Windows Updates are acting weird

My computer is doing odd things. My Folding client misbehaved and has to be manually deleted and reinstalled last night (it's working fine now, fortunately). My Windows Update is doing even stranger things. It started about the same time as the Folding issues last night.

The little yellow shield that tells me updates are being downloaded was showing, so I made a note of it, and waited for the prompt to permit installation of the updates. It never showed up, and the yellow shield went away. When I rebooted the computer, for other reasons, It wanted me to click to "turn off while installing updates". I did, assuming that the update was legitimate and supposed to install. Next reboot, the same message came up again. This time I did turned off without installing, a little puzzled.

When I was back in Windows, I changed the WU settings to "notify and ask me if I want to download".

This morning when I turned on the computer for my pre-beakfast forum fix, the yellow shield was there again. The standard WU update notification windows showed up, and informed me that the two files it wanted to download was an update for IE6 (I have not upgraded yet), and an update for .NET Framework 1.1. I was under the impression that installing .NET 2.0 voided 1.1, so that surprised me, but since I am well aware that my knowledge about software is barely enough to fill a shot glass, I told Windows to go ahead and install the updates.

This evening, just a few minutes ago, right after booting up, the computer wants me to download the exact same updates as this morning.

What's going on?

 

Try uninstalling both 1.1 and 2.0 and reinstalling 2.0 manually. In this link are some useful links I gave a member with very similar issues to you

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showpost.php?p=1004063&postcount=2

 

Ooooh! I will try that! Back with status report very soon.

 

Okay... uninstalled and reinstalled via links above. Very cool little uninstaller, it gets to stay installed.

Experimental reboot for good measure still had the "click here to install updates before turning off" symbol. I selected "Restart", sat through an unusually long reboot, and came back to Windows. The little yellow shield has not returned yet.

All looks well, but I will check for update notifications next time I turn off the computer.

Thanks!

 

First reboot since above post: The prompt to install the updates before shutting down was there again. I clicked "Restart" and the system rebooted, and now the yellow shield is back. As far as I can remember it is the same update as last time:

Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 6 for Windows XP (KB939653)

Size: 1.2 MB - 4.5 MB

Security issues have been identified that could allow an attacker to compromise a system running Internet Explorer and gain control over it. You can help protect your system by installing this update from Microsoft. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

More information for this update can be found at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=95045

 

Tried the first of the two links... removed, then rebooted for good measure. Reinstalled .Net 2.0, since I need it for Darkroom, and went to the WU site to search for updates, and was very surprised by what I found.

To use Microsoft Update, you must first install the latest version of some Windows components. This will allow your computer to work with these new features on the site.

The component in question? Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool. I thought I had to have that to install updates, and I have installed them in the past without this problem. Was it removed as well when I removed all the .Net framework files?

 

I'm trying that right now... installed the WGA (naturally), and then went to set updates back to the way I wanted them, before tying to run any updates. The little yellow shield popped up and told me that it wants to install an update for .Net 2.0, one for IE6, and that it wants to install WGA. (Huh? I just did!)

I unchecked WGA on general principle--I have it already, cut me some slack, hm?--and told my computer to download the other two and let me know when they can be installed. Curiously, only the .Net 2.0 update show up in the install list. I'm installing that update right now.

STATUS UPDATE:
After installing the .Net update, the yellow shield is telling me I can download one WGA update, one IE6 update, the same one as before (see posts above for KB number). I'm trying the IE6 one again.

STATUS UPDATE 2:
When the IE6 update had installed I clicked on the Download button, and the little yellow shield went away. Normally it stays there and tells me that it is installing now, and doesn't go away until the install is done. This time it vanished in an instant.

I think I'm going to go try the second link you posted.

 

Question?

The second link tells em to do command-line stuff. So I start go to Run... and type in "cmd" and find myself on E:\ by default. My Windows installation is on C:\. Surely this will be an issue?

 

Tried that... I had to create a new Registry value, so followed the instructions on that page, but cmd still takes me to the wrong place. I'm going to reboot to see if that changes anything... brb.

 

Victory! :celebrate

When I rebooted, the little notification to install updates before shutting down was not there, and once back in Windows the yellow shield is nowhere to be found. Hooray!

Run... -> cmd still takes me to E:\ instead of to Windows though, but I can start a new thread for that. The update issue seems to be resolved.

 

Oh, crap.

Run... -> Regedit.exe => "The application failed to initialize properly. Click on OK to terminate the application."

Er... help?

 

I rebooted, and that fixed the "Run.." issue. So I managed to get into Regedit and remove the key I added, since it didn't do what it was supposed to do. I'll start a new thread soon.

 

I's not fixed after all!

One reboot later, and the little yellow shield is back, with the exact same update. I'm going to start a thread on the registry thing, so I can try Halo's second fix.