Unable to use windows update.

[FearoftheNight]

My windows update just keeps skanning for a long time then tells me that windows is unable to update. I've been using this computer for a long time w/o any problems. Is it possible I could have done something I shouldn't have when I was tweaking my system? In any case does anyone have any idea what I can do so I can download the security patches? TIA!

 

[Schadenfroh]

Were you disabling windows services when you saw black vipers new guide up?

 

[FearoftheNight]

Yes. I believe so. Long time user of blackviper. Why? What did I do now?

 

[FearoftheNight]

This was a couple weeks /month ago by the way.

 

[FearoftheNight]

anyone?

 

[Gibson12345]

You need to turn on Automatic Updates and the Background "Intelligent" Transfer Service. There may be others that you disabled as well, but those are the two I always have to turn on when I want to update.

 

[Frodolives]

Just an fyi for anyone that wants the security updates without the updates site.

Now when you use the Microtrend Housecall free online virus scan http://housecall.antivirus.com/ the result includes references to security updates that you lack, including a direct link to each ms download page where they can be individually obtained.

 

[Xephian]

Originally posted by: Gibson12345
You need to turn on Automatic Updates and the Background "Intelligent" Transfer Service. There may be others that you disabled as well, but those are the two I always have to turn on when I want to update.

Yeah, that fixed it for me once.

 

[KoolDrew]

Don't follow blackvipers poor advice. Just put all the services you messed with back to their defaults.

 

[FearoftheNight]

both of these are already on though...windows update and background services so what else could be causing the problem?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Get back to a default Windows services configuration. Tracking down the issue will be easier then.

 

[KoolDrew]

both of these are already on though...windows update and background services so what else could be causing the problem?

Just put all the services you messed with back to their defaults.

...

Other problems may occur down the line too, so it is best to just put the services back to their defaults. There is no reason to disable the default services.

 

[jjones]

Download and run Microsoft's Baseline Security Analyzer. That may tell you which services need to be turned on when it tries to update the security patches.

 

[Nocturnal]

Go into your C:\Windows\ directory, there will be a file called WindowsUpdate.log. Scroll all the way to the bottom and there scan the log for error numbers. Paste the error number here.

 

[FearoftheNight]

Thanks alot guys. I ended up fixing it by turning auto updated on through control panel or something. Not quite how it worked but I was able to patch sucessfully.

On the side note, does anyone here think that patching windows is unimportant? I met someone today that said he never did it.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: FearoftheNight
Thanks alot guys. I ended up fixing it by turning auto updated on through control panel or something. Not quite how it worked but I was able to patch sucessfully.

On the side note, does anyone here think that patching windows is unimportant? I met someone today that said he never did it.

Patching Windows is unimportant if your computer is not connected to a local network or the internet.

 

[KoolDrew]

On the side note, does anyone here think that patching windows is unimportant? I met someone today that said he never did it.

It is important.

 

[jjones]

Originally posted by: FearoftheNight
Thanks alot guys. I ended up fixing it by turning auto updated on through control panel or something. Not quite how it worked but I was able to patch sucessfully.

On the side note, does anyone here think that patching windows is unimportant? I met someone today that said he never did it.

I go for months and months, even more than a year, without getting any updates. It is important but an intelligent user needn't ever update if they really don't want to. I only just within the past month upgraded to SP2 and before that hadn't downloaded any updates for over a year. Never had any problems at all.

 

[spyordie007]

Originally posted by: FearoftheNight
Thanks alot guys. I ended up fixing it by turning auto updated on through control panel or something. Not quite how it worked but I was able to patch sucessfully.

On the side note, does anyone here think that patching windows is unimportant? I met someone today that said he never did it.

That's seriously bad advice. Patch your systems.

And please for the love of god boycott BlackViper's site!

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: jjones

Originally posted by: FearoftheNight
Thanks alot guys. I ended up fixing it by turning auto updated on through control panel or something. Not quite how it worked but I was able to patch sucessfully.

On the side note, does anyone here think that patching windows is unimportant? I met someone today that said he never did it.

I go for months and months, even more than a year, without getting any updates. It is important but an intelligent user needn't ever update if they really don't want to. I only just within the past month upgraded to SP2 and before that hadn't downloaded any updates for over a year. Never had any problems at all.

Same here. If you know what you're doing and have a properly configured firewall or router, problems will be few and far between. Then again, few people have the cojones to do this. I still recommend you enable the updates. If you think a router means a cutting tool, enable the updates, period.

 

[duragezic]

So the user turned off Automatic Updates through the Control Panel yet everyone hops in on how stupid he was for "disabling the service"? In fact, it seems more logical that automatic updates would want to be turned off for a user who wanted to manually go to WindowsUpdate and get patches individually.

I for one turn off AutomaticUpdates as soon as I start a new XP install because I can't stand that crap going off everyday about a new update. I'll get 20 of them every couple of months thanks very much.