Re: Windows updates disappeared from Add/Remove

Not all updates will have entries in Add/Remove Programs.
Updates that can not be uninstalled will not be listed.

The MBSA can help determine if the updates are installed:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../mbsahome.mspx

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"moondog" <> wrote in message
news:2C23F484-ABF8-457D-A6AD-...
> Hope someone can help with this.
>
> All my Windows updates have disappeared from Add/Remove ("show updates" is
> enabled). My PC is about 13 months old yet the first entry in my
> WindowsUpdate log is dated 2006-11-12. I have received automatic updates
> from the start without problems. However, in November 06, I would
> constantly
> receive an update notification for KB923980, despite a seemingly
> error-free
> installation.
>
> The Windows update site has not reported anything strange after scanning
> my
> system. How can I confirm that the updates are or are not on my hd?
> If the updates truly have uninstalled, what is the best way to retrieve
> them? If I reinstall manually, will this be written to the update log so
> that I can check.
>
> Are you aware of malware that uninstalls updates? I recently cleaned out
> JavaByte/Verify (quickly detected) and may have sufferd an attack from a
> trojan named ech.exe.
>
> Thanks in advance.

If the update had been removed, the tool would have recognized it was
missing.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"moondog" <> wrote in message
news:62F76F24-5FA9-4718-96DC-...
> Thanks, Jupiter Jones.
>
> The MBSA is a nice little tool and gave me a clean bill of health.
> However,
> I'm worried by this:
>
> This check is performed by using information obtained from Microsoft.com
> in
> the form of a signed .cab file, a Windows Server Update Services (Update
> Services) server, or the Microsoft Update site. The tool downloads this
> information from Microsoft.com each time it has changed. If it is not able
> to
> contact Microsoft.com, it will use a version of the offline catalog cached
> on
> the local computer. There is also an option to perform this check only
> against an approved updates list from a local Update Services server, or
> only
> against the complete list of available updates from Microsoft Update.
>
> I would prefer a scan to confirm that the files associated with the
> updates
> actually exist on my hd. If a piece of malware uninstalled my updates,
> would
> the MBSA detect this?
>
> "Jupiter Jones [MVP]" wrote:
>
>> Not all updates will have entries in Add/Remove Programs.
>> Updates that can not be uninstalled will not be listed.
>>
>> The MBSA can help determine if the updates are installed:
>> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../mbsahome.mspx
>>
>> --
>> Jupiter Jones [MVP]
>> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
>> http://www.dts-l.org
>>
>>
>> "moondog" <> wrote in message
>> news:2C23F484-ABF8-457D-A6AD-...
>> > Hope someone can help with this.
>> >
>> > All my Windows updates have disappeared from Add/Remove ("show updates"
>> > is
>> > enabled). My PC is about 13 months old yet the first entry in my
>> > WindowsUpdate log is dated 2006-11-12. I have received automatic
>> > updates
>> > from the start without problems. However, in November 06, I would
>> > constantly
>> > receive an update notification for KB923980, despite a seemingly
>> > error-free
>> > installation.
>> >
>> > The Windows update site has not reported anything strange after
>> > scanning
>> > my
>> > system. How can I confirm that the updates are or are not on my hd?
>> > If the updates truly have uninstalled, what is the best way to retrieve
>> > them? If I reinstall manually, will this be written to the update log
>> > so
>> > that I can check.
>> >
>> > Are you aware of malware that uninstalls updates? I recently cleaned
>> > out
>> > JavaByte/Verify (quickly detected) and may have sufferd an attack from
>> > a
>> > trojan named ech.exe.
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance.
>>
>>

The log is nothing more than a history of what has happened when
Windows/Microsoft Update attempts to update.
If you Download and install a Service Pack or update manually it will not be
in the log since Windows/Microsoft Update was not involved.
Normally nothing will delete entries on the log and nothing searches the log
for other update information.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"moondog" <> wrote in message
news39B2396-9655-42DB-9E4F-...
> Thanks again for your help, but can you explain why the first entry in the
> Windows update log is dated 2006-11-12. This would be around the time of
> the
> never-ending update saga. Does Windows or MS Update ever delete the
> update
> log, whether by accident or design? Does Add/Remove read this log, or
> registry entires obtained from the log, before populating the updates
> list?
>
> "moondog" wrote:
>
>> Thanks for giving me peace of mind.

Thanks, JJ.

Guess what: I found my Windows updates listed in Spybot's "Uninstall Info"
section.

"Jupiter Jones [MVP]" wrote:

> The log is nothing more than a history of what has happened when
> Windows/Microsoft Update attempts to update.
> If you Download and install a Service Pack or update manually it will not be
> in the log since Windows/Microsoft Update was not involved.
> Normally nothing will delete entries on the log and nothing searches the log
> for other update information.
>
> --
> Jupiter Jones [MVP]
> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
> http://www.dts-l.org
>
>
> "moondog" <> wrote in message
> news39B2396-9655-42DB-9E4F-...
> > Thanks again for your help, but can you explain why the first entry in the
> > Windows update log is dated 2006-11-12. This would be around the time of
> > the
> > never-ending update saga. Does Windows or MS Update ever delete the
> > update
> > log, whether by accident or design? Does Add/Remove read this log, or
> > registry entires obtained from the log, before populating the updates
> > list?
> >
> > "moondog" wrote:
> >
> >> Thanks for giving me peace of mind.
>
>

Spybot Support Forums
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=4
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)

moondog wrote:
> Thanks, JJ.
>
> Guess what: I found my Windows updates listed in Spybot's "Uninstall Info"
> section.
>
> "Jupiter Jones [MVP]" wrote:
>
>> The log is nothing more than a history of what has happened when
>> Windows/Microsoft Update attempts to update.
>> If you Download and install a Service Pack or update manually it will not
>> be in the log since Windows/Microsoft Update was not involved.
>> Normally nothing will delete entries on the log and nothing searches the
>> log for other update information.
>>
>> --
>> Jupiter Jones [MVP]
>> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
>> http://www.dts-l.org
>>
>>
>> "moondog" <> wrote in message
>> news39B2396-9655-42DB-9E4F-...
>>> Thanks again for your help, but can you explain why the first entry in
>>> the
>>> Windows update log is dated 2006-11-12. This would be around the time
>>> of
>>> the
>>> never-ending update saga. Does Windows or MS Update ever delete the
>>> update
>>> log, whether by accident or design? Does Add/Remove read this log, or
>>> registry entires obtained from the log, before populating the updates
>>> list?
>>>
>>> "moondog" wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks for giving me peace of mind.