone installer package(*.msu). That is until today. At the point of resorting to full recovery, I tried one last thing. I right clicked on Computer on the Start Menu and chose Manage. From the left colomn I chose Services and Applications, then selected Services. After selecting Windows Update, I clicked on More Actions on the right(under Windows Update). I tried refresh, restart, then I chose Properties and changed the startup type from "Automatic(Delayed Start)" to "Automatic" clicked Apply and Rebooted. I don't know if any of my actions had anything to do with it, BUT, when I logged back on I got a notice to install the new Windows Update. When I clicked Install it not only installed, but checked for updates and successfully installed all the updates that had previously failed. Its good to be up to date! Still don't know what "Windows Update error code: 8000FFFF" means, good luck.

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Comment from Albert Miller on 2007-06-15

2007-06-15T17:39:04Z

I also have 2GB RAM, the max my Presario allows. (After bootup I have about 1.5GB.) The first time I got this error, 5/22/07, it was for Vista Update KB936824, but Windows Defender deinition downloaded at the same time installed successfully. After a couple tries and failures, I thought it may be because I don't use an iPod, so I hid it and forgot it until 6/12/07 when updates KB931213, KB933566, KB936825, KB929123 failed, and continue to fail with that 8000FFFF error code while Windows Defender defs and Malicious Software Removal Tool continue to install without problem. Somebody needs to kick the Windows Update team into high gear because these updates address security issues.

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Comment from Mel Geiger on 2007-06-13

2007-06-13T21:19:55Z

I have 2 gigs of RAM. I get the 8000FFFF error message with no error description; just the number alone. I have automatic update activate. My last updaste is May 31, 2007. Today is June 13, 2007. Will I ever be able to update?

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Comment from George Arauz on 2007-05-08

2007-05-08T11:35:52Z

Thanks, that had me confused for a while.

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Comment from bigs1922 on 2007-05-05

2007-05-06T06:16:43Z

Here is the answer to your problems. Go to your control panel under add and remove programs you will see a hot fix for kb929777. Uninstall this hot fix. Windows will tell you to reboot, do it. Download the kb929777 for the windows website not the auto update site, (if you do it will install the hot fix first before the kb929777 and then kb929777 will not install again). After successful update you will need to reboot. check for updates( there should be none and your history should show successful update on the kb929777. I also took out 3 gb of mem. before I did this but before it would still not download until I removed the hot fix, so I DO NOT KNOW IF YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE MEM. FIRST. But try it with the mem. in first and it may save you a step.

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Comment from Lisa on 2007-04-30

2007-04-30T16:59:35Z

Dan Petri has stumbled into the same problem and was able to resolve, but it wasn't quick: http://www.petri.co.il/cannot_install_update_windows_vista_kb929777.htm

Best of luck to you!

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Comment from vickie on 2007-04-28

2007-04-28T17:38:51Z

Wow I am so glad that I read this cause I was going to go and buy the new windows vista so I can update my windows for school, but on the other hand I don't thank so now. Thanks Leo, Vickie

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Comment from Carl Goodwin on 2007-04-27

2007-04-28T01:59:24Z

This is probably why we never buy a new operating system until it's at LEAST 6 months old. Does anybody actually believe that Microsoft is capable of designing a program that's NOT full of bugs??? Look at all the security patches for Vista, the so-called "impenetrable" OS, and it's been out a whole 3 months!

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Comment from dave on 2007-04-27

2007-04-27T23:47:12Z

The soup gets thicker - it turns out that many motherboards that host 64-bit processors have 32-bit address limitations - DOH! For example, my system uses the NVidia nForce4 Ultra chipset. It's performed beautifully for me for the last two years. The machine is currently host a dual-core, Athlon 64 CPU. But even if I were to install the 64-bit version of Vista, I'd never see all four gigs of RAM. It turns out that the chipset only has a 32-bit addressing scheme. Vista will never see all four gigs on this box - even the 64-bit version. Bwah! Guess I'll stick with two gigs.

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Comment from Dan Ullman on 2007-04-25

2007-04-25T23:39:22Z

^^
What interests me is that I found the same information elsewhere. Sort of curious why Dell is selling computers with that much memory. You would think they should know the limitations of 32 bit processors or at least ship with the work around.

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Comment from Simon on 2007-04-25

2007-04-25T22:08:36Z

> Another symptom of this issue, by the way is this:
> As you can see, Vista reports 3.3gig, and not the
> 4gig of RAM that's actually in the machine.

That's not actually a symptom of this issue, it's a fundamental limitation of 32-bit operating systems. You have a 4GB total address space, which is distributed between Video memory, BIOS, IO cards, networking, PCI hubs, bus bridges, PCI-Express, and finally physical RAM, which only gets the last bite of the pie. In practice, the upper limit for addressed RAM seems to be about 3.2GB. http://www.vistaclues.com/reader-question-maximum-memory-in-32-bit-windows-vista has more info.

One thing to try with errors on a new Dell is http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/, which removes some of the crap Dell preinstalls. Maybe one of Dell's buggy 'utilities' is loading storport.sys or something and preventing it from being updated. Have you tried running the update in safe mode?

(BTW, why aren't you running Aero? I Googled the Latitude D620, and it comes with an Intel GMA950 graphics chip which definitely supports it).

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Comment from Leo A. Notenboom on 2007-04-25

2007-04-25T19:59:04Z

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

When any company produces software there's simply no way that absolutely every
problem can be fixed before shipment. Companies have to prioritized the
problems that remain based on expected imapct to the customer. It's even more
complex than that, since fixing a bug also introduces the possibility that new
bugs get introduced in the process.

I'm not trying to make excuses for Microsoft, but the fact is that one of the
hardest decisions about shipping software in any reasonable amount of time is
understanding which bugs you can live with, and which can be fixed later. I've
been there, I've made these hard desicions. If you actually wanted to fix every
single bug, your product would never ship.

In this case the number of people with 4 gig of memory is probably a relatively
small part of the market, so I can understand that this kind of issue might be
deferred for now.

Leo
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A comment on: What is Error 8000FFFF when I try to install a Windows Vista Update?

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Comment from Mary on 2007-04-24

2007-04-24T17:13:00Z

Once again I have to show my ignorance. I think I'm slightly more than a beginner but way less than an intermediate computer user. When I read about problems like this I have to ask, "Why didn't Microsoft see this during the years of Beta testing and have a fix for it?" Obviously, since there are other forum postings, this is not an isolated instance. What exactly goes on during Beta testing and who decides what fixes will be implemented?

Mary

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A comment on: What is Error 8000FFFF when I try to install a Windows Vista Update?

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Comment from Dan Ullman on 2007-04-24

2007-04-24T16:06:04Z

Had the same problem. Vista will only see 3 gig of memory in the 32 bit version. If you want more you need to use the 64 bit version.

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A comment on: What is Error 8000FFFF when I try to install a Windows Vista Update?

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Comment from Simon on 2007-04-23

2007-04-23T23:58:38Z

> Another symptom of this issue, by the way is this:
> As you can see, Vista reports 3.3gig, and not the
> 4gig of RAM that's actually in the machine.

(BTW, why aren't you running Aero? I Googled the Latitude D620, and it comes with an Intel GMA950 graphics chip which definitely supports it).

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A comment on: What is Error 8000FFFF when I try to install a Windows Vista Update?

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Comment from Leo A. Notenboom on 2007-04-23

2007-04-23T21:10:59Z

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Actually, on forums that have suggested that the problem apparently re-appears
when the memory is re-installed.

Leo
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A comment on: What is Error 8000FFFF when I try to install a Windows Vista Update?

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Comment from Greg on 2007-04-23

2007-04-23T19:49:00Z

Ke's advice sounds good. If you take out two gigs, install the update, and then replace the two gigs, that seems like the logical route to solving the problem.

Of course, be it Microsoft, Apple, or Linux, sometimes what seems like the logical route is just going to cause more problems. :-(

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A comment on: What is Error 8000FFFF when I try to install a Windows Vista Update?

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Comment from Ken on 2007-04-23

2007-04-23T19:03:56Z

Can you temporarily remove some memory from the system, possibly bypassing the error which prevents it from fixing the problem in the first place?

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A comment on: What is Error 8000FFFF when I try to install a Windows Vista Update?

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