Re: Windows updater not telling me anything?

[Crosspost to Windows Update newsgroup.]

With the Notify Only option (and sometimes with any of the others) enabled,
you'll only see AU's "Updates are ready to be installed" icon when all of
the updates you've approved have downloaded.

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. Using it will install the
already-downloaded updates, but there's no way of knowing which updates they
are.

Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log (cf.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093), you may be seeing a delay 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

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

Much ado about nothing
http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/arch...-updating.aspx

In most cases, you can install all of the 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 hasn't brought them in for you yet).

PS: Why isn't SP3 installed yet, Ed?
--
Windows Update-specific newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof....windowsupdate

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com


Ed from AZ wrote:
> It used to be that I'd get the little shield icon in the bottom and a
> message that updates were available. I'd click the shield and up
> would come a list box. I'd get to look over the updates, accept or
> deny, and say "Download." They would download in the background, and
> then notify me that they were available for install, and I could put
> that off until it was convenient (not running anything else in case
> the updfate required restarting the computer).
>
> Now, I see my shield icon - and if I mouse over, it tells me it's
> downloading and what percentage of completion. No other
> notifications. Then, when I go to shut down, it defaults to the
> option of "Install updates and shut down."
>
> In the control panel, I've checked the option of "Notify me but don't
> automatically do anything". Windows seems to be ignoring me, though.
> Is there anything I can do to get back to the way it used to be?
>
> Ed
> Dell D600 laptop
> Win XP Pro, SP 2

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in message news:...
> [Crosspost to Windows Update newsgroup.]
>
> With the Notify Only option (and sometimes with any of the others) enabled,
> you'll only see AU's "Updates are ready to be installed" icon when all of
> the updates you've approved have downloaded.
>
> 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. Using it will install the
> already-downloaded updates,

> but there's no way of knowing which updates they are.


In fact, you can cancel the Shutdown and go back and browse
ReportingEvents.log to get a very good idea of the ones that
will be installed. ; )


>
> Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log (cf.
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093), you may be seeing a delay caused by
> excessive demand on the servers ("Update is not allowed to download due to
> regulation").


FWIW supposedly mine is this one, which would make it more to do
with policy than with "excessive demand":

<title>Description of Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 2</title>
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=953331

I guess the idea is that since I already have the equivalent critical updates installed
there is no point in doing both that download and possibly redoing those updates.

BTW I have no idea how I could guess that that is the cause of the regulation from the logs.
To me it always looks like wuredir.cab (even though I am using MU) but have been assured
that that can not be the case.


FYI

Robert
---


> 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
>
> Microsoft Update Product Team Blog: Update Notifications and
> Install-at-Shutdown Behavior:
> http://blogs.technet.com/mu/archive/...-shutdown.aspx
>
> Much ado about nothing
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/arch...-updating.aspx
>
> In most cases, you can install all of the 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 hasn't brought them in for you yet).
>
> PS: Why isn't SP3 installed yet, Ed?
> --
> Windows Update-specific newsgroup:
> news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof....windowsupdate
>
> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
> www.banthecheck.com
>
>
> Ed from AZ wrote:
>> It used to be that I'd get the little shield icon in the bottom and a
>> message that updates were available. I'd click the shield and up
>> would come a list box. I'd get to look over the updates, accept or
>> deny, and say "Download." They would download in the background, and
>> then notify me that they were available for install, and I could put
>> that off until it was convenient (not running anything else in case
>> the updfate required restarting the computer).
>>
>> Now, I see my shield icon - and if I mouse over, it tells me it's
>> downloading and what percentage of completion. No other
>> notifications. Then, when I go to shut down, it defaults to the
>> option of "Install updates and shut down."
>>
>> In the control panel, I've checked the option of "Notify me but don't
>> automatically do anything". Windows seems to be ignoring me, though.
>> Is there anything I can do to get back to the way it used to be?
>>
>> Ed
>> Dell D600 laptop
>> Win XP Pro, SP 2
>

My previous reply should have answered all of your "Why don't I...?"
questions, Ed.

>> PS: Why isn't SP3 installed yet, Ed?
> Because: (a) I was leery of the "SP3 broke this!" posts I read; (b) I
> did have a problem on my machine (display driver function failed) and
> one known cause was SP3, and I can't afford to have that problem; (c)
> SP2 is working fine, so why fix it if it ain't broke?

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support for WinXP SP3
(including your display driver problem) was available from 14 April 2008
thru late-May 2009. Since that ship has sailed, such support will cost you
US$59 per incident now.

Your computer will NOT be offered any further critical security updates nor
will Windows Update website be available after 12 April 2010 until and
unless SP3 is installed.

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP SP2 fully patched
[You should be able to skip Step #4, Ed.]
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...66ae41add7dd2b


Ed from AZ wrote:
> Thanks for the response. Sorry about missing the UPDATE-specific NG,
> and thanks again for the cross-post.
>
> I'm not complaining about the delay or the length of time to get the
> updates - although it is sometimes quite a long time. I'm just
> wondering about the change in behavior - why I no longer get the list
> box that allows me to select or reject updates (some were for
> components I do not have installed on my machine), or why I no longer
> get the notification that they've been downloaded and are ready for me
> to install.
>
> I take my laptop to the local WiFi spot, so things are extra-slow.
> But the previous method allowed me to go home and install the
> downloaded updates, rather than use up precious WiFi time waiting for
> my machine to shut down and/or restart itself.
>
>> PS: Why isn't SP3 installed yet, Ed?
> Because: (a) I was leery of the "SP3 broke this!" posts I read; (b) I
> did have a problem on my machine (display driver function failed) and
> one known cause was SP3, and I can't afford to have that problem; (c)
> SP2 is working fine, so why fix it if it ain't broke? (Unless one of
> the updates is a "planned break" so MS can force me into SP3! How's
> that for a conspiracy theory? *>} )
>
> Ed
>
>
> On Aug 24, 9:15 am, "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <PABear...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> [Crosspost to Windows Update newsgroup.]
>>
>> With the Notify Only option (and sometimes with any of the others)
>> enabled,
>> you'll only see AU's "Updates are ready to be installed" icon when all of
>> the updates you've approved have downloaded.
>>
>> 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. Using it will install the
>> already-downloaded updates, but there's no way of knowing which updates
>> they
>> are.
>>
>> Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log
>> (cf.http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093), you may be seeing a delay
>> 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
>> servicehttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/910340
>>
>> Microsoft Update Product Team Blog: Update Notifications and
>> Install-at-Shutdown
>> Behavior:http://blogs.technet.com/mu/archive/...otifications-a...
>>
>> Much ado about
>> nothinghttp://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2009/06/25/seems-like-muchado...
>>
>> In most cases, you can install all of the 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 hasn't brought them in for you
>> yet).
>>
>> PS: Why isn't SP3 installed yet, Ed?
>> --
>> Windows Update-specific newsgroup:
>> news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof....windowsupdate
>>
>> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
>> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002www.banthecheck.com
>>
>>
>>
>> Ed from AZ wrote:
>>> It used to be that I'd get the little shield icon in the bottom and a
>>> message that updates were available. I'd click the shield and up
>>> would come a list box. I'd get to look over the updates, accept or
>>> deny, and say "Download." They would download in the background, and
>>> then notify me that they were available for install, and I could put
>>> that off until it was convenient (not running anything else in case
>>> the updfate required restarting the computer).
>>
>>> Now, I see my shield icon - and if I mouse over, it tells me it's
>>> downloading and what percentage of completion. No other
>>> notifications. Then, when I go to shut down, it defaults to the
>>> option of "Install updates and shut down."
>>
>>> In the control panel, I've checked the option of "Notify me but don't
>>> automatically do anything". Windows seems to be ignoring me, though.
>>> Is there anything I can do to get back to the way it used to be?
>>
>>> Ed
>>> Dell D600 laptop
>>> Win XP Pro, SP 2- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -

Inline...

Ed from AZ wrote:
> Well, Mr. Bear, I'm not fully convinced of SP3 yet - but I just might
> become a convert. Don't give up hope on me yet. Although, to tell
> the truth, if I wasn't forced to upgrade because of a newer computer,
> I'd still be on 98SE!!

I couldn't care less if you don't install SP3...just understand that you
won't get any more critical security updates after 12 April 2010 nor will
you be able to access/use Windows Update unless and until SP3 is installed.

> My base question that seems to have gotten lost in here was: what
> would have changed the behavior of the updater? That bothered me
> because I could see some malware affecting the updater to download
> anything that *said* it was from MS. With the previous settings, I
> could see what it was trying to shove at me and investigate anything
> suspicious. Now it's just "I'm done - install me."

Logic tells us that the behavior is being caused by excessive demand on the
update servers due to so many updates (and so many large updates like Vista
SP2) being offered to tens of millions of computers worldwide. MS is aware
of the problem and users' opinions of same.

> I appreciate the ReportingEvents.log tip - at least I can work around
> the not knowing, though I'm not sure how I would stop the
> downloading. I assume the log file would have the file path so I can
> delete the download prior to installation if I should so desire.

Huh?

> But the change in behavior still bugs me. I understand that my
> computer is 'way smarter than I am, but I still like the *feeling*
> that I'm in control! Especially about instlling things.]
>
> FWIW, I'm also running ZoneAlarms, PC Tools AV, and Spyware Terminator
> (all free versions), with the Windows Firewall off.
> Ed