Re: Error 0x80070020 Windows Update

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

Tom Hall <aria1946@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:41:33 +0100, "Robin Walker [MVP]"
<rdhw@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Tom Hall <aria1946@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

OS: XP Pro SP2.
Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update
with error 0x80070020: Automatic Updates.

80070020 = "The process cannot access the file because it is being
used by another process"

The most common cause of this is an anti-virus or anti-spyware
product with an on-access scanning feature.

ALWAYS disable any anti-virus or anti-spyware product before
attempting any Windows Update.

As I indicated in my original post, I already tried turning off all
AVG services, and it made no difference.

To carry it further, can you actually completely uninstall AVG and try
Windows Update again? I seem to remember that AVG is a little limited in
what control you can exercise over it. It would be a valuable data point to
have to know whether uninstallation makes a difference.

If that doesn't fix it, can you check out Task Manager to see whether there
are any unusual processes active which might have system files locked?

I'm a little puzzled by your suggestion, however. The configuration XP
seems to be happiest with is to have the computer apply updates
automatically as they become available. If what you say is true, then
the only way to make Windows Update happy would apparently be to run
the system without any antivirus protection at all - which I'm sure
is not the intent of your advice.

I use the Automatic Update setting "Download updates for me, but let me
choose when to install them". When the downloads are ready for
installation, I quit all applications, quit as many System Notification Area
items as will permit it, and turn off anti-virus on-access scanning. Apart
from anything else, turning off the anti-virus speeds up the Windows Update
process.

--
Robin Walker [MVP Networking]
rdhw@xxxxxxxxx


.

Relevant Pages

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