I bought a new HP laptop about a month ago with Vista Home premium as OS. I have numerous problems: When checking for Windows updates, I get error code 8000FFFF. No updates have ever been installed. When trying to re-install WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce, I get error message: Windows update agent encountered unrecoverable error. When trying to install Service pack 1 for Vista, I get Error 8000FFFF. When attempting to run sfc /scannow as Administrator, I get error: Windows resource protection could not perform the requested operation. This all started with Windows Media player that does not work. When trying to open Windows media player, I get error: The file wmploc.ddhas a version number of 11.0.6000.6336, where 11.0.6000.6344 was expected. When trying to reinstall the player a message states the version on the computer is more recent and will therefore not install. Please help me.

Hi Jacques, regarding the Windows Update error 8000FFFF, please first refer to the troubleshooting steps in the following threads: Vista Update Error Code 8000ffff - new problem http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2519944&SiteID=17 Vista Update Error Code 8000ffff http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2453567&SiteID=17 Error Code 8000ffff Help! http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2453556&SiteID=17

Hi Sean Thanks for replying. I reviewed all three threads with the following results: I accessed registry editor, and of the three: PendingXmldentifierNextQueueEntryIndexAdvancedInstallersNeedResolving Only PendingXmldentifier was present and I deleted it, restarted the machine. I still could not update. I now have one more error code added to all these when starting up: Microsoft Visual C++ runtime library, runtime error. Also, when trying to update Windows Defender definitions, I get error code: 0x80004002 From the list of error codes: 0x80004002 -2147467262 E_Nointerface Which does not mean anything to me. The HP website requested if I would like to check and install new updates for hardware, upon which two updates successfully downloaded and installed. All three these services started: Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) Windows Event Log Windows Update I ran this register.bat file: net stop wuauservnet stop Cryptsvcren %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SD.oldren %windir%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.oldnet start wuauservnet start Cryptsvc Still no success. I downloaded the updateagent to a flashdrive since D drive is the HP recovery drive. When running the installer I received the error message: Windows update agent Installer encountered unrecoverable error. I restarted in Safe mode, installed again and received the same error. I zipped my system information and attempted to send to you using password: +7{xj$%Wg@UX But the password does not work any more. I checked for any Windows updates, but none have ever been installed. I downloaded KB929777 and attempted to install in Safe mode, but received error code: 0x8007043c. I performed a Clean boot with no success. I then reset Internet explorer, with still no success. What can I do now? Regards Jacques

Shaun, it seems this is an inherent error in Vista? This topic has been viewed 129 times in5 days?

Hi Jacques, let's try the following steps this time. 1. Click on Start button. 2. Type Cmd in the Start Search text box. 3. Press Ctrl-Shift-Enter keyboard shortcut to run Command Prompt as Administrator. 4. Type "netsh winsock reset" in the Command Prompt shell (without quotation mark), and then press the Enter key. 5. Restart the computer and then restart your windows updates. Meanwhile, since we have our Windows Update support group on this kind of issues, you can also contact with our Windows Update support group via https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?gprid=6527 (No-charge: Unlimited support requests.)

Hi Sean I have done above with message: Successfully reset the Winsock Catalog. I restarted, clicked start, clicked "Windows update(121)" ? and checked for updates: Still the error code. I forwarded all our correspondence to the link you supplied me with. Regards Jacques