Troubleshooting Windows Update in Windows XP, Vista and 7: Part Two

This article is the second of a two-part series on the subject of troubleshooting issues with Windows Update, specifically in Windows XP, Vista and 7.

In this example we will use Windows 7, but the steps may be used to get an idea for how it is done in other versions, particularly Windows Vista.

1. Open the Windows Update section of the Control Panel. This can be done in various ways based on Operating System - in Windows XP you may need to go to www.windowsupdate.com to proceed.
2. Click on the Start button in the bottom left, then choose Control Panel on the right side of the Start Menu.
   
   


3. In the top right of the Control Panel, choose the View By: dropdown and then select Category.
   
   


4. On the left side, click on the green System and Security heading.
   
   


5.  In the middle click on the green Windows Update heading.
   
   


6.  On the Windows Update screen, view the available updates by clicking on the Important Updates are Available option.
   
   
7. Locate the KB number for the update that will not install by clicking on the update, then checking in the parentheses on the right.
   
   


8. Visit www.google.com and search the web for the KB number in the following format: KB######## download details site:Microsoft.com
   • This will search the Microsoft.com web page for the download page of that update. Ensure that the page is from Microsoft.com before downloading and installing any application
   
   


9. On that download page, follow the instructions to manually download and install the update. This varies per update, so pay attention to the steps provided on the page.