"Preview your update history" inactive.

In a Windows XP Pro installation, the Microsoft Update screen includes the
entry "Preview your update history", but it is grayed out/inactive and cannot
be invoked to show the installed updates. Executing the Express update button
results in no updates requiring installation. Executing Control Panel||Add or
Remove Programs shows many Microsoft updates installed. Having previously
run Microsoft Update many times without errors, I assume that all the
updates have been installed.

At one point "Preview your update history" was active and the cumulative
updates were displayed. Originally this installation used Windows Update,
then at some point I invoked the option to upgrade to Microsoft Update. I did
not notice if "Preview your update history" became inactive before or after
the upgrade.

Does anyone know of a way to re-activate the "Preview your update history"
in Microsoft Update?

sqaeng wrote:
> In a Windows XP Pro installation, the Microsoft Update screen
> includes the entry "Preview your update history", but it is grayed
> out/inactive and cannot be invoked to show the installed updates.
> Executing the Express update button results in no updates requiring
> installation. Executing Control Panel||Add or Remove Programs shows
> many Microsoft updates installed. Having previously run Microsoft
> Update many times without errors, I assume that all the updates
> have been installed.
>
> At one point "Preview your update history" was active and the
> cumulative updates were displayed. Originally this installation
> used Windows Update, then at some point I invoked the option to
> upgrade to Microsoft Update. I did not notice if "Preview your
> update history" became inactive before or after the upgrade.
>
> Does anyone know of a way to re-activate the "Preview your update
> history" in Microsoft Update?

Reboot and logon as an user with administrative priviledges.

Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan with the following
(freeware version):

SuperAntiSpyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/

Reboot and logon as administrative user.

Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan with the following
(freeware version):

MalwareBytes
http://www.malwarebytes.com/

Reboot and logon as administrative user.

Download and run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/ma...e/default.mspx

You may find nothing, you may find only cookies, you may think it is a
waste of time - but if you do all this and report back here with what you
do/don't find as you are doing all of it - you are adding more pieces to
the puzzle and the entire picture just may become clearer and your
problem resolved.

Reboot and logon as administrative user.


Download/install the "Windows Installer CleanUp Utility":
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

After installing, do the following:

Start button --> RUN
(no "RUN"? Press the "Windows Key" + R on your keyboard)
--> type in:
"%ProgramFiles%\Windows Installer Clean Up\msizap.exe" g!
--> Click OK.
(The quotation marks and percentage signs and spacing should be exact.)


Reset your Windows/Microsoft Updates components...

How do I reset Windows Update components?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058

.... and click on the "Microsoft Fix it" icon. When asked, select "RUN",
both times. Check the "I agree" box and click on "Next". Check the box
for "Run aggressive options (not recommended)" and click "Next". Let
it finish up and follow the prompts until it is done. Close/exit and
reboot when it is.

Try your updates.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit SP2)
when posting in a forum or newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?

Is Automatic Updates enabled?

Have you ever had any problems downloading/installing updates?


sqaeng wrote:
> In a Windows XP Pro installation, the Microsoft Update screen includes the
> entry "Preview your update history", but it is grayed out/inactive and
> cannot be invoked to show the installed updates. Executing the Express
> update button results in no updates requiring installation. Executing
> Control Panel||Add or Remove Programs shows many Microsoft updates
> installed. Having previously run Microsoft Update many times without
> errors, I assume that all the updates have been installed.
>
> At one point "Preview your update history" was active and the cumulative
> updates were displayed. Originally this installation used Windows Update,
> then at some point I invoked the option to upgrade to Microsoft Update. I
> did not notice if "Preview your update history" became inactive before or
> after the upgrade.
>
> Does anyone know of a way to re-activate the "Preview your update history"
> in Microsoft Update?

Shenan Stanley: Your suggestions scare me to death in their system
invasiveness. Allow me to first respond to PA Bear, then see if you think all
those actions are still necessary.

PA Bear:

>Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit SP2)
>when posting in a forum or newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.
***Windows XP Pro v2002 SP3***

>What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your subscription current?
***Norton Security Suite Ver. 3.8.0.41. Subscription is through Comcast and
current.***

>What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
***Only what Norton provides in the Security Suite.***

>What third-party firewall (if any)?
***Norton Smart Firewall, supplied in the Security Suite.***

>Has (another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
>computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
>it)?
***I initially installed McAfee Security Suite, also provided by Comcast, and
***active for several years. Prior to replacing it with Norton, I removed
McAfee ***using a removal program recommended by Comcast.***

>Is Automatic Updates enabled?
***Yes, and has been since the initial installation of Win XP Pro.***

>Have you ever had any problems downloading/installing updates?
***No. According to the latest run of Windows Update, all updates are
installed.***

Some additional information...
On the same home network as this problem PC are three similar Win XP Pro v2002
SP3 PCs, each including Norton Security Suite and MS Windows Update Agent w.
Auto mode set. In the latter three, the "Preview your update history" is
active and the update history successfully displays.

sqaeng wrote:

>In a Windows XP Pro installation, the Microsoft Update screen includes the
>entry "Preview your update history", but it is grayed out/inactive and cannot
>be invoked to show the installed updates.
>
>

Generally this is always the case if you are not online. Have you tried
going online, and pretending to check for updates without actually
getting any updates? This way you can get your update history to load
from SoftwareDistribution folder and you can print it or save/print as
XPS/pdf versions.

hth



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"sqaeng" <> wrote in message
> Shenan Stanley: Your suggestions scare me to death in their system
> invasiveness. Allow me to first respond to PA Bear, then see if you think
> all
> those actions are still necessary.
>
> PA Bear:
>
>> Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; WinXP 64-bit
>> SP2)
>> when posting in a forum or newsgroup. Please do so in your next reply.
>> ***Windows XP Pro v2002 SP3***
>
>> What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
>> subscription current?
> ***Norton Security Suite Ver. 3.8.0.41. Subscription is through Comcast
> and
> current.***
>
>> What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
> ***Only what Norton provides in the Security Suite.***
>
>> What third-party firewall (if any)?
> ***Norton Smart Firewall, supplied in the Security Suite.***
>
>> Has (another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
>> computer (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you
>> bought
>> it)?
> ***I initially installed McAfee Security Suite, also provided by Comcast,
> and
> ***active for several years. Prior to replacing it with Norton, I removed
> McAfee ***using a removal program recommended by Comcast.***
>
>> Is Automatic Updates enabled?
> ***Yes, and has been since the initial installation of Win XP Pro.***
>
>> Have you ever had any problems downloading/installing updates?
> ***No. According to the latest run of Windows Update, all updates are
> installed.***
>
> Some additional information...
> On the same home network as this problem PC are three similar Win XP Pro
> v2002
> SP3 PCs, each including Norton Security Suite and MS Windows Update Agent
> w.
> Auto mode set. In the latter three, the "Preview your update history" is
> active and the update history successfully displays.