Re: Windows Automaigic updates

[crosspost to Windows Update newsgroup]

Be patient and wait for AU shield to appear again.

With any of the Automatic Updates options selected, you will only see AU's
yellow "Updates are ready to be installed" icon when all of the approved
updates have downloaded or installed *and* when the update server can handle
the process.

If some but not all of the approved updates have downloaded, you may
encounter a "Click to install important updates and then shut down" button
when you go to turn off your computer. Doing so will install the
already-downloaded updates (see Event Log | System section).

• Microsoft Update Product Team Blog: Update Notifications and
Install-at-Shutdown Behavior:
http://blogs.technet.com/mu/archive/...-shutdown.aspx

Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log (cf.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093), you may see a delay (i.e., in
downloading or installing all approved updates) caused by excessive demand
on the servers ("Update is not allowed to download due to regulation").
See...

• Updates are not downloaded or the “Automatic Updates” icon does not
display the status of downloads when you enable the Automatic Updates
service
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/910340

In most cases, you can install all of the desired updates manually via
Windows/Microsoft Update website (WinXP) or by running Windows Update
manually (Vista) instead: Understand that by doing so, you're pushing all
other Automatic Updates users further back in the queue...which may explain,
at least in part, why Automatic Updates may not have brought them in for you
yet.

NB: Some months, it can take up to a week for every computer in the world to
be able to download/install updates.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com


JacobH wrote:
> I have WU set to download and inform, sometimes I fail to install them
> there and then. When I come back it's forgotten the updates, at least
> the shield has gone from the sysbar. How do I get to install the
> downloaded updates without the shield?

JacobH wrote:
> PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
>> [crosspost to Windows Update newsgroup]
>>
>> Be patient and wait for AU shield to appear again.
>>
>> With any of the Automatic Updates options selected, you will only see
>> AU's yellow "Updates are ready to be installed" icon when all of the
>> approved updates have downloaded or installed *and* when the update
>> server can
>> handle the process.
>>
>> If some but not all of the approved updates have downloaded, you may
>> encounter a "Click to install important updates and then shut down"
>> button when you go to turn off your computer. Doing so will install
>> the
>> already-downloaded updates (see Event Log | System section).
>>
>> • Microsoft Update Product Team Blog: Update Notifications and
>> Install-at-Shutdown Behavior:
>>
>> http://blogs.technet.com/mu/archive/...-shutdown.aspx
>>
>> Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log (cf.
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093), you may see a delay (i.e., in
>> downloading or installing all approved updates) caused by excessive
>> demand on the servers ("Update is not allowed to download due to
>> regulation"). See...
>>
>> • Updates are not downloaded or the “Automatic Updates” icon does
>> not display the status of downloads when you enable the Automatic
>> Updates
>> service
>> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/910340
>>
>> In most cases, you can install all of the desired updates manually via
>> Windows/Microsoft Update website (WinXP) or by running Windows Update
>> manually (Vista) instead: Understand that by doing so, you're pushing
>> all other Automatic Updates users further back in the queue...which
>> may
>> explain, at least in part, why Automatic Updates may not have brought
>> them in
>> for you yet.
>>
>> NB: Some months, it can take up to a week for every computer in the
>> world to be able to download/install updates.
>>
>> JacobH wrote:
>>> I have WU set to download and inform, sometimes I fail to install
>>> them there and then. When I come back it's forgotten the updates, at
>>> least the shield has gone from the sysbar. How do I get to install
>>> the downloaded updates without the shield?
>
> But PA they're downloaded already, I just neglected/missed to install
> them at the time. All I want to do is review which ones I want to
> install and do it.
> It seems to make the 'download and inform me' option a bit of a waste if
> I cannot get to install them at a convenient time!

Again, be patient and the AU icon will show up again. I know because the
same thing happened to me: According Event Viewer, AU notified at 5:25 PM
yesterday but I wasn't home. Lo and behold, the AU icon popped-up again
today at the same time and I was able to install the updates.

If you're impatient, you can always go to Windows Update website and select
the CUSTOM scan option. After selecting/approving the updates, chances are
the AU icon will automagically appear. If that happens, continue installing
the update via the website!