Solving Windows downloads issues

Q Since July 2009 I have received multiple notifications of the same update for Windows. There are two things that are puzzling me.

The first is that now when the update is listed in the Windows Update page the download is said to be 0KB.

The other problem is that one of the updates is called Security Update for Microsoft XML core services 4.0 Service Pack 2 (KB954430). This is confusing because I have Service Pack 3 installed on my computer.

Dawn Rushbrook

A Windows Update should not try to download an update more than once. The reason these updates are showing as 0KB on your computer is that they have already been downloaded and are awaiting installation.

Sometimes update problems can be solved by installing the updates one at a time. Try deselecting all but one of the requested updates before starting the Update process.

In the case of this update for Microsoft XML Core Services, the reference to the Service Pack is not Service Pack for Windows but for that software (it’s an integral part of Windows).

You might also hear about Service Packs for Microsoft Office as well. Windows Update is a reliable program and if it asks to install something, you should follow its advice.

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