Security Update for VS 2008 SP1 may not install

Microsoft released several security updates yesterday, including the Security Update for VS 2008 SP1. Today I installed them, but the VS 2008 one didn't install. I tried several times, but each time it still showed up as available in Windows Update.

Turns out that the update won't install if you didn't install C++ when you installed Visual Studio. I don't do C++, so I never install it and take up the disk space. Who knew that would someday prevent a security update from installing?

Hopefully, Microsoft will issue an update to the update in the near future, but in the meantime, there is a workaround. Thanks to Joao Cardoso, a VB MVP, for posting the following step by step on his blog (http://pontonetpt.com/blogs/joaocardoso/archive/2009/07/29/kb971092-visual-studio-2008-service-pack-1-atl-security-update-does-not-install.aspx).

1 - Download VS90SP1-KB971092-x86.exe from here
2 - Start the installation
3 – You will get an error message. Usually: “VC Libraries QFE Patch does not apply, or is blocked by another condition on your system.” 
4 - Don’t close the window, and find the temporary folder that was created in one of your drives. You may need to change your setting to see invisible folders. Usually this resides on the C drive and its a bunch of letters and numbers. Its a folder that has the file VS90SP1-KB971092-x86.msp in it. Copy the entire folder to another location and rename it to your liking.
5 - Finally cancel the installation process 
6 - Navigate to <drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\Tools and find vsvars32.bat.
7 - Change the permissions (on security) on the file to allow everyone to edit it. This may not be required but better safe than sorry, because the patch will edit this file.
8 - Finally start VS90SP1-KB971092-x86.msp from within the saved folder and the process should complete. Go to windows update and check for new updates. The patch should not be offered again.