If you're running Windows Server with IIS, you may have encountered a problem with this month's security update, KB917537.    The update client fails to install the patch, then asks for a reboot and the cycle repeats.

 

Try this fix, via microsoft.public.windowsupdate:  Before Microsoft Update starts installing updates, stop IIS from the command line (net stop w3svc or for PowerShell, stop-service w3svc) or via the management console.

 

Then run, or continue, Microsoft Update.  The patch should take.

 

Also remember that most patches log their installation in the Windows directory, in the form <patchname.log>, so KB917537 has the log KB917537.log.  If you are looking through windowsupdate.log and not finding any hints, you need to look at this log or the log associated with any failed update.

 

Take care,

 

Dave