Windows 7 Cannot install SP1 in Win-7

[n2b]

I can install all updates in Win-7 successfully except the SP1. Whenever I try it I finally get an error message (Error #80004005). I've tried the automatic fix but that doesn't do any thing. I have also tried to format my C Drive and load a Win-7 (Pro) with SP1 using a DVD from Microsoft. After going through half of the installation I get a message saying that the installation failed with no clue as to why it failed. I end up restoring everything from my back up
I assembled the computer myself from components and was successful in installing Win XP and a few years later upgraded it to Win-7 (pro) with no problems at all. The following hardware are installed
CPU: Intel Core2 Duo CPU E6750 @ 2.66 GHz
RAM : 4.00 GB
32 bit OS
Appreciate any clue as to why the SP1 won't load. Without the SP1 I cannot load IE 11 or get the free upgrade to Win-10

 

[nmsuk]

I get

 

[nmsuk]

Once you get the list, click add and then view basket and you can download them. It even asks where to put them.

 

[RichM]

I have been there and done all that. Then you double click the file to open it and it opens a windows "Searching for standalone installer" or something like that that stays open forever and never seems to find what it is looking for. I spent 36 hours with no result watching that one and concluded it must be a private joke or something and decided I had no more time for such foolishness.

 

[kemical]

Kemical
I am thoroughly confused. I opened the MS Update Catalog. It was a blank blue page with only the update logo and nothing else. I am using IE ver 11.0. and opened Active X and am running as an Administrator. How do I select the updates from this convenient roll up?

As well as Richards suggestions above try clearing your cookies as well. Microsoft have said that eventually (later this year) the site will accept the use of other browsers but until then it's IE only.

 

[RichM]

I have been there so many times but the "searching for standalone installer updates" I have run as long as 48 hours with never a response.
Finally close it down and can't find that download to access anywhere. I personally think Microsoft is paying back the users who refused to leave Windows 7 with a trail for updates that leads everyone nowhere but with all kinds of frustration and I haven't got the time for this silliness.

 

[n2b]

I went to the link Kemical pointed to and go down to the Update Catalog link and get the same blue color page with the earth globe as a logo and nothing else Its possible that I did not get the Activex working. Can you tell me how to add Activex to IE-11. Thanks

 

[RichM]

There should be a long banner across top of IE where you "enable active-x" when necessary.

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

I have been there so many times but the "searching for standalone installer updates" I have run as long as 48 hours with never a response.
Finally close it down and can't find that download to access anywhere. I personally think Microsoft is paying back the users who refused to leave Windows 7 with a trail for updates that leads everyone nowhere but with all kinds of frustration and I haven't got the time for this silliness.

>>>Hah! You've finally uncovered the Master plan behind the madness at MS!! . If it was easy, then anyone could use the new updates, and no one would hire us to do anything. <<<
BBJ

 

[n2b]

I don't see the banner that Rich mentioned about enabling Activex. When I open the Tools tab in IE I see that there is a selection for "Activex filter". After putting a check mark on it the result is unchanged. I just get a blue color full page with a world globe as an icon and no other window or any place to select the list of updates that kemical mentioned in his postings.
Now what ??

 

[RichM]

You tried a different dvd by any chance have we tried a different burner as that too could cause this but I think the motherboard at this point is the real issue. There really is no where else to turn I'm afraid as we really have ruled almost everything out.

 

[n2b]

As I posted earlier my Win7-SP1 is installed successfully from a downloaded ISO file from MS. For some reason - which I don't understand - I was able to get over the hang ups by reducing the RAM from 4 GB to 2 GB and then restoring the memory back to 4GB after the OS was installed and running. MY DVD and burners are fine
The issue that I am trying to follow up now is to be able to install the WIn7-SP1 updates and stay current with any security patches etc. I understand from reading the posting from kemical that MS is now issuing periodic roll ups of outstanding updates in an Update Catalog rather than individual updates of the past. The update catalog comes up as a blank blue page

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Well, it seems to me your IE11 is screwed up. IE11 is a really good indicator of general windows health. If IE11 fails to work and all other browsers work (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, etc.), that computer still needs servicing.

I had no problem going to the Microsoft Catalog page on IE11 on multiple W10 machines I have using IE11, Edge, and Chrome. My next question would be, have you tried downloading the update files via IE11 on a DIFFERENT machine running W7/8.X?? If not, you might try that and then apply the file via DVD or USB to the computer you are trying to fix. If that works, then you most likely have a software problem with the W10 kernel on that original computer (as IE11 lives in the Win OS kernel now), or you have a failed hard drive for your C: bootdrive; no matter what drive diagnostics you used to test them with are.

I'm leaning towards Rich's suggestion of a bad Mobo; but it could be as simple as using install media created on a another computer using a known good copy of IE11 as I said, or even a hard drive. If you haven't yet replaced that drive, you should do so, and repeat the Clean Install as we suggested. Drives are way cheaper than a new Mobo as you are well aware; that's a thing of last resort to try on this problem. But, if you can't get the post AU-updates to install, you definitely still have something hinky there in that computer.

All these problems Rich is having with the MS Catalog download page kemical provided to us are quite astonishing. I already asked him if he wanted me to come over to his place and fix it, but I don't know where he lives and he wouldn't pickup my plane tickets and hotel!! LOL!

Best of luck,
<<<BBJ>>>

 

[RichM]

I forgot about the ram situation. If you go back to 2Gb ram, can you install the SP then? Because your experience before indicated your ram either is not compatible or you have a bad ram stick before we condemn the board we need to realize there is a ram issue.

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Good point, Rich! Also, worth a try. Based on reports from forum users here during the last week since we found out about the change that MS made to legacy windows version update rollups delivery (W7/8x), I suspect we are going to get more people having difficulty trying to install SP1 on their aging W7 computers. You know that there are lots of SP1 discs floating around out there, as well as other non-MS sources that Users can download an offline-installer for SP1 or a standalone SP1 (like the disc-based ones), such as CNET, or SOFTONIC, etc. The SP1 standalone upgrade disc can also be purchased from ebay too. I have friends who have done it this way too.

During your messing around with installing SP1 on W7 machines, did you attempt to use any of these media sources for the SP1 install? Just curious, as I wonder whether these will still work or not. I've been installing SP1 since it came out at the end of 2009 using these sources, and they almost always worked.

BBJ

 

[n2b]

(kemical, Rich, Bluebearjedi & all you guys who helped me )

OK Guys Problem Solved !!!

Here is a summary of the problem and the final thing that worked. It may help those who are having or will have this issue to read this summary rather than four pages of the trial and error efforts on this subject as above.

My system: CPU Intel 2.67 GHz, RAM 4 GB, Motherboard ASUS 2008 vintage. HD 320 GB Seagate, partitioned for the OS and Data.

The original issue was that I had a legacy Win-7 Pro (32 bit). It would install the small security updates etc. from MS but would hang up and give an error if I tried to use the SP1 update from the Windows update list. I tried installing the SP1 using the Win-7 SP1 DVD - failed. Tried after reformatting the partition and doing a fresh install from scratch with a Win-7 Pro SP1 DVD - failed again.

Found out after reading in one of the other forums that if an older motherboard with a 4GB RAM hangs up during installation with an undefined error then it might work if the RAM is reduced to 2GB during installation. Well it worked for me. I downloaded a Win7 SP1 ISO file, converted it to a DVD, reduced the RAM to 2GB and the installation sailed through. Later I restored the RAM to 4 GB. I don't understand why it worked but it did.!!!

The next issue was getting updates for the SP1, As kemical explained above MS changed the update process by not issuing individual updates but by bundling the updates in a large package and issuing them similar to a Service Pack. He suggested going to the Update Catalog and downloading the "Update Roll up" by using IE-11 with Activex only. Well that didn't work for me. With further research I came across an alternate method by downloading a KB 3020369 called "April-15 Servicing Stack" and then downloading and installing the "Update Roll Up" (KB3125574).
For those who may be having similar issues you can get a excellent step by step description at the following link for these two alternate methods

How to Update Windows 7 All at Once with Microsoft’s Convenience Rollup

Thanks for your support guys !!!

 

[RichM]

Great summation and great job of hanging in there.....

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Way to go! Thanks for sharing your final solution with us too. If you also put a like on our posts, that's an easy way to show you found our input helpful.

Glad you got it fixed!
Cheers!
BBJ