Windows Update Failure

I don't usually post about anything but Internet related programs, but I have run across this issue a couple of times in the past month, and so I realized it must be important to document.

Two systems that I have recently reinstalled XP on, and then immediately installed Service Pack 3 on gave me a problem right after the .net 2.0 security fix. After that, all updates would download, but not install.

I repaired the problem using the second technique mentioned in the article found here.
My steps were the following:

Download and install the Windows Update Agent
To resolve this problem, follow these steps:
1. Download the appropriate version of the Windows Update Agent to a known location.
(such as c:\wuagent for example)
To do this, visit one of the following Web sites.
Windows, x86-based systems
http://download.windowsupdate.com/WindowsUpdate/redist/standalone/7.0.6000.381/WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe
Windows, x64-based systems
http://download.windowsupdate.com/WindowsUpdate/redist/standalone/7.0.6000.381/WindowsUpdateAgent30-x64.exe
Windows, Itanium-based system
http://download.windowsupdate.com/WindowsUpdate/redist/standalone/7.0.6000.381/WindowsUpdateAgent30-ia64.exe
(if you don't know which one you need, it's likely the x86 one you're looking for)
2. Click Start, click Run, click Browse, locate the file that you saved in step 1, and then click Open.
3. Add the /wuforce switch to the end of the run command, and then click OK. For example, the run command may appear as the following:
C:\wuagent\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce
4. Click Run.
5. Follow the steps to complete the wizard.

I hope this helps someone out there searching for the answer to this problem. It's fixed two installs of WinXP for me, one XP Home, and one XP Media Center.
Good luck!

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