Windows XP updates not working

[joydivision]

Any ideas? Doing the job this evening and need to pop out to the suppliers now, so don't have much time to research hence asking on here.

If you go to control panel and automatic updates it says it is switched on, if you go to security centre it says it is switched off. However the automatic updates don't work, so security centre is reporting correctly.

Any fixes on this issue?

It is XP Media Centre 2005 SP3

Thanks.

 

[cyabro]

Dial-a-fix will probably sort this out.

Have you done the usual av/malware checks?

 

[joydivision]

Not yet, I was running late and didn't get to the job until 10pm, so I just fixed a few little issues they were having. No evidence of any virus related problem but I do need to check that tonight. I am thinking I may just collect and return the machine.

 

[xxsilk109xx]

try to fix the windows update agent
the file you are looking for is called:
WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe
download it and put it onto the root of the c drive
then run the command c:\windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe /wuforce

this will force install the windows installer, reboot, and finsih your updates

 

[joydivision]

Its full of viruses anyway, despite AVG (already installed) saying everything is clean, there were 100's of viruses on it. So have taken it away.

 

[othersteve]

File infectors? If not, it's doable without too much work still.

Regardless, my solution for most Windows Update issues is:

(See the download a little ways down the page)

 

[stevenamills]

Any ideas? Doing the job this evening and need to pop out to the suppliers now, so don't have much time to research hence asking on here.

If you go to control panel and automatic updates it says it is switched on, if you go to security centre it says it is switched off. However the automatic updates don't work, so security centre is reporting correctly.

Any fixes on this issue?

It is XP Media Centre 2005 SP3

Thanks.

Very similar issue this week - also MC 2005.

I tried everything suggested to this point with no luck. Had the same conflicting messages from Windows.

In my case I tried everything already suggested - nothing worked. I additionally tried the AU fix from D7.

Anyway a Repair install did the trick. Of course you'll have to go through the MS crap of Safe Mode / Install IE to get to their wretched activation screen, bit it fixes the problem.

FW it's worth I also got a "can't install DiskDrive" when Windows started - the only HD in the system and a similar message when I plugged in a Flash Drive. In both cases the drive DID work. Sheesh.

Good luck

 

[FoolishTech]

which reminds me, I need to ensure I am doing all the fixes also suggested in the MSKB othersteve posted... (I think I do, but need to double check because that looks like a different MSKB than the one I designed D7's repair function around...)

Also @ stevenmills, I've seen a force (re)install of XP SP3 (re - meaning don't bother first uninstalling it if it's there already) fix tons of issues when other options have failed me. I wonder if that would work as well as a repair install did in your case... did you try that?

FYI I have a little batch to run the XP SP3 install and force it to overwrite the existing install, it merely launches the downloaded stand-alone SP3 installer with these command line parameters:

xpsp3.exe /overwriteoem /nobackup /passive /forceappsclose /forcerestart

and that does the trick. Try it out next time it may save you a full repair install... (then again if it wastes your time sorry! I just haven't had to do a repair install in ages and I hate doing them hehe).

 

[AlbuquerqueCSA]

offline update

I have found that when I am unable to use the windows update built into windows.... sometimes this happens with fresh installs of windows that the easiest way to work around this is to pop in my jump drive that has WSUS offline update on it and run it that way... after the first pass, the windows update tool seems to be fine.

 

[AtYourService]

Try this:
Click Start, click Run, type

regsvr32 Wuaueng.dll

hit enter

 

[maclaptech]

Check and make sure all Windows Update related services are running.

 

[MobileTechie]

I find pretty much all WU problems are solved by one or all of the following:

Run the automated WU fixit
Run Windows Update Readiness Tool
Delete the contents of the Software Distribution folder