Windows Vista Tips

Windows Vista Tips > Newsgroups > Windows Update > Windows Update "Express" or "Custom" generates persisted key files

Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes

Windows Update "Express" or "Custom" generates persisted key files

 
 
Mitch Gallant
Guest
Posts: n/a

 
      04-22-2006
Not sure if this is a bug or by design (was suggested by MS person that is
probably a bug)
XP Pro/Home sp2 fully patched as of 04/24/2006.

Visiting the Windows Update site and manually checking for updates (either
Express of Custom" generates two keycontainer files at almost the same
instant in the Machine keycontainer folder at:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys
Each of these files I have confirmed contains two 512 bit keys (an Exchange
and a Signature keypair). The file-generation happens at the instant the
button(s) are clicked (before the local scan and any install recommendations
are found).

This is reproducible and several others have verified this behaviour.
However, if Windows updates automatically, the files are not generated (or
at least persisted).

Q1: Are these machine keycontainer files supposed to be persisted by
Windows Update?
Q2: If so, what are they used for?

Generally applications can create transient keycontainers but should
definitely clean them up.

 
Reply With Quote
 
 
 
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Vista not wotking with "My Computer" or "Control Panel", "Screen Saver" Platebanger Windows Vista General Discussion 6 02-05-2008 01:54 PM
Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Vista not prompting me to "Open/Run" or "Save" files Brandon Taylor Windows Vista General Discussion 2 04-01-2007 09:45 PM
WM5 Sync with Vista "Windows Calender", "Contacts", and "Mail" Tony Windows Vista General Discussion 1 02-16-2007 11:20 PM
Removing "failed" and "cancelled" entries from Windows Update hist Guy Windows Update 0 07-02-2005 06:47 PM
After I click "Custom install" or "Express Install" i get an error ian Windows Update 1 08-27-2004 11:34 AM



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59