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"Insufficient privilege" errors and other installation woes can be difficult to diagnose. For example, repairing the Apple Software Update program in Windows 7 fixes an iTunes update glitch.

Computer malware authors exploit weaknesses in software. Developers combat computer crooks by patching their programs to block malware attacks. That's why we're encouraged to keep our software up-to-date. Every now and then, a software update fails, leaving our systems a little less secure.

I got a first-hand look at the problem the other day when the Apple Software Update program balked at installing iTunes version 11.0.3 on my Windows 7 PC. The installer reported "insufficient privileges" and suggested I log on as an administrator or contact my system administrator. Of course, I was logged on as an administrator, and like most Windows users, I have no system administrator to contact.

Fortunately, the solution to this update glitch was relatively easy to find: I repaired the Apple Software Update program in Win7's Programs and Features app, restarted my PC, and tried the update again, this time successfully.

Unfortunately, other software-update failures aren't as simple to diagnose and cure.

(Back in May 2011 I compared three free software-update utilities. Of the three, my favorite is Secunia's Personal Software Inspector.)

An easy solution to an iTunes update failure It took only a few minutes of searching on the iTunes "insufficient privilege" error message to find a forum post recommending a repair of the Apple Software Update applet to allow the installation of iTunes 11.0.3 to proceed. To do so, press the Windows key, type Programs and Features, and press Enter. Select Apple Software Update and click the Repair button.

Choose Apple Software Update and click the Repair button to allow iTunes to update to version 11.0.3.

Note that in a post on the Apple Support Communities in March 2012, K Gazow described a fix for a failed iTunes update that involves changing Windows User Account Control settings.

It turns out "insufficient privilege" and other access-denied errors are associated with just about every piece of software ever distributed, including Office, Firefox, and Windows 8.

Continue reading here:
How to troubleshoot software-update problems