Fuzzy windows updater

Hye,

I have automatic updater, and last week it downloaded updates to my
computer. all good up to now.

Today it suddenly started downloading again to my computer, after only a
week, instead of once a month.
i wouldn't have been so alarmed by it, but the earth icon with the windows
logo (4 windows in different colors) looks a little fuzzy. it looks more like
a blue/green circular alien with a red and yellow eyes popping on the side.
It usually looks like a liittle accurate earth icon, and now it's blured.

Has anyone here incountered something like this ?
I thought it was a virus trying to dl to my computer by disguising itself as
a windows updater, but my anti-virus didn't find anything.

If anybody here knows what's going on, please respond.

thanks

"meownyu" wrote:

> Hye,
>
> I have automatic updater, and last week it downloaded updates to my
> computer. all good up to now.
>
> Today it suddenly started downloading again to my computer, after only a
> week, instead of once a month.
> i wouldn't have been so alarmed by it, but the earth icon with the windows
> logo (4 windows in different colors) looks a little fuzzy. it looks more like
> a blue/green circular alien with a red and yellow eyes popping on the side.
> It usually looks like a liittle accurate earth icon, and now it's blured.
>
> Has anyone here incountered something like this ?
> I thought it was a virus trying to dl to my computer by disguising itself as
> a windows updater, but my anti-virus didn't find anything.
>
> If anybody here knows what's going on, please respond.
>
> thanks

I am having the same problem with about 25 Windows 2000 SP4 computers. The
automatic updater 'wuauclt.exe' shows up and then disappears when you click
it. When examining the Task Manager, the 'wuauclt.exe' shows up and then
disappears when you click it. The PID of 'wuauclt.exe' changes every time.

When you attempt to go to the Windows Update site you are greeting with the
following error and message:

[Error number: 0x800A0046]
Please change your Internet Explorer security settings
To save changes to your settings for this website, you need to enable
userdata persistence for Internet Explorer. Complete the steps below, and
then click Change settings to the left and try saving your changes again.
In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
Click the Security tab, click the Internet security zone icon, and then
click Custom Level.
In the Settings dialog box, scroll to the Miscellaneous section.
Under Userdata persistence , select Enable.
Click OK and when the security warning dialog box appears, click Yes.

This solution doesn't work and doesn't appear to address the problem.

I found a Windows 2000 SP4 system that hadn't applied the updates from last
week. I went through the process and it appears that Microsoft changed the
way Windows Update works. The previous version was 'V4' and the new version
you are updated to is 'V6'. The 'V6' update modifies the 'wuauclt.exe' and
adds a new 'wuacuclt1.exe'. I assume 'V6' to be aimed at the Windows XP
world.

I looked in the \system32\ directory of the clean Windows 2000 SP4 system
and noticed that 'wuauclt.exe' and 'wuaucpl.cpl' modified 2/9/2004. There is
also a 'wupdmgr.exe' modified 12/7/1999.

However, when I look at the \system32\ directory of the updated Windows 2000
SP4 system I find that 'wuauclt.exe' and 'wuaucpl.cpl' to be modified
5/26/2005. There is also a new 'wuauclt1.exe' with the same modification
date of 5/26/2005. The 'wupdmgr.exe' still has the same modification date of
12/7/1999.

I am hoping that Microsoft realizes the situation and offers a solution for
the Windows 2000 user base.

Randy


"meownyu" wrote:

> Hye,
>
> I have automatic updater, and last week it downloaded updates to my
> computer. all good up to now.
>
> Today it suddenly started downloading again to my computer, after only a
> week, instead of once a month.
> i wouldn't have been so alarmed by it, but the earth icon with the windows
> logo (4 windows in different colors) looks a little fuzzy. it looks more like
> a blue/green circular alien with a red and yellow eyes popping on the side.
> It usually looks like a liittle accurate earth icon, and now it's blured.
>
> Has anyone here incountered something like this ?
> I thought it was a virus trying to dl to my computer by disguising itself as
> a windows updater, but my anti-virus didn't find anything.
>
> If anybody here knows what's going on, please respond.
>
> thanks

Okay, here is what I did to resolve my issue in Windows 2000 SP4.

I visited this link:
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsu...cleid=20&ln=en that Torgeir Bakken supplied for me.

I originally said the following:
1. Doesn't have this setting in Windows 2000 SP4.
2. Running this command does nothing.
3. Doesn't apply to Windows 2000 SP4.

I typed the above answers from memory, so it was no wonder I was incorrect
with my recollection from memory.

Here are the steps I performed with respects to the support link above.
1. The workstations already had 'Service and Administrator' were part of
"Impersonate a client after authentication" security policy. So this one
didn't work.

2. I downloaded the 'SC' security descriptor from the provided link by
Torgeir Bakken. Once I copied the 'SC' application to the root of the c: and
typed the long commands I was greeted with the following:
SetServiceObjectSecurity SUCCESS.

I then attempted to try the Windows Update site again, no luck, still 'Error
number: 0x800A0046'.

3. I went to the Local User Account settings and went to the 'Member Of'
tab and noticed the account was a member of the following groups:
Administrators, Backup Operators, Guests, Power Users, Replicator and Users.
I removed everyone but 'Administrators' from this Local User Account.

I then attempted to try the Windows Update site again, no luck, still 'Error
number: 0x800A0046'.

So I decided to restart the workstation and voila Windows Update worked
again and let me download the updates from the site and it also automatically
downloaded critcal updates.

I decided to go one step further to determine if step 2 or step 3 combined
fixed the issue or if it was just step 2 or step 3 separately. I picked a
couple of different workstations and upon testing step 2 by itself and the
'Error number: 0x800A0046' was still present. I restarted the workstation to
see if the restart fixed step 2 and it didn't.

I then tested step 3 by itself and the 'Error number: 0x800A0046' was still
present. I followed logic and restarted the workstation. The Windows Update
worked again and let me download the updates from the site and it also
automatically downloaded critcal updates.

So, from my testing, I concluded that step 3 was the real solution by
removing all the groups but 'Administrator'. You can probably just remove
'Guests' and 'Users' and get the same result.

I will be venturing ahead and performing just step 3 to fix the issue I am
experiencing with 'Error number: 0x800A0046' on Windows 2000 SP4.

Thank you for all the suggestions and assistance.
Randy