Windows 7 64-bit SP1 failure to install

Question

I tried to install Windows 7 64-bit Service Pack 1 (SP1). Everything appeared to have gone well until the system rebooted and when applyting the updates (Applying update operation nnn of 316581) I got this error:
Error C000009A applying update operation 115991 of 316581 (\Registry\...)
My system has updated all Microsoft update releases and scans (full scan) weekly without ever having had an error.
So now what?

Answer 1

I did hear from Microsoft this morning.
Their response is something like "Well, I don't know the answer to that problem, but let me tell you what I do know."
Floopy disk, anyone?
"Thank you for contacting Microsoft Windows 7 Email Technical Support. My name is Sai Teja, and I would be happy to assist you. For reference, here is your
service request number 1149719330.
From your description, I understand that you got an error after installing sp1.
I understand the inconvenience you have experienced.
Please be assured that we will do our best in assisting you with this issue. During the course of troubleshooting, if we find that the issue is with a Non-Microsoft
hardware or software, I would be guiding you to the right person who could assist you better on this matter.
Please follow these steps, and do contact us if you have any questions.
Step 1:-
Check in safe mode after disconnecting external devices.
In order to isolate the issue, let us start the computer in Safe Mode and check if system boots fine.
Note: Safe mode loads only minimum drivers and services. As network adapters do not work, you will not be able to access Internet in this
mode. Also, display appears bigger as display adapters are disabled.
Steps to boot the computer in Safe Mode:
1)   Remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer, and then restart your computer by pressing power button. Also,
disconnect all external devices.
2)    Do one of the following:
a)  If your computer has a single operating system installed, press and hold the F8 key as your computer restarts. You need to press
F8 before the Windows logo appears. If the Windows logo appears, you'll need to try again by waiting until the Windows logon prompt appears, and then shutting down and restarting your computer.
b)  If your computer has more than one operating system, use the arrow keys to highlight the operating system you want to start in
safe mode, and then press F8.
3)    On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight the Safe Mode option you want, and then press
Enter.
4)    Log on to your computer with a user account that has administrator rights.
If issue persists, please proceed with Step 4. If you are able to boot into safe mode, please follow the steps listed below:
Step A: Perform clean boot.
Clean boot:
 To help troubleshoot error messages and other issues, you can start Windows 7 by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs.
This kind of startup is known as a "clean boot". A clean boot helps eliminate software conflicts.
Note: If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from following these steps.
We strongly recommend that you do not use the System Configuration utility to modify the advanced boot options on the computer unless a
Microsoft support engineer directs you to do this. Doing this may make the computer unusable.
1.  Log on to the computer by using an account that has administrator rights.
2.  Click Start, type “msconfig.exe” (type without quotes) in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER to start the
System Configuration Utility.
3.  If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
4.  On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then click to clear the Load startup items check box. (The Use Original Boot.ini
check box is unavailable.) 5.  On the Services tab, click to select the Hide all Microsoft services check box, and then click Disable all.
Note: Following these steps lets Microsoft services continue to run. These services include Networking, Plug and Play, Event Logging, Error
Reporting, and other services. If you disable these services, you may permanently delete all restore points. Do not do this if you want to use the System Restore utility together with existing restore points.
Click OK, and then click Restart.
Try to check if you can boot in normal mode.
If it works fine, it means the non MS Program is interrupting. To find which program is causing this issue, execute Action 1 to Action
6 to find which application is causing the issue and uninstall it.
Action 1: Enable half of the services.
Action 2: Determine whether the problem returns.
Action 3: Enable half of the Startup items.
Action 4: Determine whether the problem returns.
Action 5: Resolve the problem.
Action 6: Reset the computer to start as usual.
After you have finished troubleshooting, follow these steps to reset the computer to start as usual:
How to set your computer back to boot normal:
1.  Click Start type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
2.  If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
3.  On the General tab, click the Normal Startup option, and then click OK.
4.  When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Restart.
Please look at this link for more information
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
If you still find difficulty in booting into normal mode, please proceed with Step B.
Step B: Perform Hardware Clean boot.
Hardware clean boot is a troubleshooting technique that allows you to get the computer up and running with minimal hardware (disabling
Display adapter, network adapter and sound card devices) so that you can perform diagnostic tests to determine which hardware of the normal boot process are causing problems.
1.      Click on “Start button”.
2.      Right click on “Computer” menu and choose “Properties”.
3.      Click on “Device manager” option in the left pane.
4.      Right Click on Sound Card, modem, Network Adapter, Display Adapter, CD/DVD drive and click disable. (If
you are playing game online, please do not disable network adapter)
5.      Restart the computer and check for the issue.
6.      Then enable the drive one by one to determine which is causing the issue.
7.      Once you found the device which is causing the issue, please uninstall and reinstall the driver for the
device and check for the issue.
Note: It is always recommended to install driver from the computer manufacturer website. Please download and install the driver from the
manufacturer Website.
Microsoft doesn’t recommend you to leave the computer in Hardware clean boot mode. So, please set your computer to normal boot mode
after performing the troubleshooting steps by enabling all the devices.
How to set your computer back to boot normal:
1. Click on “Start button”.
2. Right click on “Computer” menu and choose “Properties”.
3. Click on “Device manager” option in the left pane.
4. Right Click on Sound Card, modem, Network Adapter, Display Adapter, CD/DVD drive and click Enable.
Step 4: Try last known good configuration.
The Last Known Good Configuration feature is a recovery option that you can use to start your computer by using the most recent settings
that worked. The Last Known Good Configuration feature restores registry information and driver settings that were in effect the last time the computer started successfully.
Steps to boot the computer in Last known good configuration:
1)  Remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer, and then restart your computer by pressing power button.
2)  Do one of the following:
a)  If your computer has a single operating system installed, press and hold the F8 key as your computer restarts. You need to press
F8 before the Windows logo appears. If the Windows logo appears, you'll need to try again by waiting until the Windows logon prompt appears, and then shutting down and restarting your computer.
b)  If your computer has more than one operating system, use the arrow keys to highlight the operating system you want to start in
safe mode, and then press F8.
3)    On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight the Last Known Good Configuration option you
want, and then press Enter.
I eagerly await your response after you complete the trouble shooting steps.
Please reply to us with the status of the issue after performing these steps. If the issue was resolved, please let us know the steps (Step1, Step2,
etc...) that resolved the issue. If the issue remains unresolved and if any error message pops-up while performing the above steps, please
reply to this mail with the specific error message for further research. Your
reply is very important for us to ensure a proper resolution. We’ll respond in the next 24 Hours once we get a reply from you.
Note-
In order to ensure proper delivery of your response, please verify that the
Email address in “To” field and the Subject are not modified or deleted.
Kindly provide us your US/Canada Phone number and a preferred callback time, so that we can contact you if required regarding this issue.
I look forward to your reply!
Sai
Technical Support Officer
Microsoft Windows Online Support
Microsoft Main Support Telephone Number: [phone]
Microsoft Main Support hours
Monday through Friday - 5:00am - 9:00pm Pacific
Saturday and Sunday - 6:00am - 3:00pm Pacific
Email:
[email protected]
If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions regarding Microsoft support, we would like to hear from you. You may reach me by responding to this message. You may
reach my manager by sending an email to the following address:
[email protected]"