In Windows 7 There is a troubleshooter which can automatically resolve many of the issues with Automatic Updates. This troubleshooter is not available in Windows 2008 R2 at the time of writing.
- Starting the Troubleshooter
To start the troubleshooter, click on Start and then type "Troubleshooting".
You can also enter Control Panel and choose Troubleshooting.
Click on the option "Fix problems with Windows Update" under "System and Security" at the bottom.
- The Windows Update Troubleshooter will start. In most cases, clicking on Next is all that you need to do.
Choosing Advanced allows you to toggle whether to repair any issues automatically, or simply report that there is a problem.
- Once complete, the Troubleshooter will report whether it found any issues and was able to repair them.
- You can click on "View detailed information" to view the complete report.
If the troubleshooter hasn't resolved the issue, then you could try reregistering the Windows Update files using the script on this page.