Microsoft & AUtomatic Updates Fail, Office 2003/Windows 2000 OS

This problem has been ongoing for quite a while, on and off, but has
just become much more widespread. I am running about 120 PCs on an
educational domain. A significant portion of of these computers have
previously had errors running Microsoft or Automatic Updates, but I've
managed to work around them. This last release, however, has not
successfully downloaded on any of our Windows 2000 PCs that are also
running full installs of Microsoft Office 2003. Attempting to run
Microsoft or Automatic Updates creates the following errors in Event
Logs:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Windows Update Agent
Event Category: Software Sync
Event ID: 16
Date: 5/25/2007
Time: 6:30:01 AM
User: N/A
Computer: ZONE0602
Description:
Unable to Connect: Windows is unable to connect to the automatic
updates service and therefore cannot download and install updates
according to the set schedule. Windows will continue to try to
establish a connection.
Data:
0000: 57 69 6e 33 32 48 52 65 Win32HRe
0008: 73 75 6c 74 3d 30 78 30 sult=0x0
0010: 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 20 0000000
0018: 55 70 64 61 74 65 49 44 UpdateID
0020: 3d 7b 30 30 30 30 30 30 ={000000
0028: 30 30 2d 30 30 30 30 2d 00-0000-
0030: 30 30 30 30 2d 30 30 30 0000-000
0038: 30 2d 30 30 30 30 30 30 0-000000
0040: 30 30 30 30 30 30 7d 20 000000}
0048: 52 65 76 69 73 69 6f 6e Revision
0050: 4e 75 6d 62 65 72 3d 30 Number=0
0058: 20 00 .
---
Event Type: Error
Event Source: ESENT
Event Category: Logging/Recovery
Event ID: 413
Date: 5/30/2007
Time: 12:49:19 PM
User: N/A
Computer: ZONE0602
Description:
wuaueng.dll (932) Unable to create the log. The drive may be read-
only, out of disk space, misconfigured, or corrupted. Error -1032.


Now then, the tricky part; Windows Update will run, if the
SoftwareDistribution folder is deleted. Office Update will run
successfully. But MICROSOFT Update will not. And this is a significant
problem, given the number of PCs we have and the urgent need to get
updates installed quickly. Unfortunately our Doman Admin still has not
upgraded from his NT4.1 domain controller, so updates can't simply be
pushed out using SUS or similar services. Our virus scanner is not
blocking it. We have no firewalls running. I've tried to work with
Microsoft to resolve this but so far the answers have been
standardized and no help; remove Ad-Aware. Remove Spybot. Remove
Diskeeper. Give System group full control over C:\. All this has been
attempted with no success. I'm really at my wits end. Any suggestions??

hatfieldnate <> wrote:

> Now then, the tricky part; Windows Update will run, if the
> SoftwareDistribution folder is deleted. Office Update will run
> successfully. But MICROSOFT Update will not.

This might be another symptom of a known problem at present with Microsoft
Update, especially with Office 2003.

Before doing the items below, ensure that you have disabled all 3rd-party
anti-virus, anti-spyware, popup-blocker, download accelerator, or firewall.
If you disabled a 3rd-party firewall, then re-enable Windows Firewall for
the duration.

You might need to stop Automatic Updates while you apply these two fixes:
open a command prompt window and type the command:

net stop wuauserv

For a possible fix to the above problem, please do BOTH of the following:

1. (not for Vista) If your update history shows that you do not yet have
update KB927891 installed, then download and install update KB927891 ver3
(there are different versions for XP and 2000):
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927891>
and then restart Windows.

2. For 32-bit systems, download and save to hard disk, and then install:
<http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe>

If this produces an error message about "Update agent already
installed", then execute the installer again manually, with parameter
/wuforce as in (at a comand prompt window):

WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce

Then visit Microsoft Update again, and report back whether your problem is
fixed.

See <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932494> for more information.

--
Robin Walker [MVP Networking]

PMJI

Perfect solution for my problem I've spent days reinstalling and looking for
drivers, memory tests and all sorts. My symptoms were worse than discussed I
had BSOD memory errors on MS Update. Win Update and Office Update both still
worked though as discussed. This episode nearly made me through 1 system in
the bin as the other 20+ systems I look after do not exhibit the problem!

Maybe 927891 should be pulled until the June 30 public release of the
WindowsUpdateAgent!

Thanks again
CJ

"Robin Walker [MVP]" wrote:

> hatfieldnate <> wrote:
>
> > Now then, the tricky part; Windows Update will run, if the
> > SoftwareDistribution folder is deleted. Office Update will run
> > successfully. But MICROSOFT Update will not.
>
> This might be another symptom of a known problem at present with Microsoft
> Update, especially with Office 2003.
>
> Before doing the items below, ensure that you have disabled all 3rd-party
> anti-virus, anti-spyware, popup-blocker, download accelerator, or firewall.
> If you disabled a 3rd-party firewall, then re-enable Windows Firewall for
> the duration.
>
> You might need to stop Automatic Updates while you apply these two fixes:
> open a command prompt window and type the command:
>
> net stop wuauserv
>
> For a possible fix to the above problem, please do BOTH of the following:
>
> 1. (not for Vista) If your update history shows that you do not yet have
> update KB927891 installed, then download and install update KB927891 ver3
> (there are different versions for XP and 2000):
> <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927891>
> and then restart Windows.
>
> 2. For 32-bit systems, download and save to hard disk, and then install:
> <http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe>
>
> If this produces an error message about "Update agent already
> installed", then execute the installer again manually, with parameter
> /wuforce as in (at a comand prompt window):
>
> WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce
>
> Then visit Microsoft Update again, and report back whether your problem is
> fixed.
>
> See <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932494> for more information.
>
> --
> Robin Walker [MVP Networking]
>
>
>
>

Robin,
I was having pretty much the same problem with the update site and IE7
shutting down just as it started to scan. The fix you provided worked very
well and solved my issue. Can now update at MSupdate with no problems.
Thanks, Roy P

"Robin Walker [MVP]" wrote:

> hatfieldnate <> wrote:
>
> > Now then, the tricky part; Windows Update will run, if the
> > SoftwareDistribution folder is deleted. Office Update will run
> > successfully. But MICROSOFT Update will not.
>
> This might be another symptom of a known problem at present with Microsoft
> Update, especially with Office 2003.
>
> Before doing the items below, ensure that you have disabled all 3rd-party
> anti-virus, anti-spyware, popup-blocker, download accelerator, or firewall.
> If you disabled a 3rd-party firewall, then re-enable Windows Firewall for
> the duration.
>
> You might need to stop Automatic Updates while you apply these two fixes:
> open a command prompt window and type the command:
>
> net stop wuauserv
>
> For a possible fix to the above problem, please do BOTH of the following:
>
> 1. (not for Vista) If your update history shows that you do not yet have
> update KB927891 installed, then download and install update KB927891 ver3
> (there are different versions for XP and 2000):
> <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927891>
> and then restart Windows.
>
> 2. For 32-bit systems, download and save to hard disk, and then install:
> <http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe>
>
> If this produces an error message about "Update agent already
> installed", then execute the installer again manually, with parameter
> /wuforce as in (at a comand prompt window):
>
> WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce
>
> Then visit Microsoft Update again, and report back whether your problem is
> fixed.
>
> See <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932494> for more information.
>
> --
> Robin Walker [MVP Networking]
>
>
>
>