Windows Updates, and now other updates fail consistently

Dawg,

Thats very serious dude...If the bits and wuauserv services are not running that is the cause of your windows update errors The softwaredistribution folder should also be there so thats another problem for your PC.

type Services.msc into the start-menu searchbox and set both services to start Automatically (Important!) "Background Intelligent Transfer Service" and "Windows Update"...If they fail to start it means you have a very serious failure of Windows Kernel Services usually caused by 3rd party system utility's and Viruses

Steven

Of course, if you removed those services and / or disabled them from install (say, via a vLite modified installation) then the software distribution folder may not be there - it is created on Windows Update's first run, is it not?

I was there also I think. I had problem when Vista Ultimate went into elevated screen, when screen turns gray and asks for permission. I could not install updates or do any administrative things. I removed my better Nvidia graphic card and installed good but slower ATI card problems solved all but Dreamscenes working. Dream scecenes installs properly but will not allow reboot. removed in safe mode all is fine Vista Ultimate rock solid. Problem was solved by what I thought had nothing to do with anything.

thanks for the suggestions. i use AVG but will try a couple of the others.

also to report, when i looked at the services, both have been changed to Automatic (delayed) but neither was started. so i changed them to automatic and started them.

the windows update doesn't do anything right away, but the BITS service generates a windows system error almost immediately. i'm still scanning but now am quite worried about an undetected virus or malware.

i've resigned myself to the fact there is probably a virus and i need to start over. what a pain, i have about 75GB of photos and about the same from my CD collection.

Here's the $64K question. how do i reload windows Vista? do i start all over from scratch and reinstall all these apps and pull down my data backups, or do i just reinstall my OS?

my machine had me create system disks way back when but it told me that i was limited on the number of times i could use them. i can retrieve my keys for my load, if i had the dvds i could just reload. instead i end up using one of my precious times to reload. where can i get copies of the OS? again, not to try to pirate, i have programs that show me the keys used to install the OS in the first place.

sorry fo rall the questions, thanks for any help you can provide.