BleepingComputer.com: Windows Updates Run Wild

Hello
I installed an update today but it keeps coming back. I must have installed it 4 or 5 times. Any ideas??






Thanks

Have you tried uninstalling the update (how to here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/windows-vista-updates-and-extras/ )?
Then reinstall it and see if it takes.

Other steps involve renaming the CatRoot2 folder and the Software Distribution folder (but that's an XP fix - dunno how it'll affect Vista)

Thanks John but using your first method I cannot find that entry in the Windows update folder.

Did you:
- Open Windows Update from the Start Menu
- Click on "See Also...Installed Updates" in the lower left corner of the Windows Update window
- Click on the update for KB936181 - an Uninstall option should appear above the updates once this is done

Wish it was that easy

I found one update entry that may be posing a problem however




Thanks John
Ps. I also checked by "DATE" and nothing is there as being installed today

Before looking at the strikethrough'd stuff below - I'd have to suggest checking both the Reliability Monitor and the Event Viewer for errors relating to this problem (that should help more than my random poking around here).

I'd remove that one just because it looks "funky".
As for the others, I'd have to suggest the method of renaming your CatRoot2 and SoftwareDistribution folders to something else.

2 caveats tho':
1) Do only one at a time and test thoroughly before trying the second one
2) I have never seen this done with Vista and cannot/will not be held responsible if it should hose your system! Proceed with a whole lotta caution!

good morning John

No errors to speak of. Just some spooler errors stating the registry couldn't be read or may be corrupt. I believe it is only because I just booted the computer however





Thanks
would a restore or repair be in order??

Did you scroll back to when these updates were "installed" on Feb 2?
I take it there were no errors in the Application logfile either?
What did Reliability Monitor have to say for Feb 2? (sometimes the errors may seem unrelated, but actually are).

I'd hold off on the repair/restore (and would try the strikethrough stuff before the repair/restore).

FWIW - I like troubleshooting stuff like this, but I realize that others may not share this feeling. It's your system, and restoring it to factory specs will most likely fix these issues - so it's your call on when/if to do it.

Hello again

John if you can talk me through whatever you think needs to be done then that is good enough for me. Here is what I found











Is it possible the uninstall and reinstall of my printer software caused this?

This post has been edited by tpm: 03 February 2008 - 08:51 AM

Notice in your screen shots how the ID's 19 and 18 (Windows Update) are preceeded by a Spooler warning. Sometime's it's the patterns that are significant - sometimes it's not. The likelyhood of the two areas affecting each other isn't great - but there is a chance of it.

You found an error on Jan 31 in the Application log that's typically associated with Windows Update. To find out a bit more, could you go to Start and type in "%windir%/windowsupdate.log" (without the quotes) and press Enter. This'll open up Notepad with the logfile in it. Then please copy and paste everything from Jan 31 and after to your next post for us to have a look at.

FWIW - this is a very common issue with Vista (from my searches). I'd suspect that there was an issue with DCOM (which I don't know much about) or with the access permissions (which I should be able to help with) from some of the stuff that I've read.

This is the entire log file John. I hope this helps
I also have a 20meg event log file but it's to large to upload

From the logfile, it appears that the user declined to install the updates at shutdown

Quote

It rescheduled it here:

Quote

Then it reinstalled it successfully.
Then it does it all over again. Arrrggghhhh!!!!

Fortunately, you've provided enough information that I was able to broaden my searches - and I stumbled upon this, right here on our own front porch (and there's 2 solutions in it): http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/ind...p;showentry=968
Thanks to MowGreen for this blog entry!

Although it doesn't refer to your specific KB number, I'd suspect that it's just what what you're looking for - as it seems to pertain to the XML updates in general.

BTW - Here's where I got the link from: http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet...msxml-40-s.aspx

This post has been edited by usasma: 03 February 2008 - 11:10 AM
Reason for edit: Added link

OK John
At the risk of sounding stupid.... what the heck am I supposed to do???? I'll start by looking in Add/Remove while showing hidden files and then get back to you.

Ok John I found this in Vista's Program add/remove




What next my good man

Edit: Not a hidden file. Just didn't see it

This post has been edited by tpm: 03 February 2008 - 11:24 AM

Alright
I removed, rebooted, disabled everything I could including my antivirus. I then installed the update again and checked to see if it was in Add/Remove Programs which it was. I then restarted and checked Windows Update.
It found a new update (which is good I guess) KB941833 and installed it. As I'm typing this I get a Windows update message to reinstall the NEW found update again.

What do you think??