AumHa Forums

• Revision 1, 5/30/08 -- due to some new information dug up by MS-MVP and AumHa VSOP MowGreen
• Revision 2, 6/13/08 -- The AURESET Tool is going through an Internal Review and will be temporarily unavailable.
  [See my Note below if the tool is not available for you.]
• Revision 3, 7/22/08 -- The Reset Tools is now available again, having passed its internal reviews.
• Revision 4, 11/26/2008 -- The Tool is again under Review and unavailable at the moment
• Revision 5, 5/26/09 -- The Tool has been rewritten, renamed, and re-released. (Link below).

Some updates have proven difficult to successfully achieve through Windows or Microsoft Updates. For individual Hotfixes, often a specific remedy is advised. What is suggested in the following is one broad brush approach to repairing the entire Windows Update and Automatic Update service. This is based on several recent items of note about the entire Windows Update process:

Instructions:

Phase I: Rebuild the Windows Update Service

Download -- to your Desktop -- the Microsoft "Fix-It" Group utility Automatic Update and Windows Update Reset Tool: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/windo ... t-utility/

Double click to run this application.
It takes ~approximately twenty minutes to run. Just let it work to a conclusion no matter how long it might take.
It will need to reboot your system. Please agree to the reboot.

Phase II: Update Key Elements of the Support Infrastructure

• Update your version of the Windows Scripting Host to Version 5.7 -- If not yet done by you.
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... 4E7E844D81
  
  
• Update your version of the Windows Installer to Version 4.5 (June, 2008) -- If not yet done by you.
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... layLang=en
  (Take care to select the right version.)

Again, for some issues (.NET Frameworks are a good example) only very specific workarounds can resolve the problem. The above steps, however, will cure a great deal of Windows Update issues. I would start with the steps above prior to seeking advice about issues with a particular Hotfix.

It is not uncommon for several of the downloads you have made to report when trying to install that newer versions are already installed. This is normal and acceptable and should be of no concern.

Best wishes,
Bill Castner


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Repair Steps for WIndows and Microsoft Updates, Automatic Updates, When the Microsoft Reset Tool is Unavailable -- (Note it is now Available again, so there is no need to use these alternative set of instructions.
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Suggested Workaround:

1. Download -- To Your Desktop (Only) -- two new Update related files: a general KB Hotfix (927891) and the new Update Agent. Do not "Run" the downloads, just download them to your Desktop (so I can find them later).

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... 4327772E5A

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=91237

2. Using your mouse, Highlight and then Right-click | Copy the entire contents of the Code box below, including blank lines:

Open a new Notepad document. (Do not use a Word Processor or WordPad). Click "Format" and be certain that Word Wrap is not enabled.
Right-click | Paste the Quote box contents from above into Notepad. Click File, Save as..., and enter (including quotation marks) as the filename: "FixWU.cmd". Exit Notepad.

Double click your new file to run the script. It will open a black box and then exit. when finished.

You can now delete any downloads made.

3. Do Phase II as noted above.

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My workaround is based on this KB which you should read for further suggestions:

Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update, from Microsoft Update, or by using Automatic Updates after you perform a new Windows XP installation or you repair a Windows XP installation
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144

Note: Also applies to clean installs, upgrade installs, and Recovery installs, as well as problematic existing installations.

[Administrative acknowledgement]

"First of all, I don't see America having problems." --George W. Bush, interview with Bob Costas at the 2008 Olympics, Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008