Cannot activate MU

Hello.

I have a strange problem on my Windows Vista x64:
I cannot activate MU under Windows Update's options since no checkbox is
shown. Instead a hint indicating that WU probably has to be updated (my
system is German).

On the main page there is a link that seems like it could bring MU back. It
opens a browser with the MU homepage that redirects to a page that opens a
32-bit browser. In the 32-bit IE v4 Windows Update
(http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/de/default.asp) opens and tells that I
don't have administrative rights. Opening the page with an elevated IE
doesn't result in any success regarding MU.

I have tried to reinstall the Windows Update Client several times but it
didn't help. I have cleared out the SoftwareDistribution folder without any
success.

There seems to be the whole content of
%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\AuthCabs missing. I found this out by comparing
to another Windows installation. I just copied the files and created a
related key in the registry, but this didn't lead into getting MU back,
either.

So I'm on my wits' end. But Microsoft should know the conditions when the
option for MU is hidden. I hope to get an answer and perhaps a way to resolve
this very very annoying annoyance.

Regards and thanks in advance
AS

"Andreas Schöneck" wrote:

> Hello.
>

No news? I have sent a support incident but received no answer since then.
Also I ran the MGA tool indicating that all my software is genuine.

Any help is still appreciated.

AS

News:

I resolved the problem, but I am not sure what of the following steps are
actually responsible:

1. Reinstall Visio (i.e. Office if you have it)

2. Check (and delete) manipulated User Agent string
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Internet
Settings\User Agent\Post Platform (EmbeddedWB from bsalsa.com wrote some crap
values therein)

I didn't try to create a new administrative account, so I couldn't find out
that this could have something to do with a user setting.
Ergo: It is definitively a good idea to create a new admin user account and
try it there.

Hope this helps some people...

Regards
AS