I'll put my text under each of your comments/queries - hope this will be
readable.
Jess
"Robert Aldwinckle" wrote:
> "Jess" <> wrote in message
> news:C08DE679-2230-4CF6-8B84-...
> > Please can someone help me? I have had a problem, and now some of my files
> > are missing and some are probably corrupt (and it's all Norton's fault).
> >
> > Because I can no longer be sure which updates I should have, and which I
> > already do have, and because I can not be sure that the Automatic Update
> > website is able to truly reflect my computer's update situation in view of
> > the of the file corruption I have had, I want to start again from the
> > beginning. (But I do not want to have to reinstall XP.)
> >
> > 1) Now I now for sure that some of my previous updates were corrupted, how
> > can I start again, from when I first had the computer (with XP Home SP/2
> > installed on it when it was delivered to me)? That is, how can I get rid of
> > all the updates?
>
> How far back do you suspect your corruption goes?
Back to approximately 9th January 2005.
> Each update may have its own uninstall which preserves the modules
> that were being replaced, so if the corruption only happened recently
> you could uninstall the most recent patch which involved the corrupted
> module and hope to see an uncorrupted one restored by the uninstall.
I don't think it'll be that easy! There are updates that WU thinks I have
got that are not on the "Change/Remove" panel's list. (But that's useful
info. to keep in mind for the future, thanks.)
>
> It looks as if you can get a list of hotfixes in order of application
> by using this command (in a cmd window):
>
> systeminfo
I do not seem to have this command. Neither the MSDOS window, nor "Run..."
recognise it. Now I have something else to worry about. Are you sure I
ought to have it?
>
> Other hotfix listers seem not to give chronological listings.
>
What other listers?
>
> However, how do you *know* that you have corrupted modules?
It's a long story, and it's mainly Norton/Symantec's fault. But there was
definitely some damage, at least to the firewall, and to part of Office 2003
(now both re-installed and working). I also did an sfc /scannow. I do not
know what else got corrupted, and I dare not spend anymore time to go through
my 90 odd non-Windows applications right now, but I must sort out the Windows
security. I have to assume the worst.
I also found a couple of suspicious-looking shortcuts, with names like
"hotfix.sys", or something similar, whose targets did not exist.
> Did you use MBSA to check that that is the case?
I used it just before I re-installed Office, but because I can't be sure
exactly how it is reaching its conclusions, I don't think it will help me
right now. It did mention a few KB numbers which are not even on the history
list that WU thinks I have; and something about Media Player 9, which I did
recently roll back to (from MP10)! I'll follow that up later I think.
> FYI you could use the MBSA client's command line to do that
> and tell you which updates you would need to correct the problem:
>
> <excerpt from previous reply>
> <example>
> D:\Program Files\Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer>mbsacli /hf -v -z
> </example>
>
> That may tell you what it thinks about the situation by looking at the versions
> of the modules involved (not just the registry values.) Actually you could
> do both by running it again without the -z switch.
>
> <TITLE>303215 - Microsoft Network Security Hotfix Checker (Hfnetchk.exe) Tool Is Available</TITLE>
> < http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q303215 >
> </excerpt from previous reply>
>
> Of course that only works for updates which MBSA knows about
> but that often may be enough to fix such problems.
>
Thanks for the info. I will try all this in the future, and keep a copy of
your suggestions in my arsenal of tools (i.e. I'll print it out and stick in
in a ring binder), because I'm sure I'll be glad of it one day. But as you
say, it can't be certain that MBSA knows everything it should.
>
> >
> > 2) How can I have this reflected in my Windows Update installation history,
> > so that I can then begin all over again, starting with my first Update?
> > (That is, how can I have the Automatic Updates website think that I need all
> > of the updates appropriate for my computer.)
>
> Supposedly WU looks at both the version of the modules which
> should be installed (e.g. by the patch level) and the actual version
> of the module. I think it might actually do a CRC of the module too
> but am less certain about that. In any case, this explains why so
> many people complain about seeing patches being reapplied:
> if their security programs (e.g. AV scanner) are blocking the final
> copying of modules (which may occur during a boot so it may not
> be sufficient just to stop the programs but necessary to actually
> disable them temporarily), then WU would see an incomplete update
> and indicate that it needs to be redone.
>
I certainly have my problems with Norton products, but I think the Windows
Update process itself has always worked all right for me (with the exception
of a few quirks which seem to resolve themselves, and the time between the
9th January and the other day when I fixed the Firewall).
Incidentally, as I have already said, I recently re-installed my Office 2003
(I did not delete the "Office Update 11" folder before I did so - I only
remembered it was there afterwards - I presume it'll be ok). Anyway, the
three KB numbered Office updates, that I had prior to the re-installation
disappeared, and after visiting the update site, I had four Office updates
(re)installed. One was new, the other three had the same descriptions as my
original three updates - but one of these (a junk mail filter, I think it
was) now had a different KB number! I used to have KB890854, and now I have
KB891067. Is this normal? (I have mentioned the contents of above paragraph
in the Office newsgroup.)
I mention this here, too, because I am now worried that I ought to have
sorted out my Windows Updates first. Will the Office updates I have done be
ok? Are they independent of the Windows ones?
I really think it would just be simpler to just begin again.
Thanks for reading this. Anymore ideas will be appreciated.
>
> HTH
>
> Robert Aldwinckle
> ---
>
>
> >
> > Thank you in advance,
> >
> > --
> > Jess
> > (XP Home SP/2 OEM. HDD1:Windows NTFS 60GB; Linux 20GB. HDD2: NTFS
> > 40GB. P4 HT.)
> > [Please note: Display name may be changed in near future - too many people
> > called Jess on this site.]
> >
>
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