Multiple Security Problems

I have Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit and I am having several security problems:

1) Many updates are not being installed. There are two recurring error code numbers: 80242016 and 800F0816.
2) I've had my computer set for automatic updates and always after "Configuring Updates" I get the "Startup Repair" screen. It does its thing for about five minutes and I am able to successfully log in.
3) I instructed Windows not to automatically install updates but to download and notify me before installing. However it keeps trying to install and going through a "Configuring Updates" loop (at seemingly random times) followed always by the "Startup Repair" problem.
4) Security Center now tells me that Windows Defender is out-of-date (anti-spyware) but when I try to update it tells me it "can't update definitions".
5) Beside the "Updates were installed" line on the main updates screen I have the word "Never".
6) Once this morning after going through "Startup Repair" and logging in I was presented with a blank light blue screen! That freaked me out. I feared a total crash.
However I was able to manually shut down and successfully log in.
7) Security Center is prompting me to turn automatic updates back on and update my malware protection (i.e. Windows Defender).
I am a novice at this. Can someone please advise?

Okay well your first error code is you cant install that update until you get SP1, and your second error code is not being able to download SP1. So does your computer say you have SP1 as one of your updates or not? (go to: control panel /system and maintenance / windows update/ view update history, or just click on the windows update shortcut and then go to view update history)

Try this if you dont already have SP1 installed: Download details: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone (KB936330)

It would be helpful for people if you stated your system specs.
How much Ram do you have?

Other people talk about their SP1 problems in this thread:
This is how SP1 went. Good. Let's have your feedback.

You might find some useful tips, as for your security problem, you may want to scan your computer with a free antivirus/malware program to see if you have a virus or something.
Free Software List for Vista

Thanks for you thoughts. I have downloaded Spyware Terminator and I am glad to have it, but I still have my problem with Windows Update.

I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop with 1014MB RAM and Vista Home Premium 32bit. Apparently I don't have Service Pack 1. Could you please tell me what it is and why it is different from the other "critical update" that are not installing on my computer?

I have tried to post a message on Windows Vista Community but it does not work for me, despite my registering for a user name and password. I am thinking of purchasing some tech support from Windows in the hope that someone there could walk me through the solution. Any thoughts about that? The other alternative is to get a house-call I suppose.

Hi, Wally Brooker, and welcome to the forums.

Vista SP1 is a set of major and minor security and non-security fixes that were rolled out as one big 'update'. The reasons it is different from the other updates that are giving you that first update is that those are fixes to things that were either changed by SP1 or, possibly, were not fixed by SP1 before. However, they have been coded by Microsoft to *require* SP1 to be installed *first* so that they may be installed.

There are numerous discussions and posts in this forum advocating SP1 to be installed, as it contains 500+ fixes for the Vista RTM builds. I *highly* recommend you move to SP1.

Thanks for clarifying SP1. I've just received a reply from Vista tech support with detailed instructions on how to proceed. Fingers are crossed!