If you have Internet Connectivity and you're having a problem with Windows Update then this is not a Fusion issue per-se and as such you should be looking to Microsoft resources and or Google to find a solution to a Windows OS problem.

You could also search the forums here for some resent posts related to other non Fusion related Windows OS Windows Update issues for some things you could try.

First of all I did not absolutely categorically say that this was not a Fusion issue. What I did say is “If you have Internet Connectivity and you're having a problem with Windows Update then this is not a Fusion issue per-se” and that does leave room for it to be a Fusion issue however it is more likely not to be a Fusion issue if the Windows Virtual Machine has Internet Connectivity.

Whether were talking about a Physical Machine or a Virtual Machine it still basically comes down to two areas, Hardware and Software with one difference in the Virtual Machine the additional software of VMware Tools although there again if the Virtual Machine has Internet Connectivity there's nothing in the installation of VMware Tools that modifies and/or overwrites the files that are a part of the Windows Update mechanism.

When I question or doubt where the issue may lie in which layer hardware or software I like to use a Live OS CD to boot the system and test the hardware, physical or virtual, and in doing so I eliminate the possibilities of a hardware issue. Once the hardware is validated as without issue then the only other layer in this context is a software layer and in this particular case we’re talking about the Windows Operating System and the Windows Update mechanism and without providing appropriate information from which to troubleshoot where in the software layer the issue may lie then explicit and specific suggestions related to the explicit and specific error(s) cannot be offered. Now I know on the virtual side the aforementioned is not a complete picture because the Host is a part of the equation although by testing the virtual hardware it in essence rules out the Host and Fusion from the standpoint of providing a functioning virtual hardware environment for an OS function in.

If you really feel that this is a Fusion issue then you have two choices as I see it. One would be uninstalling/reinstalling VMware Tools in the target Virtual Machine and the other would be uninstalling/reinstalling Fusion on the Host and if either of these do not resolve the issue then what's left in regards to Fusion is to create a new Windows Virtual Machine. Other than that I would follow the various steps that are documented and available from Microsoft's web site on dealing with failed Windows Update issues. (Links to some of which have been posted by myself and others in the last week or so in this form.)

On the contrary, it makes no difference what hardware, physical or virtual, you're running and the point of what I wrote was not just for your benefit only. It was so that others having a similar issue would have additional information to look at the problem from a different perspective then they might be looking at it.

The bottom line I have found that when I boot a Virtual Machine in Fusion or Workstation and or some other VMware product for that matter with a Knoppix CD/DVD or ISO Image and specifically “KNOPPIX_V5.1.1CD-2007-01-04-EN.iso” and enumerated and tested the Virtual Hardware Layer and Network/Internet Connectivity through the Host and the virtual hardware and connectivity was without issues the source of the problem was in the Software Layer and while once in a while VMware Tools came into play in the resolution that was the exception and the real issue more often then not was in the Guest OS and or additional non-VMware software.

One thing I've found out over the years is that Users that don't know any better always want to immediately blame the VMware product (or whatever product is in question) for the source of their issue and that not to say it isn't at times as obviously all products have some issue of some sort at some time on different systems. Regardless of where the issue lies and whether or not an obvious error is being shown there are many tools and way to diagnose where the issue lies however sometimes it cost prohibitive to spend to much time on a particular issue and that is why having appropriate backups from which to recover and or just starting over sometimes is the best solution to an elusive issue.

Anyway, I hope you resolve your particular issue in this case without having to start from scratch. Good Luck!

To Lester36:

Lester I'm having the same problems with Windows XP Update inside a VMWare Fusion machine. You did mention some registry hacks. If you're willing to share it would save me quite some search time and hopefully solve my problem also. If you prefer to send me a private reply please do it to ppires@gmail.com. Thsnks in advance.

Couldn't find the article you mentioned. Please provide a link that you used. Thanks in advance.

The troubleshooter just brings up a search for knowledge base articles where you need to enter a key word/phrase. I haven't been able to find an article so far that addresses this problem. thanks.