Re: Windows updates fail after install of SP2

I do have updates showing in Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel.

For some reason I don't have a WindowsUpdate.log file in the Windows
directory. I even did a search for *.log and it just wasn't there. I
wonder if I didn't inadvertently delete it. I'm sure I didn't delete any
log files since my last update though; especially anything to do with
Windows Update.


"MowGreen [MVP]" <mowgreen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ubSU6DMFHHA.960@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Doug,

Please post the last 40 - 50 lines of the WindowsUpdate.log located in the
WINDOWS directory (folder).
Are the updates now showing in Add/Remove Programs in the Control
Panel ? (Check the box that says 'Show updates' up at the top)


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

Doug wrote:

First of all, thanks for your help MowGreen!

I did everything you said to the letter. It was interesting, I'll say
that:-) Here's the outcome and where I'm at right now...

I uninstalled IE7 rebooted, then uninstalled Windows Defender and
rebooted again. That all went well. Did the net stop wuauserv, deleted
everything in the Software Distribution folder and then did the net start
wuauserv. That all worked well also.

Waited for awhile thinking I may get some notification that updates are
available, but nothing happened so I rebooted again. Then I went to
Windows Update and saw that there were 59 updates (not counting the
software updates) available. I unchecked everything and then rechecked
the first 5. While downloaded I noticed that one of them was IE7 so I
cancelled and picked a different one. Anyway, they all downloaded and
looked as if they were going to install but unfortunately they all
failed. So I'm like crap, now what?

Well, I thought I would turn automatic updates on so that it would
automatically download and install updates but that didn't seem to do
anything either. Went back to Windows Update and tried one more time to
download one update but that failed to install also. I went ahead and
turned automatic updates back where I had it which is to notify me when
updates are ready but not to download or install until I let it.

OK, now I decided to reboot again and when I went to restart I noticed
something I've never seen before and that is to "Install updates and shut
down the computer." (A little icon which I've never seen before was on
top of the "Turn Off" button.) Well, I'm thinking there can only be like
5 updates maybe so I thought I would give that a try. When I did that a
notification on the desktop (shut down screen) said it was installing 1of
58 updates! I'm like whoa! So I let it do it's thing. Took like 30
minutes to shut down as I watched the update number rise. 2 of 58, 3 of
58, 4 of 58 and on and on and on.

Once I restarted the computer I went to the Windows Defender page and
downloaded / installed the program without a hitch. Then I went to
Windows Update again and noticed that the only one left was IE7. So I
turned off all my anti-malware and anti-virus protection and tried to
download/install IE7. Downloaded fine but again failed to install.

So that's where I am now. I suppose I could go directly to the
Microsoft's Internet Explorer update page and get IE7 and it would
probably install fine, but I suspect I will be in the exact same place as
when I started. I guess my biggest question is why would the 58 updates
install prior to a shut down and not while windows was running? And of
course I'm still not getting any notification that there are updates, at
least not yet. I'm thinking I should probably get one since IE7 is still
out there. I just can't imagine what has happened to break my Windows
Update functionality.



"MowGreen [MVP]" <mowgreen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:O4MCOM$EHHA.1356@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Doug,

Actually, your post is quite good since you've provided the whole episode
instead of just a cut from the movie ;)
The issue of updates not being offered after the application of SP2 is a
new twist on an old theme ...
Automatic Updates stops working after a repair install of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555615

SP2 is a major reworking of XP and many issues can arise if proper
preparation is not done prior. Instead of uninstalling SP2, let's try
this ... uninstall both IE7 and Windows Defender, rebooting between each
uninstall.
Stop the Automatic Update service by going to Start > Run >
type in

net stop wuauserv
Click OK

Navigate to the WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution folder and delete it's
CONTENTS, not the folder itself

Go back to Start > Run > type in

net start wuauserv
Click OK

Automatic Updates should then notify you of updates needed now.
Suggest not installing more than 5 updates at a time to see if any are
causing an issue.
When all the updates are installed, install Windows Defender again.
Do all the reboots required for all the updates, please.

Then read this prior to installing IE7 -
http://msmvps.com/blogs/spywaresucks/archive/2006/10/18/182724.aspx
Scroll all the way down to the 'Before installing IE7' heading.


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


Doug wrote:


Hi,

After much frustration I finally got SP2 to install on this computer,
running Windows XP Home. My initial problem with SP2 was that it would
install just fine, but as soon as I right clicked anything my computer
would lock up, or Explorer.exe would "have a problem and have to close."
I tried installing it several times after disabling all the context
menus that came up when right clicking and uninstalling Dvix, solutions
that seemed to have worked for others. At any rate it never worked for
me so I just did without SP2.

About two weeks ago I decided I would try it again. I wanted to install
IE7 and Windows Defender so SP2 was a requirement I needed to have
installed. So, even though I have a SP2 disc I thought I would just go
to the Windows Update site and get it. I downloaded it and when it was
seemingly done installing I got a message saying that it had failed.
Well, since I had the disc I rebooted and tried to install using the
disc. Same thing, installation failed. No other information or code.
Grrr...

Next I thought I would boot into safe mode and try to install SP2, but
when the computer was booting up I noticed that on the top of the screen
it read that I had Windows XP SP2 installed! So I rebooted again and
went into system properties and sure enough, it said I had SP2
installed. Hmmm... Naturally my first thought was to right click
something and see what happened. Everything worked as it should. I'm
thinking, cool! But of course another problem soon became apparent.
When clicking My Computer or Windows Explorer I noticed I had no drives
listed. Nothing, notta, zilch. So, before I tried to uninstall SP2 I
thought I would go into a newsgroup and ask what could be done. (
Microsoft.public.windowsxp.general) I soon received a reply (which was
way cool) saying that I should go to run>msconfig>services and uncheck
"Windows Image Acquisition" to see if that would help. Sure enough my
drives showed up! Most excellent.

Next I downloaded and installed IE7 and Windows Defender. All of that
went smoothly. I then went back to Windows Update and noticed I had a
ton of new updates since I installed SP2, like 71 of them! I downloaded
all of them and let them install. Everything seemed to be going fine
but just after the last one was done a window popped up that said they
had all failed! I then tried to install just one of them, but that
doesn't work either. I have Windows Update configured to let me know
when updates are available, but to let me download and install them
manually. I didn't get any notification that these updates are available
which I thought was a little strange also. Anyway, that's where I am
right now. Unable to get any updates to install. I don't get any error
codes to go by, just a notification that the updates have failed to
install.

I was hoping someone here could point me in the right direction to go
next. I'm really hoping I don't have to uninstall SP2 and start over,
but if that's what it takes then so be it.

Sorry for making this such a long winded post but I thought I should
give some background to what I've done so far. Any help would be
greatly appreciated!

~ Doug



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