Automatic Updates Service stuck in "Starting" Status

My Auto Update Service is stuck in a "Starting" status. Not Started or
Stopped, just Starting. Currently the service is set to autostart, but even
if I disable the autostart and manually start the Auto Update Service it gets
stuck at "Starting". Once in "Starting" mode I can neither Stop nor Restart
the service.

Consequently I get the old Error number: 0x800A01AD on Step 2 and the
Automatic Updates Tab is not visible from Control Panel/System option window.

Doesn't seem like my system is downloading anything while I wait. Any
thoughts?

Thanks, Stan

Stan Smiley wrote:

> My Auto Update Service is stuck in a "Starting" status. Not Started or
> Stopped, just Starting. Currently the service is set to autostart, but even
> if I disable the autostart and manually start the Auto Update Service it gets
> stuck at "Starting". Once in "Starting" mode I can neither Stop nor Restart
> the service.
>
> Consequently I get the old Error number: 0x800A01AD on Step 2 and the
> Automatic Updates Tab is not visible from Control Panel/System option window.
>
> Doesn't seem like my system is downloading anything while I wait. Any
> thoughts?
Hi

See if this one helps:

When searching for available updates on the Windows Update site,
you see the 0x800A01AD error while looking for updates
http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.co...cleid=13&ln=en

--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

I have the samt problem as Stam Smiley. I cant make the local service start
or stop. And the link below from Torgeir Bakken did not help - every account
have adm rights.

I am pretty sure this is what causes my Windows Update to give me errors.
Anymore suggestions?

Anders Borjesson

"Torgeir Bakken (MVP)" wrote:

> Stan Smiley wrote:
>
> > My Auto Update Service is stuck in a "Starting" status. Not Started or
> > Stopped, just Starting. Currently the service is set to autostart, but even
> > if I disable the autostart and manually start the Auto Update Service it gets
> > stuck at "Starting". Once in "Starting" mode I can neither Stop nor Restart
> > the service.
> >
> > Consequently I get the old Error number: 0x800A01AD on Step 2 and the
> > Automatic Updates Tab is not visible from Control Panel/System option window.
> >
> > Doesn't seem like my system is downloading anything while I wait. Any
> > thoughts?
> Hi
>
> See if this one helps:
>
> When searching for available updates on the Windows Update site,
> you see the 0x800A01AD error while looking for updates
> http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.co...cleid=13&ln=en
>
> --
> torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
> Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
> the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx
>

Anders Borjesson wrote:

> I have the samt problem as Stam Smiley. I cant make the local service start
> or stop. And the link below from Torgeir Bakken did not help - every account
> have adm rights.
>
> I am pretty sure this is what causes my Windows Update to give me errors.
> Anymore suggestions?
Hi

Try this:

On a freshly rebooted computer, do this as first thing:

Start regedit.exe and delete the following key (contains the WU
service configuration):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\wuauserv

Do a reboot again.

Then run this command line, it installs the AutoUpdate service (line
will wrap in the newsreader!):

%SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection AutoUpdate
132 %SystemRoot%\inf\au.inf

(it must be a space between AutoUpdate and 132)

If it asks for your OS CD-ROM to get some files, just point it to the
folder %windir%\servicepackfiles\i386 (or if it does not exist, use
%windir%\System32).


Do a reboot again.

Then check if you can start and stop the Automatic Updates service
successfully.



--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

Torgeir Bakken (MVP) wrote:

> [snip]
> Then run this command line, it installs the AutoUpdate service (line
> will wrap in the newsreader!):
>
> %SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection AutoUpdate
> 132 %SystemRoot%\inf\au.inf
>
> (it must be a space between AutoUpdate and 132)
>
> If it asks for your OS CD-ROM to get some files, just point it to the
> folder %windir%\servicepackfiles\i386 (or if it does not exist, use
> %windir%\System32).

If it does not ask for files, run this command line also:

%SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall
132 %SystemRoot%\inf\au.inf

(it must be a space between DefaultInstall and 132)


>
> Do a reboot again.
> [snip]


--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

YEAH!!!! You fixed it dude!!! I've been looking for a fix for this for 2
weeks!!! great work Torgeir!!!!

"Torgeir Bakken (MVP)" wrote:

> Torgeir Bakken (MVP) wrote:
>
> > [snip]
> > Then run this command line, it installs the AutoUpdate service (line
> > will wrap in the newsreader!):
> >
> > %SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection AutoUpdate
> > 132 %SystemRoot%\inf\au.inf
> >
> > (it must be a space between AutoUpdate and 132)
> >
> > If it asks for your OS CD-ROM to get some files, just point it to the
> > folder %windir%\servicepackfiles\i386 (or if it does not exist, use
> > %windir%\System32).
>
> If it does not ask for files, run this command line also:
>
> %SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall
> 132 %SystemRoot%\inf\au.inf
>
> (it must be a space between DefaultInstall and 132)
>
>
> >
> > Do a reboot again.
> > [snip]
>
>
> --
> torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
> Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
> the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx
>

Torgeir - awesome fix!!!

My symptoms were identical (Automatic Updates Services (AUS from here out) was stuck at 'Starting'), albeit 5 years later on a Win XP SP3 box. In my attempts to fix, I had read that BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) also had to be running in order for AUS to work (not sure if that statement is accurate), and noticed that BITS was set to either manual or disable (don't recall), and wasn't running. Don't know why this happened, because this is an imaged box, with multiple successful images prior. So, turned BITS on, but AUS was STILL stuck at 'Starting'. Did the procedures Torgeir suggested (regedit to delete the service, and BOTH of the commands) following his procedures exactly, and it fixed it!!! One caveat - do NOT cut/paste the commands (type them manually), as the paste into the command prompt did something funky when I tried it.