Windows 2000 Update Installation failure

I just discovered that all updates since July, 2005 have failed to install.
I tried to install just one update and got the message: The following
updates were not installed
Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
I noted the time before I started the update procedure but when I check the
log it had no record for today. The last log entry was in July, 2005.
How can I get the updates to install? I'm starting to have a lot of problems
with programs hanging up.

Any help would be appreciated.
--
ed

open a support call because updates are broken and until enough people
complain, they won't fix it.

"edj" <> wrote in message
news:93555C08-12CD-4A2E-AABB-...
>I just discovered that all updates since July, 2005 have failed to install.
> I tried to install just one update and got the message: The following
> updates were not installed
> Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
> I noted the time before I started the update procedure but when I check
> the
> log it had no record for today. The last log entry was in July, 2005.
> How can I get the updates to install? I'm starting to have a lot of
> problems
> with programs hanging up.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
> --
> ed

"edj" <> wrote in message
news:93555C08-12CD-4A2E-AABB-...
>I just discovered that all updates since July, 2005 have failed to install.
> I tried to install just one update and got the message: The following
> updates were not installed
> Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
> I noted the time before I started the update procedure but when I check the
> log it had no record for today. The last log entry was in July, 2005.
> How can I get the updates to install? I'm starting to have a lot of problems
> with programs hanging up.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.


My guess is that you are looking at the wrong log.
July 2005 could be when you switched from using WUv4 to WUv5 or WUv6.
Then, if you had not visited the Windows Update Catalog since no more
entries would have been made in Windows Update.log (with a space).

Hint: try looking for more recent files which change when you visit WU
or use AU. E.g. press Win-F to search for all files which are changed
on that day, then sort them by Date Modified, then scroll to the minutes
where it was running, etc.

Tip: my preference for supplementing the diagnostics provided
by WUV5 is to use FileMon filtering on SoftwareDistribution;update;CatRoot
FYI FileMon is freeware from SysInternals.


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
---

Thank you for your response.
I did visit WU I think when I tried to download the Validation Tool. The log
does say V4 as you say.
I couldn't figure out how to do the Find and sort files but I've installed
FileMon and set it up as suggested. Then I tried to install the validation
tool again with the same result: failed update.
I have the log from FileMon but can't figure out what it is telling me. Can
you help?

I could paste the log here but it is pretty long.

Thank you.
Ed


--
ed


"Robert Aldwinckle" wrote:

> "edj" <> wrote in message
> news:93555C08-12CD-4A2E-AABB-...
> >I just discovered that all updates since July, 2005 have failed to install.
> > I tried to install just one update and got the message: The following
> > updates were not installed
> > Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
> > I noted the time before I started the update procedure but when I check the
> > log it had no record for today. The last log entry was in July, 2005.
> > How can I get the updates to install? I'm starting to have a lot of problems
> > with programs hanging up.
> >
> > Any help would be appreciated.
>
>
> My guess is that you are looking at the wrong log.
> July 2005 could be when you switched from using WUv4 to WUv5 or WUv6.
> Then, if you had not visited the Windows Update Catalog since no more
> entries would have been made in Windows Update.log (with a space).
>
> Hint: try looking for more recent files which change when you visit WU
> or use AU. E.g. press Win-F to search for all files which are changed
> on that day, then sort them by Date Modified, then scroll to the minutes
> where it was running, etc.
>
> Tip: my preference for supplementing the diagnostics provided
> by WUV5 is to use FileMon filtering on SoftwareDistribution;update;CatRoot
> FYI FileMon is freeware from SysInternals.
>
>
> HTH
>
> Robert Aldwinckle
> ---
>
>
>

"edj" <> wrote in message
news:F76372D8-37E0-4E1F-A163-...
> Thank you for your response.
> I did visit WU I think when I tried to download the Validation Tool. The log
> does say V4 as you say.


Oops. I just noticed your OS in your Subject line. Usually I assume
when an OS is not disclosed that it is XP.

So, what maintenance level is your OS at?

I have never used your OS but I have the idea that users of it
who have the latest service pack, e.g. W2Ksp4, may be able to use
the later versions of WU/AU; otherwise I think you would still be using WUv4;
hence Windows Update.log would be the correct log file
for current attempts to do updates with. (Hmm... in fact, I think I might be
confusing a feature of W2003Ssp1 with what your OS might be able to do
regardless of its maintenance level.)

Until we get that detail established there is not much point in using that
FileMon filter that I suggested; although parts of it could actually capture
accesses due to WUv4 too. For example, the update; filter would
capture any writes made to Windows Update.log and I think the
CatRoot filter would be appropriate for it too.


> I couldn't figure out how to do the Find and sort files

Again, the Win-F shortcut may be XP specific.
I have also used NT4 but can't remember having that shortcut available
on it; so it's possible that it doesn't exist on W2K either.

However, one shortcut which is common to both OS and I suspect will
be common to yours as well is F3 from the Taskbar.
E.g. press Ctrl-Esc, and then F3 (or perhaps Ctrl-Esc, Esc and then F3).
That could bring up an Explorer window called variously Find Files (e.g. in NT4),
or Search Companion (in XP). Each has its own quirky dialogs for doing
Advanced searches such as the one I was hinting at.
In NT4 IIRC there were extra tabs which provided that functionality.
Also I just realized that sorting in any case could depend on the View
you get for search results. My tip was assuming that the View would
already be Details; also I suppose it's possible that you might not have
the Date Modified column available even in a Details view, in which case
you would have to add it (e.g. perhaps by right-clicking on the header bar
or finding an appropriate menu item in Views, etc.) and if you can't sort
by clicking on a Details header, I'm pretty sure you should at least
by able to sort by using the View, Arrange Icons by... submenu. Etc.


> but I've installed
> FileMon and set it up as suggested. Then I tried to install the validation
> tool again with the same result: failed update.


Please be more specific about what you are actually trying to do.
Did you use the Windows Update site to do a download first?
If so, and if FileMon was running when you did that as I previously
mentioned you would be able to find references to its log files.

Or are you trying to install something that you already have downloaded?
Then a more appropriate filter would be the name of the program
you are executing to do the install. Etc.


> I have the log from FileMon but can't figure out what it is telling me. Can
> you help?


That is going to depend entirely on what you were trying to do. <w>


>
> I could paste the log here but it is pretty long.


Unless you can find some excerpts you think are significant
it would probably be appreciated by readers of this newsgroup
if you could find some other way of making it available to them.
<w>


>
> Thank you.
> Ed


HTH

Robert
---

I have been observing this behavior since July 18, 2005 on my two win2k sp4
servers. I have tried multiple "fixes" with no success. I believe the current
log file is WindowsUpdate. The old log file was Windows Update. Notice the
space. My installer is version 3.1 v2(3.1.4000.2435). My last two loaded
updates on 7/13/05 were KB893803(New windows installer) and Q828026(Media
player hotfix). The update service went south after that. Updates download
but do not install.

"edj" wrote:

> I just discovered that all updates since July, 2005 have failed to install.
> I tried to install just one update and got the message: The following
> updates were not installed
> Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
> I noted the time before I started the update procedure but when I check the
> log it had no record for today. The last log entry was in July, 2005.
> How can I get the updates to install? I'm starting to have a lot of problems
> with programs hanging up.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
> --
> ed

Yes, the problem is Windows Installer 3.1v2

Microsoft has dropped the ball and will not resolve this problem.
It has already cost me thousands of dollars in lost work and time, as well
as opened up security liabilities on my machine.


"Dr Bashioum" <> wrote in message
news:64C5EF25-B897-4236-8021-...
>I have been observing this behavior since July 18, 2005 on my two win2k sp4
> servers. I have tried multiple "fixes" with no success. I believe the
> current
> log file is WindowsUpdate. The old log file was Windows Update. Notice the
> space. My installer is version 3.1 v2(3.1.4000.2435). My last two loaded
> updates on 7/13/05 were KB893803(New windows installer) and Q828026(Media
> player hotfix). The update service went south after that. Updates download
> but do not install.
>
> "edj" wrote:
>
>> I just discovered that all updates since July, 2005 have failed to
>> install.
>> I tried to install just one update and got the message: The following
>> updates were not installed
>> Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
>> I noted the time before I started the update procedure but when I check
>> the
>> log it had no record for today. The last log entry was in July, 2005.
>> How can I get the updates to install? I'm starting to have a lot of
>> problems
>> with programs hanging up.
>>
>> Any help would be appreciated.
>> --
>> ed

edj, I have posted an instruction on how to solve that problem that is by
closing out all of your icons except the speaker icon in the lower task bar
near the clock and then try the Windows Updates again. They should download
and install normally like they should.

"edj" wrote:

> I just discovered that all updates since July, 2005 have failed to install.
> I tried to install just one update and got the message: The following
> updates were not installed
> Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
> I noted the time before I started the update procedure but when I check the
> log it had no record for today. The last log entry was in July, 2005.
> How can I get the updates to install? I'm starting to have a lot of problems
> with programs hanging up.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
> --
> ed

That certainly does not fix this problem.
I didn't just diosable them, I uninstalled them.
This issue is a serious flaw in one of the uppdates.


"powhammer2" <> wrote in message
news41D4446-4D3A-444E-A529-...
> edj, I have posted an instruction on how to solve that problem that is by
> closing out all of your icons except the speaker icon in the lower task
> bar
> near the clock and then try the Windows Updates again. They should
> download
> and install normally like they should.
>
> "edj" wrote:
>
>> I just discovered that all updates since July, 2005 have failed to
>> install.
>> I tried to install just one update and got the message: The following
>> updates were not installed
>> Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
>> I noted the time before I started the update procedure but when I check
>> the
>> log it had no record for today. The last log entry was in July, 2005.
>> How can I get the updates to install? I'm starting to have a lot of
>> problems
>> with programs hanging up.
>>
>> Any help would be appreciated.
>> --
>> ed

I tried this as well and no luck. I also tried updating BITS. No luck there
either. What gives? Are they secretly desupporting 2000?

"Tom" wrote:

> That certainly does not fix this problem.
> I didn't just diosable them, I uninstalled them.
> This issue is a serious flaw in one of the uppdates.
>
>
> "powhammer2" <> wrote in message
> news41D4446-4D3A-444E-A529-...
> > edj, I have posted an instruction on how to solve that problem that is by
> > closing out all of your icons except the speaker icon in the lower task
> > bar
> > near the clock and then try the Windows Updates again. They should
> > download
> > and install normally like they should.
> >
> > "edj" wrote:
> >
> >> I just discovered that all updates since July, 2005 have failed to
> >> install.
> >> I tried to install just one update and got the message: The following
> >> updates were not installed
> >> Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
> >> I noted the time before I started the update procedure but when I check
> >> the
> >> log it had no record for today. The last log entry was in July, 2005.
> >> How can I get the updates to install? I'm starting to have a lot of
> >> problems
> >> with programs hanging up.
> >>
> >> Any help would be appreciated.
> >> --
> >> ed
>
>
>