Re: Can't access Windows Update, no error code

The attribution to ZA sounds speculative.

I based the opinion on past experiences. A number of IE MVPs are much more familiar with ZA issues than I am.
As long as the system is updating, that's all that matters, John.

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
==============

John69 wrote:

The attribution to ZA sounds speculative. The ZA forum gurus are unaware of any such problem. I have ZA Free on several other PCs without any problem, and I previously had it on this PC without any problem. The problem only started after I was forced to do a HP system recovery because windows had become clogged.

But it's great to have a PC that feels secure again.

Thanks again, MowGreen


"MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:


Yaba daba DOO ! Nice work, John. I still feel the whole issue originated with ZA. That's why no error code was generated in the WindowsUpdate.log.
AU should function now, too. You're most welcome and I'm glad to hear we can finally put this issue to rest. ;)


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


John69 wrote:


SUCCESS!!!

The first part of your instructions solved the problem. Have now used Windows update and Microsoft update to obtain all relevant updates. I assume my automatic updates will now work also, given that they are switched on. So no need to use Windiz any more. I'll let the ZA forum know ZA wasn't the problem. Perhaps Microsoft's documented help might ideally be adjusted to include this fix.

Thanks for your persistence, MowGreen.

"MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:



Aha, there is an error message now ! Give this a shot, John. It was posted by Torgeir Bakken, MVP -
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Click Start > Run >

Type the follow command in the Open box.

net stop wuauserv

Click OK or press Enter

Repeat the same for the following commands, clicking OK or pressing Enter after each one:

regsvr32 wuapi.dll
regsvr32 wups.dll
regsvr32 wuaueng.dll
regsvr32 wucltui.dll
regsvr32 msxml3.dll (that's an L after the second m, *not* a one)
net start wuauserv

Restart the system and revisit WU.
If the above didn't work out:

See if reinstalling the Windows Update Agent using the standalone
installer solves the problem.

Download location for WindowsUpdateAgent20-x86.exe
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=43264

If it says "Install is not needed since Windows Update Agent is
already installed.", run the exe with the command line switch
/wuforce, like this:

WindowsUpdateAgent20-x86.exe /wuforce
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other words, download, and save it to the Desktop. Then click
Start > Run > and click the Browse button
Navigate to where the file is on the Desktop and then click on it and click Open. *ADD* /wuforce to the end of the command that will appear in the Open field.
NOTE: there is a space between the last e and /


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



John69 wrote:



MowGreen,

I deleted the two files concerned. They were in the "Downloader" folder in the path you specified. As they were being used by some program/process, I had to do a selective startup using the original boot.ini (under system confog utility) before deleting. I then needed to reboot normally before following the rest of your instructions.

The changes failed to fix the problem with WU and (as requested), here are the latest 30 lines in that file:

2006-10-31 11:12:49 2260 8d8 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:12:49 2260 8d8 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng1.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:12:49 2260 8d8 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wucltui.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:12:49 2260 8d8 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wups.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:12:49 2260 8d8 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wups2.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:12:49 2260 8d8 Setup * IsUpdateRequired = No
2006-10-31 11:12:49 2260 8d8 WUWeb FATAL: CreateObject for Microsoft.Update.AutoUpdate failed: error 0x800401f3
2006-10-31 11:12:49 2260 8d8 WUWeb FATAL: CreateObject for Microsoft.Update.AutoUpdate failed: error 0x800401f3
2006-10-31 11:12:49 2260 8d8 WUWeb FATAL: CreateObject for Microsoft.Update.SystemInfo failed: error 0x800401f3
2006-10-31 11:13:20 2572 a10 Misc =========== Logging initialized (build: 5.8.0.2469, tz: +1100) ===========
2006-10-31 11:13:20 2572 a10 Misc = Process: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
2006-10-31 11:13:20 2572 a10 Misc = Module: C:\WINDOWS\System32\wuweb.dll
2006-10-31 11:13:20 2572 a10 WUWeb FATAL: CreateObject for Microsoft.Update.ServiceManager failed: error 0x800401f3
2006-10-31 11:13:22 2572 a10 WUWeb FATAL: CreateObject for Microsoft.Update.ServiceManager failed: error 0x800401f3
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup *********** Setup: Checking whether self-update is required ***********
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup * Inf file: C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\WebSetup\wusetup.inf
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\cdm.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\iuengine.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuapi.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt1.exe: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaucpl.cpl: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng1.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wucltui.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wups.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup Update NOT required for C:\WINDOWS\system32\wups2.dll: target version = 5.8.0.2469, required version = 5.8.0.2469
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 Setup * IsUpdateRequired = No
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 WUWeb FATAL: CreateObject for Microsoft.Update.AutoUpdate failed: error 0x800401f3
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 WUWeb FATAL: CreateObject for Microsoft.Update.AutoUpdate failed: error 0x800401f3
2006-10-31 11:13:27 2572 a10 WUWeb FATAL: CreateObject for Microsoft.Update.SystemInfo failed: error 0x800401f3


ZoneAlarm is installed, but WU still doesn't work when I totally Shut Down ZoneAlarm.

Regards,

"MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:




Are you saying that automatic updates will work even if Windows Update doesn't?

Yes. But, let's see if we can get WU to work John. I understand your frustration, but my systems have *never* had an issue in 9 years obtaining and installing updates from WU/MU save for updates to Word and Excel Viewers. And that was because I had deleted the installation files.
It would have been nice if the download page for the Viewers had stated that, wouldn't it ? ;)

The most important components of accessing WU involve scripting, having the firewall properly configured so that full access to WU is allowed, the "health" of the internet connection, keeping the HD in good health [defragging and cleaning out Temp folders], having Security software installed that doesn't conflict with Windows, let alone WU [hello, NAV], and ensuring that the proper Services are set correctly.

*Before* you visit WU, open this folder -

Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Network <--

There should be 2 files in there, qmgr0.dat and qmgr1.dat
Both are related to BITS. Delete them both and they will be recreated when accessing WU if BITS is functioning correctly.

Also, flush the DNS cache by opening a Command Prompt.
Go to Start > Run > type in

cmd
Click OK
At the Command Prompt, type in and press Enter after each line

proxycfg -d

net stop wuauserv

net start wuauserv

exit

Restart the system and revisit WU. If the system still can not access it, then post the last 30 lines from the WindowsUpdate.log located in the WINDOWS directory (folder).


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


John69 wrote:




ZoneAlarm is now reinstalled thanks to the help on the ZA forum. After doing the ZA clean uninstall, and before reinstalling, I again tried Windows update with the same problem of Windows update failing recurring. I don't understand what you mean when you say "Check the Services console to see if there is still a Zone Alarm service still present". Where is this Services console and how do I access it? I want to get windows update working, and if this means uninstalling ZoneAlarm again using different instructions, then I'm happy to do that.

I agree with your advice to obtain software from known, trusted sources. I wouldn't have considered Windiz in the first place if I could get Windows update to work. The fact that Windiz is included in Wikipedia without any negative feedback gave me some level of confidence. If Microsoft hadn't made my task so difficult, I wouldn't have needed to consider it. Firstly, to use Windows update, I need to lower my security settings (in breach of the safe hex practices on the site you quote). Secondly, to use Windows update, I need to avoid alternate safer browsers and am forced to use IE - which has a long history of being "buggy" and being targeted by malware - in contravention of the recommendations of the safe hex practices on the site you quoted. Thirdly, to use Windows update, I need to find a solution to this problem, which to-date I haven't been able to do. It's little surprise that there is such widespread animosity against Microsoft when it apparently intentionally abuses its effective monopolistic position through practices such as unreasonably preventing competing web browsers from accessing Windows updates. But that's another issue, and not my concern here.

Is your suggestion that I manually trawl through the Microsoft download centre and read Microsoft security bulletins, to try to manually find and install critical updates for my computer, one-by-one, a practical solution? Unlike you, I'm no Microsoft guru, and can't afford to waste more time on long manual processes.

Are you saying that automatic updates will work even if Windows Update doesn't? If so, this seems practical . However, I had auto update switched on and it didn't seem to do anything (hence why I lodged this post and tried Windiz).

MowGreen, I do appreciate your attempts to help. So far no success.


"MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:





(Unfortunately, I now have a problem reinstalling Zone Alarm, so until that is fixed I feel somewhat exposed when I post to this message board.)

I've worked on systems that could not even *connect* to the net due to ZA's sloppy uninstall routine.
There are many situations where Zone Alarm does *not* uninstall correctly. It will leave a driver in use and the only way to remove it, on XP Home, is to boot to Safe Mode and take Ownership of it, then delete it.
Check the Services console to see if there is still a Zone Alarm service still present.
That is the most likely culprit for the inability to reinstall ZA and the systems inability to successfully negotiate a connection with WU.
The above is not my opinion, it's from my experience working on systems that had issues when ZA was uninstalled.


If you are happy with Windiz, then by all means use it. I'm not the
.