Vista - Repair install: windows updates won't install

I have Vista Home Premium 32-bit, on Dell Inspiron 6400.

After a repair install, I now have two problems:

- Although there are 75 Windows Updates in the list, I have tried several times over the last two days to install these. So far, only a few are marked "Successful". The great majority are marked "Failed".
- There is no SP1 available in the list of updates.

Here is the history:

- My laptop was pre-loaded with Vista (no SP1). The OEM DVD was also SP0.
- I installed SP1 when it became available.
- A few days ago, I neede to do a repair install. So I uninstalled SP1, and did a repair install as specified in Brink's tutorial:
Repair Install For Vista
- As far as I know, the repair completed successfully. There were no "Files discarded by Windows Upgrade" (Maybe this is important!). I was not asked for my product key, or asked to activate Vista.
- Immediately after the repair, I launched Windows Update, and found the two problems noted above.

BTW: To the best of my knowledge, my laptop is working fine. The minor glitches that prompted the repair install have disappeared

I would be grateful for any assistance.
.

Hello Oldgrantonian,

There is little problem. You can't repair Vista sp1 using Vista dvd without sp1. I guess you will have to clean install Vista using your dvd and next install Service Pack 1.

You can download standalone SP1 on the Microsoft site. Download details: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone (KB936330)

Hope it was helpful.

Cheers...

Thanks for your response

Good point! But I uninstalled SP1 (using Control Panel) before I did the repair install. So my laptop is now SP0, and the OEM DVD is also SP0

I followed the instructions in Brink's tutorial:
Repair Install For Vista

The important quote from that tutorial is:

---------------------------------------------

Another option is to uninstall the Vista SP1, then run the Repair install and install the SP1 again afterwards.

---------------------------------------------

That's exactly what I want to do

I've done the repair install, but, as I mentioned in my original post, I can't see SP1 in the list of windows updates
.

Didn't you think about installing SP1 as the standalone update? Yeah, I know it's
almost 450MB instead 60-70MB via Windows update, but it will save on automatic
updates, too. Last time I clean installed Vista and I got SP1 as standalone one,
so Windows installed just nine latest updates, not whole bunch as it did before.

Also you can check for it in the next day or two.

That worked fine. Thanks for that
.

I'm glad it worked.

Cheers...