Updates failed to install, found an apparent solution but don't understand execution

[Think]

After repairing windows xp SP2 using a slipstream combination of xp and sp2, the system will fail in updates. I googled a solution which calls for the following solution to use WindowsUpdateAgent30-x32.exe /wuforce from the command line with the /wuforce option.

Can someone explain this solution and how to implement it properly?

Thanks.

[YeOldeStonecat]

If you look in your Windows directory..what does your WindowsUpdate.log file have in the end?

[boxybrown]

Thanks for that, it worked like a charm. I've been scratching around the net looking for the right advise and your's worked painlessly. This problem was caused by a really smart Trojan horse virus that i caught from surfing the web. I have Eset smart security and it wasn't even able to stop it, i remember seeing a notice thinking that it was stopped but it ran the code that deleted the dll files that ran WU... So anyways thanks for posting that solution it worked perfectly.

[mnosteele52]

Think, another common fix for Windows Update not working is to stop the automatic updates service, then go to C:\Windows and look for the folder SoftwareDistribution and rename it to sdold. Then restart the automatic update service and retry Windows Updates.

[boxybrown]

Well Think, you download the file WindowsUpdateAgent30-x32.exe or x64.exe like me to c:/ cause its easy to navigate there through dos . And you run cmd prompt, navigate down to c: drive and type the command WindowsUpdateAgent30-x32.exe /wuforce or else it doesn't execute correctly cause it think its partially installed cause of the corruption.