Not a request for help just a statement of how I got around my windows update problem.
My Windows Updates were failing. It got to the point where it was taking half an hour to install then uninstall them on re-boot.
The error was 80070005 which is associated with permissions.
I read several postings suggesting running scripts to change registry permissions to Admin. I decided not to do this as some who had done so said that where there are several logins on the PC the non-admin ones stop working after running such scripts.
In the end I spotted a suggestion to install my 6 months of updates one at a time as the patches can interact and make it impossible to install them together.
So I installed 1 then 2 then 3 or 4 at a time of my 27 updates. These all installed successfully.
Having installed the last ones Service Pack 1 appeared on the list and I installed that successfully.
It takes a bit of time installing them a few (or 1 ) at a time but I have an up to date Vista now. Hopefully I’ll see some improvements too!
Hope this helps someone.

Find in C:\Windows file WindowsUpdate.log -if it's really you have trouble with permissions this file should describe exactly where are and you manually fix them.

Hi,

2008-11-15 21:58:40:156 1212 12c4 Report REPORT EVENT: {F8502ECA-AE4C-41D3-8A5E-ADEE1F29F9EF} 2008-11-15 21:58:36:506-0000 1 182 101 {11A53EAC-1B4E-4883-A465-E226881B0EC8} 102 80070005 AutomaticUpdates Failure Content Install Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error 0x80070005: Security Update for Windows Vista (KB955069).

The line above is from the WindowsUpdate.log (Thanks I didn't know it existed).

I don't see where it tells me to fix it manually or how.

Doesn't the patch interaction idea hold water?

Could there also be a problem with not being connected to the internet at the time? As I had a couple of errors with 80246005 today which I solved by installing them while online. I suspect this is a red herring and these are two seperate problems!

Thanks.

I don't see where it tells me to fix it manually or how

Yeah really nothing interesting in there...

But if you have no any computer restart during install problematical hotfixes there is way to diagnose trouble with permissions:

1.Download Process Monitor place it anywhere and run it.
2.Try to install problematical hotfix - if course you have no chance to do it now but it is not concern at the moment -It going on to allow Process Monitor to see where you exactly have trouble,when Windows Update return error save log in Process Monitor (the best as a *.PML file) and then set filter in Process Monitor:RESULT IS ACCESS DENIED

This log show you where you have trouble with permissions but remember probaby only a few of them are really trouble with permissions; remains have only false alarm.If fix all really permissions errors -false alarms disappear either (dominoes effect)