Windows Update Acting Different - XP Pro

I have always had the automatic updates set to "notify me, but do not download". Over the last several weeks it has changed for the non-Black Tuesday updates. I will get the notify for Windows Defender and the download will begin, but I don't get the prompt to allow installation. When I shut down at night, then the installation automatically occurs. Sometimes the download seems to go off into the ether and I never do get an install.

Is this typical for others? Can I fix it to go back to how it used to work?

Thanks,
Bartolo

 

Check this out. Sounds like this is your issue, there are a few more stories there around the same time frame.

 

Thanks, Auggie. I had seen those articles concerning unasked-for updates on Windows Secrets but had not made the connection. In my case I do get the prompt to download updates, ususally for Windows Defender, but not the prompt to install them. Instead, the option to install is comes at shut down time.

Another part of this is that the yellow updater shield will periodically appear in the usual place but nothing will appear to happen. Perhaps, though, that is an indication of the issue to which Windows Secrets refers.

Should I conclude that MS will be quietly fixing this in the future?

 

I missed your reference to Win Defender and I can't say much about it as I don't have this installed on XP. However it works as advertised in Vista, I got the icon to check for updates and only then did they download and install. Some of my friends had the issue that was discussed in the newsletter though luckily, I was spared.

 

Thanks for this Steve.

 

Thanks, everyone. I seem to be included in this unhappy group of WD users.

The MS man is correct; the Windows Update parms are not changed, but the way the computer acts is sure different. I never did get spurious re-boots but the little yellow shield seems to have a mind of its own.

 

Not mine, it just happened out of the blue.

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=140828