Look for Error Code
When the Windows XP update installation fails to complete successfully, one of the things you can do is to locate the installation error code on your computer. Go to "Start," click "All Programs" and click on "Windows Update." Then click on "Review your update history." You will see a window open up that lists the updates recently installed on your computer, and also shows the ones that failed to install. You can distinguish them by looking at the "Status" column to check if the installation failed; then click on the red "X." A new window should pop up indicating the error code. Write down or copy the error number, so you can enter it later in a search box when prompted.
Windows Troubleshooter
To determine the next steps to take in troubleshooting Windows XP updates, search for the installation error code in the Windows Update Troubleshooter. While the installation window that contains the error code is still open, click "Find Solutions." The Winds Update or Microsoft Update should open. In the "Type keywords here" box, type or paste in the error codes you noted in the previous section, then click on "Search." This should display links that contain suggestions for resolving the problem. Click on the links, then follow the steps provided.
Microsoft Knowledge Base
If the previous step did not yield any possible solutions to your problem, check the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Often, even seasoned Microsoft engineers refer to some knowledge-base articles on the Microsoft website to find solutions to their problems. Access the Microsoft Knowledge Base by first going to the Windows or Microsoft Update as shown in Section 1, then clicking on "Go to Knowledge Base articles." Type in the error code from Section 1, which should yield some articles that may be relevant to your problem. Read the one that seems to be the closest match and follow the steps. You can go straight to the Knowledge Base website by going to the main Microsoft website, clicking on "Support" and then typing the error codes in the search window.
If all else fails, email your error code to Microsoft Support. The service is free, especially for update-related issues.
