# Windows update that won't install **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803 "2009-04-30T02:26:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/1 "2009-04-30T02:26:10Z")
I have a windows update on my PC that persistently fails to install. The update in question is Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Service Pack 3 (KB955706). Despite the fact that this won’t install, WinXP badly wants to keep trying. When I shut down my PC, the default is “Install updates and shut down” (which, knowing it will fail & hang, I reject each timel). My first question is how to kill this downloaded update, so XP doesn’t keep on trying to install it. Some Googling suggested that pending updates are kept in C:\Program Files\Windows Update - but this folder, while present, is entirely empty. Another suggestion was to get rid of temporary internet files, but this too failed to have any effect on the problem. Ideas? The other question is how end up with an updated version of SQL Server Express. My best guess is to delete, re-download, and reinstall. Ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/2 "2009-04-30T03:16:35Z")
I Googled KB955706 and one of the first hits was [KB955706 and KB960089 Failed to install](http://forums.techarena.in/windows-update/1120613.htm) . ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/3 "2009-04-30T13:48:22Z")
You can stop any item from installing by double-clicking the gold shield at the bottom right, selecting the non-express install and unchecking the update in question. It will ask you if you want to try this later. Say no. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/4 "2009-04-30T14:16:24Z")
I had the same problem with Windows Service Pack 3. The update always failed to install, and I couldn’t figure out how to get it to stop asking. I finally found this [http://www.askvg.com/windows-xp-service-pack-3-sp3-setup-error-access-is-denied/](http://www.askvg.com/windows-xp-service-pack-3-sp3-setup-error-access-is-denied/) and it installed fine. Don’t know if it will work with your update. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/5 "2009-04-30T14:34:39Z")
I don’t know if it will help this particular problem, but for anyone reading about MS updates in general, they have _ **excellent** _ customer service options at 1-866-PCSafety. It’s ostensibly limited to security updates, but they are very liberal in their approach and very helpful. I’ve had a small handful of updates that wouldn’t go through, and I learned that if Google doesn’t bring up an instant solution (i.e., find the patch and install directly or some other workaround), a call to them solves it quickly and efficiently. They even have great follow-up to make sure things went smoothly. Not to sound like an MS fanboy or anything (I use Mac and Linux machines in the office too), but their help and support on that end really took me by surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/6 "2009-05-01T20:50:40Z")
> [@HorseloverFat](#): > > You can stop any item from installing by double-clicking the gold shield at the bottom right, selecting the non-express install and unchecking the update in question. This looked promising, but had no effect - pending update persists. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/7 "2009-05-01T21:05:01Z")
You might try downloading and installing the update manually. It likely still won’t work, but you may get a more informative error message on what the problem is. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/8 "2009-05-01T21:28:59Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > This looked promising, but had no effect - pending update persists. Weird. It worked for me - I had the same update not installing. Thanks **HorseloverFat** ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/9 "2009-05-01T22:19:05Z")
A windows update that is being bitchy can also in many cases be installed at shutdown. If your shut down button has a little sheild on it when you click start —\> shut down —\> shut down, let it try to install there. Everything else but the updates gets shut down so if a program has a windows component locked up in use it will be shut off at this point. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/10 "2009-05-02T01:33:43Z")
\>This looked promising, but had no effect - pending update persists. Try disabling any anti-virus or anti-spyware apps. If that doesnt help then disable automatic updates and delete everything in this folder: C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-update-that-wont-install/494803/11 "2009-05-02T03:17:53Z")
> **[Dial-a-fix - Download & Review](https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Miscellaneous/Dial-a-fix.shtml#download)** > > Download Dial-a-fix 0.60.0.24 - A lightweight, yet powerful application that aims to fix an abundance of known issues and get you up and running again in no time Download this, extract and run. Check all the boxes in the windows updates section and run it. This will clear out the update caches and rebuild/reregister dll files in the windows update section of windows.