For the Wiz.

[Ken Lang]

I run a win 7 computer here in Simi Valley. It is shut down in April and not turned on again until October, when I get lots of updates.
When I first turned it on I got 53 updates.
Since then I get one update every night.

Any idea what's going on?

[Wiz Feinberg]

Are you restarting your computer after receiving the updates? Normally, there won't be more than two or three update sessions to bring a computer up to date.

Try to make a note of the KB number of the updates that occur every day. If it is the same one, or ones, they are failing to install properly. Windows Update has a link to show the installed updates, listed by date. This also tells if any have failed to install. You can look up those failures by KN number, on Microsoft.com. There may be a known reason for repeated failures of particular updates.

If you need help looking up failed updates, post the KB numbers in your reply.

[Ken Lang]

I will try to check that out.

[Jack Stoner]

If you have Microsoft Security Essentials, they usually update at least once a day (sometimes more).

They can show up as a "KB" number.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Jack's right. You can either update MSE directly, by opening the application, or via Windows Updates,

[Ken Lang]

I have an error KB2973351, error code 80242002D, which is
too complicated for me to fix and so one update won't load.
I'll just leave it for now.

[Wiz Feinberg]

Ken;
There aren't many easy fixes for this failure to install that particular update. It can be caused by several other things that have gone wrong. But, the simplest cause may be your anti-virus program. Try disabling it for 15 minutes, then run Windows Update. If the update installs, reboot and all should be good again.

Other solutions involve booting into Safe Mode (aka: Clean Boot), running SFC /ScanNow, deleting a folder containing the catalog of installed or failed updates, and installing a special tool from Microsoft, named System Update Readiness Tool.

[Ken Lang]

I have spent much time trying to fix this, including disabling virus programs,and downloading fix-it programs from Microsoft programs. No luck. It's too bad Microsoft
can't get a little more specific about what the error is.

[Wiz Feinberg]

I have spent much time trying to fix this, including disabling virus programs,and downloading fix-it programs from Microsoft programs. No luck. It's too bad Microsoft
can't get a little more specific about what the error is.

If you haven't already done so, download, install and run the System Readiness Tool from Microsoft.

Read the Microsoft article about error code 80242002D.

Also, read all of the suggestions shown on this Windows Update troubleshooting page at MS. You may want to try resetting the contents of the Catroot2 folder, which is explained on that page.

Finally, if you have a commercial security program, have it check for rootkits, or other hidden, malicious services or drivers. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware can do this. Plus, MBAM has a dedicated rootkit locator, named Anti-Rootkit. Many more are listed in these Google results.

[Ken Lang]

Thanks Wiz. I will proceed when I get the notion.