xp auto update keeps installing same file

I have googled and found few refs to this but no answers. My xp auto update has worked fine. Now it downloads and "installs" the update then finds the same update and wants to install it again. The update is installed correctly.

It seems to not see it. The update site offers the same update. Is my reg pointing to a wrong place?

 

Quite possibly the registry isn't being updated.

What update is it, anyway?

 

Sorry it took so long to get back, couldn't log on. The update is KB835732. When I do check on installed updates on the update page as MS it shows that this this has been installed about 8 times.

How would I fix it so the reg. updates?

 

Do you have this registry key?

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2\KB835732\Filelist

 

Yes I do. When I deleted it, to reinstall the update, the filelist folder had several entries this time it is empty.

I have two other KB****** updates and their filelist folder have several entries.

I did some changes to the registry before this all started happening (no backup of course) because I had added partitions after install and changed drive letter. Sfc was not accessing the cd drive. It now does. I then put the I386 files on C:\. Following are the reg changes I made.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup
I added because it did not exist and I thought it should be there.
ServicePackCachePath REG_SZ C:\windows\ServicePackFiles\ServicePackCache
I add this too.
ServicePackSourcePath
C:\windows\ServicePackFiles\
This one I changed, it was D:\ the old CD drive letter
SourcePath REG_SZ C:\

I just wonder, are these keys case sensitive? Windows should be all caps. I now changed it.

The ServicePackSourcePath dir that I created in Windows dir. had no files because it did not exist but there was a wiredly named dir on the D: drive that had sp1, sp2 common folders with files so I copied them to the ServicePackSourcePath dir. Somewhere in here lies the problem I suppose. This was a new Install of XP and my first so I wanted it to be clean. I started making the changes when trying to get sfc to recognize an I386 location. Too much Info I suppose.

Thanks

 

Well, I would be happy to send you the reg key involved, but I am running Sp2 on both of my machines.

Myabe someone here cna send youa copy of the key.

Anybody?

 

The crazy thing is the 2 ServicePack keys did not exist. I suppose I should try deleting them, and updating. For now I have the auto update turned off so it does not drive me crazy.

Did SP2 cause you problems? I am afraid to try it.

 

I had no problems, at all.

Zero, zilch.

As for the SP2 keys, leave them. All updates after SP1 are considered SP2 updates, and some use those keys.

 

Thanks, I will eventually run across the answer. I am using it on a laptop now. I am installing it on my main desktop too, but the cpu fan died in the middle of things so I do not have access to it now. I will get the key setup from there, maybe.

I have been a big Win2k fan, but I am impressed with how fast XP boots. Faster than 2K it seems.

Have a great day.

 

In truth, thats my only complaint about 2k. The load time is horrendous!

 

I also like troubleshooting 2k more.

Its more...hands on.

Call me weird

 

I agree, there was almost nothing I couldn't fix.

 

Well, I am not as proficient in 2K, (although they make me take 2K support calls now and then). I can fix damn near anything in XP, but 2k is more...fun to fix?

I don't know how to describe it.

Its probably because I am bored to tears with fixing XP.

Its amazing how much you can learn when system restore and msconfig aren't your buddies anymore

 

Actually you can get msconfig to work for 2k. I am going to have to get used to restore. I thought it would automatically take an image now and then, but it had not done one before I changed the reg. I should have done a manual.

Who do you do support for?

 

Yeah I knew about msconfig. But more customers don't have it.

I do support for MS. I don't work directly for them, of course. Most MS support is outsourced.

I take 2K support calls (home and businesses), and Xp calls, but 99.9% of the time I am answering calls from XP techs who need help with their own calls.

I'm the guy they put you on hold for when they are stumped