When you try to install Windows Vista updates or components, you may experience the following symptoms:

• When you try to install an update by using the Windows Update Web site, you receive an error message that includes the following error code:
  

  0×80073712

  The update does not install.

• When you click Turn Windows features on or off in the “Programs and Features” Control Panel item, the Windows Features dialog box is empty. No features are shown.

When this problem occurs, a log entry that resembles the following may appear in the System log:

Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Servicing
Date: 2/5/2007 9:49:08 AM
Event ID: 4375
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
Description:
Windows Servicing failed to complete the process of setting package xxxxxx (Software Update) into Default(Default) state

Event Xml:
<UserData>
<CbsPackageChangeState xmlns="http://manifests.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/windows/setup_provider">
<ErrorCode>0x80073712</ErrorCode>
</CbsPackageChangeState>
</UserData>

After this error occurs, you may be unable to install any other software updates.

Some of you may be familiar with a tool called ‘nLite’, which among other functions, helps remove unwanted components from Windows XP. There is now a similar tool available for Windows Vista called ‘vLite’. Here’s a description from their website summarizing what vLite is about: Keep reading →