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Error messages when you start a Windows XP-based computer and then try to download Windows Updates

Article ID: 931852

Article Last Modified on 2/20/2007

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When you start a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, you receive the following error message:

Generic Host Process for Win32 Services has encountered a problem and needs to close.

Additionally, when you try to download Windows Updates on this computer, you receive the following error message:

Svchost.exe application error. The instruction at "Ox745f2780" referenced memory at 0x00000000000000. The memory could not be read.

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, and then type net stop wuauserv.
On the desktop, double-click My Computer, and then delete the drive:\WuTemp folder.
Delete the drive:\Windows\System32\Catroot2 folder.
Open the drive:\Windows folder, and then rename the SoftwareDistribution folder as SoftwareDistributionOLD.
Open the drive:\Windows\system32 folder, and then follow these steps:
1. Rename the Wuweb.dll file as Wuweb.dll.old.
2. Rename the Wuapi.dll file as Wuapi.dll.old.
3. Rename the Wuauclt.exe file as Wuauclt.exe.old.
4. Rename the Wuaucpl.cpl file as Wuaucpl.cpl.old.
5. Rename the Wuaueng1.dll file as Wuaueng1.dll.old.
6. Rename the Wuaueng.dll file as Wuaueng.dll.old.
7. Rename the Wuauserv.dll file as Wuauserv.dll.old.
8. Rename the Wucltui.dll file as Wucltui.dll.old.
9. Rename the Wups2.dll file as Wups2.dll.old.
10. Rename the Wups.dll file as Wups.dll.old.
Restart the computer.

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