Trouble getting newest Windows Update to Install

[perplexed]

Trying to install newest version of Windows Update via the web, which fails
with error 0X8024D007. Also when I run services.msc, Automatic Updates and
Background Intelligence are not started. When I try to start them, I get
"Could not start Automatic Updates (or Background Intelligent Transfer
Service) service on Local Computer. Error 2: The system cannot find the file
specified."

[Peter Foldes]

(1st) wrong newsgroup. Should be posted the following
On the web:
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/list/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.windowsupdate

(2nd) We are not mind readers and would you mind telling us your Windows version and
the installed Service Pack when you repost your message along with your IE version
--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

Post by perplexed
Trying to install newest version of Windows Update via the web, which fails
with error 0X8024D007. Also when I run services.msc, Automatic Updates and
Background Intelligence are not started. When I try to start them, I get
"Could not start Automatic Updates (or Background Intelligent Transfer
Service) service on Local Computer. Error 2: The system cannot find the file
specified."
--
Can you help?

[Lawrence Garvin [MVP]]

Post by Peter Foldes
(2nd) We are not mind readers and would you mind telling us your Windows
version and the installed Service Pack when you repost your message along
with your IE version

Actually.. it kinda doesn't really matter in this case. :)

Post by Peter Foldes

when I run services.msc, Automatic Updates and Background Intelligence
are not started.

That would be the fundamental cause -- the Automatic Updates service must be
running in order to use WU/MU (or, at a minimum, set to manual if a working
WUAgent is installed),
and the BITS service must be set, at least. to Manual, so that the AU
service can start it up on demand.

Post by Peter Foldes

When I try to start them, I get
"Could not start Automatic Updates (or Background Intelligent Transfer
Service) service on Local Computer. Error 2: The system cannot find the file
specified."

Sounds like the installation of the Windows Update Agent may be corrupted.

(but if you're also getting that message trying to start BITS, the issue may
be deeper in the OS than the WUAgent).

Download the WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe from the Microsoft Download Center
(or WindowsUpdateAgent30-x64.exe if by some unexpected quirk of irony
this is a 64-bit system)

and install it with the /wuforce switch, which will ensure the full WUAgent
is installed and overwrites anything else of the WUAgent that might be
hanging out there.

Verify that the Automatic Updates service is set to AUTOMATIC startup and
the LOGON account is set to LOCAL SYSTEM.

And reboot the machine.

If the problem continues, I'd suggest doing:

[a] a full malware scan on the machine (even more so given the fact that we
already know the machine isn't fully patched and you've been out browsing
the Internet with it),
[b] an OS REPAIR if the malware scan comes up clean.