Vista Windows Update Taskbar Icon

I've asked this a couple of times in the Vista-specific groups but never
received any replies, so I'm trying in here.

I'm running Vista Ultimate as a Standard User with UAC turned on. I
have Vista set to inform me when new updates are available, but the
icon that should be displayed when new important updates are available
never shows up in the Notification Area (it is not set to hidden).

I have to manually click on Windows Update on the start menu to see if
there are any new updates available, and then I can download any updates
as normal. If I log on as Administrator, the icon shows up correctly
when new updates are available but this is not the way I want to
operate.

Any suggestions?

--
Walter

Forward to Vista Security newsgroup via crosspost.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)
AumHa VSOP & Admin; DTS-L.org

Walter Docherty wrote:
> I've asked this a couple of times in the Vista-specific groups but never
> received any replies, so I'm trying in here.
>
> I'm running Vista Ultimate as a Standard User with UAC turned on. I
> have Vista set to inform me when new updates are available, but the
> icon that should be displayed when new important updates are available
> never shows up in the Notification Area (it is not set to hidden).
>
> I have to manually click on Windows Update on the start menu to see if
> there are any new updates available, and then I can download any updates
> as normal. If I log on as Administrator, the icon shows up correctly
> when new updates are available but this is not the way I want to
> operate.
>
> Any suggestions?

(cross-post added to Vista Perf & Maint)
"Walter Docherty" <> wrote in message
news:lSHpi.191138$ ...
> I've asked this a couple of times in the Vista-specific groups but never
> received any replies, so I'm trying in here.


Which ones? You're more likely to find commonality in a Vista
specific newsgroup than in a WU specific one. Cross-posting
to one as I don't use Vista and the following ideas may only
apply to XP.


>
> I'm running Vista Ultimate as a Standard User with UAC turned on. I
> have Vista set to inform me when new updates are available, but the
> icon that should be displayed when new important updates are available
> never shows up in the Notification Area (it is not set to hidden).


I set mine to Always Show.


>
> I have to manually click on Windows Update on the start menu to see if
> there are any new updates available, and then I can download any updates
> as normal. If I log on as Administrator, the icon shows up correctly
> when new updates are available but this is not the way I want to
> operate.
>
> Any suggestions?


You need to refine your symptom description.

Check with Task Manager if wuauclt.exe is running.
E.g. if it is running then the only issue is that its icon isn't showing.
Also you then could use its PID to figure out in windowsupdate.log
what it was doing.

Otherwise, there is a better simulated test. Run... (e.g. press Win-R
and enter

wuauclt.exe /detectnow

For both cases you could supplement your diagnostics with ProcMon.
E.g. use it to see what is happening in the wuauclt.exe task *between*
the log messages. Hint: you can infer a precise timestamp for a log
message by noticing the lengths of writes to its file and then matching it
among the lengths of messages in that file. Tip: use Notepad's Status bar
to show column position and then press End on a line to find that line's
approximate length.


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

In Control Panel (Classic View) > Security Center, click on "Change the way
Security Center alerts me", on the left-hand side of the window, and then
make your choice.


"Robert Aldwinckle" <> wrote in message
news:...
> (cross-post added to Vista Perf & Maint)
> "Walter Docherty" <> wrote in message
> news:lSHpi.191138$ ...
>> I've asked this a couple of times in the Vista-specific groups but never
>> received any replies, so I'm trying in here.
>
>
> Which ones? You're more likely to find commonality in a Vista
> specific newsgroup than in a WU specific one. Cross-posting
> to one as I don't use Vista and the following ideas may only
> apply to XP.
>
>
>>
>> I'm running Vista Ultimate as a Standard User with UAC turned on. I
>> have Vista set to inform me when new updates are available, but the
>> icon that should be displayed when new important updates are available
>> never shows up in the Notification Area (it is not set to hidden).
>
>
> I set mine to Always Show.
>
>
>>
>> I have to manually click on Windows Update on the start menu to see if
>> there are any new updates available, and then I can download any updates
>> as normal. If I log on as Administrator, the icon shows up correctly
>> when new updates are available but this is not the way I want to
>> operate.
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>
>
> You need to refine your symptom description.
>
> Check with Task Manager if wuauclt.exe is running.
> E.g. if it is running then the only issue is that its icon isn't showing.
> Also you then could use its PID to figure out in windowsupdate.log
> what it was doing.
>
> Otherwise, there is a better simulated test. Run... (e.g. press Win-R
> and enter
>
> wuauclt.exe /detectnow
>
> For both cases you could supplement your diagnostics with ProcMon.
> E.g. use it to see what is happening in the wuauclt.exe task *between*
> the log messages. Hint: you can infer a precise timestamp for a log
> message by noticing the lengths of writes to its file and then matching it
> among the lengths of messages in that file. Tip: use Notepad's Status
> bar
> to show column position and then press End on a line to find that line's
> approximate length.
>
>
> Good luck
>
> Robert Aldwinckle
> ---
>
>