MS .NET 4 Framwork security updates failing - should I upgrade to WIN 7?

[brockenspectre]

Hi all

Its been a while since I visited these hallowed halls but.. that means I have been having a relatively stress-free 'puting experience until yesterday!

Yesterday I was advices by MS Updater that two Important Updates were awaiting installation.

I duly checked them for download/installation and was surprised to see they failed download. Error code 643.. clicked on the helpful links to explain what to do.. tried a FixIt.. Error code 2738... tried another Fixit... didn't work.. used Net Framework Cleanup Tool.. reinstalled NET Framework... Updates still wouldn't install.

Today... total uninstallation of NET Framework and reinstallation of same... all tickety boo until I reach the last two Important Updates (security ones for NET Framework 4) which won't install. Error code 643 don't you know!!

SO.. I investigate MS website a bit more (only 6hrs spent on it thus far today!) and begin to get the impression that the problems may be due to my OS - WIN Vista 32-bit. Properties does reveal mention of SP2 but not SP1 but as I haven't tampered with the OS at all, it must be OK.

Mention is made of the upgrade to Vista no longer being available... WIN 7 should be installed ... and I wonder whether the failure of the .NET Framework updates is due to my trying to install them on an OS that MS no longer supports??

SO.. my questions are:

1. Is it possible that the .NET Framework updates won't install because i am on an old OS?

2. How would I upgrad to WIN 7? Do I just buy the upgrade from the MS website and download it? Does the instal clear out Vista but leave all other applications and files (Word etc) intact?

HELP!!!

Oh and... if i don't install the security updates to .NET Framework, does it really matter? What do they actually do?

Thanks in advance!!! Hope someone can (and will) help!!!

brockie

[green granite]

Brockie have a look at this knowledge base article which covers one of the 2 updates, which among other things says: "To install this update, you must have Windows Installer 3.1 or a later version"
( they both installed on my W7 OS with no problems.)

MS11-044: Description of the security update for the .NET Framework 4 on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2: June 14, 2011

[mixture]

Windows Vista ???

No informed human being uses that these days.

It is generally understood in the industry that Windows 7 is everything Windows Vista should have been.

[Blues&twos]

Windows 7 is everything Windows Vista should have been

I have had the same issue with the latest .NET framework updates on my W7 Home Premium.

Last time a .NET framework update failed (a few months ago) I re-installed .NET framework, then installed the updates successfully. This time I've ignored it because of the hassle last time.

I know, I know.

[brockenspectre]

My puter already has Installer 4.5 installed (I just checked)... so that's not the problem.

I totally uninstalled and reinstalled the .NET Framework this morning... so that's not the problem.

mixture -- I am only a puter user so tend to use/adapt to whatever I have to hand. This bargain lappie arrived with Vista a few years back and is working/has worked fine so.. I have no problem with the OS as such.

HOWEVER if I have to upgrade to Win 7... what do I have to do to ensure that all the non OS files aren't overwritten? do I need to format a drive? do I just download Win 7 from MS website and let it do its thing? Recommendations please!!

:-)

Blues&twos - ah.. so Win 7 may not be the solution to my current .NET Framework issue... rats!

[Mornington Crescent]

BS

I did just that - Downloaded W7 and upgraded a Vista system. You have to be sure that you are installing like for like. eg. Home premium for home premium. It worked fine for me but you may have to search for the odd drivers for perhaps printer or scanner. Having said that W7 is pretty good at finding any driver that it needs. This ugrade will leave your programmes and data in tact. However i would back up you data just in case!

[Blues&twos]

I've been very happy with W7. I upgraded from Vista using an MS upgrade disk which was supplied to us free by the computer supplier (we bought a PC shortly before W7 was released). The upgrade went faultlessly, took about 90 minutes I think, and didn't mess with any of our data or settings. There were two points during the upgrade where nothing seemed to be happening for some time, but actually there was nothing wrong. The W7 upgrade has to match the Vista OS (e.g. Vista 64 bit needs W7 64 bit upgrade), as Mornington Crescent says.

[mixture]

brockenspectre,

Unfortunatley I'm going to delegate to others here in relation to the Vista -> 7 upgrade route. This is purely because I've no personal experience of it, as I just switched from XP direct to 7.

I would certainly second other posts here that suggest doing a backup (that's always worth doing, irrespective of whether you've got any major computer work in the pipeline).

Other than that, the only thing I can really offer you in terms of guides would be this link.

Good luck in getting your problem resolved either way.

[Mike-Bracknell]

1) Stop your "Windows Update" service
2) Delete the folder: C: \Windows\SoftwareDistribution
3) Start the service in 1 above
4) See whether this fixes your problem

[brockenspectre]

Mike-Bracknell - you are a superstar... "big-time-stylie"!!!! That has worked perfectly.... I am how happily sitting with a fully Updated system (only two optional ones lurking).

You really should put that out in the public domain.. the number of similar queries I came across in my various googlings is big!!

{{{{BIG HUG}}}}

luv brockie!!

[Mike-Bracknell]

You're welcome.

That's a generic "reset Windows Update" fix above, btw. Should work for a lot of update problems.