I think Software Distribution Service just fvcked over my system

[archcommus]

Fully patched XP SP2 system. Everything was running fine.

Today I installed two things: Catalyst Media Center and the recent XML patch.

I reboot (not required by the update), and system freezes after entering password, it never gets to the desktop.

Boot into safe mode, check system restore, and I see Software Distribution Service 2.0 at 12:01 AM 11/6. Try that restore point, doesn't help. Go back into safe mode, try the system checkpoint restore point from yesterday, and it works fine again.

Now I highly doubt CMC or the XML patch caused this issue, and I've heard of troubles with the Software Distribution Service before, so I'm betting it's that.

WTF is that thing doing.

 

[pcgeek11]

Check this KB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918165

Here is how some ( not me ) have gotten rid of the SDS... Try at your own risk:

STEP ONE.

To get rid of Microsoft?s nasty Software Distribution Service 2.0 you first need to go to your START Menu and open MY DOCUMENTS; navigate to the TOOLS menu and scroll down to FOLDER OPTIONS and select the VIEW tab. Next make sure there is a CHECK in the box in front of DISPLAY SYSTEM THE CONTENTS OF SYSTEM FOLDERS, then make sure that under HIDDEN FILES AND FOLDERS you have made the selection to SHOW HIDDEN FILES AND FOLDERS. Finally DESELECT or make sure that there is NO check in the box in front of the HIDE EXTENSIONS FOR KNOWN FILE TYPES. Then DESELCT or make sure that there is NO check in the box in front of the HIDE PROTECTED OPERATING SYSTEM FILES. Hit the APPLY to ALL FOLDERS button.

STEP TWO
CTRL+ALT+DEL and go to the processes tab. Look make sure verclsid.exe is not running ? if it is select it and click END PROCESS.

STEP THREE
START/MY COMPUTER/C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM 32 and look for VERCLSID.EXE and change the file extension from .exe to .old.

STEP FOUR
START/CONTROL PANEL/SECURITY CENTER/AUTOMATIC UPDATES and TURN OFF automatic Updates. Click APPLY

STEP FIVE
START/CONTROL PANEL/ADD OR REMOVE PROGRAMS and MAKE SURE the SHOW UPDATES box at the top is selected. Scroll down towards the end and remove any of the following KB908531, KB918165, KB834707, KB840987

STEP SIX
Just a suggestion would be to not use Internet Explorer and switch to another browser such as Mozilla or Opera.

STEP SEVEN
START/HELP AND SUPPORT/ PERFORMANCE AND MAINTENANCE;USING SYSTEM RESTORE TO UNDO CHANGES and then RUN THE SYSTEM RESTORE WIZARD. CREATE A RESTORE POINT and call it TEST. Now reboot and see if the restore point is still there. If it is you are GOLDEN. Your system restore will now work again from now on.

NOTE: You will have to manually check for updates ? or perhaps you can set your automatic updates to simply notify you ? make sure you don?t download them again.

(security bulletin MS06-015 is KB908531)

Good Luck
pcgeek11

 

[bsobel]

Boot into safe mode, check system restore, and I see Software Distribution Service 2.0 at 12:01 AM 11/6. Try that restore point, doesn't help. Go back into safe mode, try the system checkpoint restore point from yesterday, and it works fine again.

That doesnt make sense, both restore points are from BEFORE sds made changes (the SDS one you listed would have occured before it applied patches.

Now I highly doubt CMC or the XML patch caused this issue, and I've heard of troubles with the Software Distribution Service before, so I'm betting it's that.

SDS is applying patches, it's not SDS itself (if that is indeed the problem) but rather a path it applied. That said, you really don't know what is happening at this point and need to debug this a bit further before assuming one thing or another.

Bill

p.s. Ignore pcgeek11's advice, killing automatic updates for most users is not a good idea.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: bsobel

Boot into safe mode, check system restore, and I see Software Distribution Service 2.0 at 12:01 AM 11/6. Try that restore point, doesn't help. Go back into safe mode, try the system checkpoint restore point from yesterday, and it works fine again.

That doesnt make sense, both restore points are from BEFORE sds made changes (the SDS one you listed would have occured before it applied patches.

Yeah I know, I thought of that, too. So maybe it was the XML something patch? However, after I restored to Sunday's checkpoint and ran Microsoft Update again, the patch did not show up again, so I think it remained throughout the restore. Is that normal?

And true, I can't assume the SDS caused it, but it's strange how I never have an issue, and the one time I do, there is a peculiar event in system restore that isn't usually there. Sure leads you to believe that was the cause, even if restoring to that point did not fix the issue. Perhaps it is an issue WITH the SDS and the restore point is not created at the right time.

 

[bsobel]

However, after I restored to Sunday's checkpoint and ran Microsoft Update again, the patch did not show up again, so I think it remained throughout the restore. Is that normal?

System Restore is data driven and does not restore everything (there is data excluded, so yes it's possible). However, the fact that it didn't come back is strange (I hate those transient bugs, much better for 'I restore I'm ok, I apply patch xyz I break'. That we can fix, random errors, ugh 😉

Glad your back up.

Bill

 

[pcgeek11]

bsobel,

As per my disclaimer:

" Here is how some ( not me ) have gotten rid of the SDS... Try at your own risk: "

Searching via google it seems like there have been lots of various issues related to the SDS Service. This was intended as a suggested part of the troubleshooting process.

I just leave mine to notify and allow me to choose the updates that are applied. But then again I have never had this problem... or ever seen it personally. Knock on wood.

pcgeek11

 

[gsellis]

I ran into issues with the XML patch. Downloading and installing it from the MS Security site. I posted this thread on it.

That thread

You probably can install it in Safe Mode. A few things in the OS use XML parsing, so it potentially could be the issue with a failed download.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: gsellis
I ran into issues with the XML patch. Downloading and installing it from the MS Security site. I posted this thread on it.

That thread

You probably can install it in Safe Mode. A few things in the OS use XML parsing, so it potentially could be the issue with a failed download.

Yeah I really don't know if it was that, or the SDS, or something else. All I know is, after restoring to Sunday's checkpoint, restarting worked again properly BUT MS Update still shows me as NOT needing that patch.