Windows Updates for Vista Do Not Work

Windows Updates constantly fail on my clean Vista Ultimate install. I
have manually installed about half a dozen, but am having trouble
keeping track through all the reboots and also finding instructions and
the downloads for each update.

I have previously noted my frustration with this, so I will just skip it
and plea once more for some dribble of information from the MS gurus.

How can I get Automatic Updates working? Why does it not work? When
will it work? What is the problem?

MS offers direct support for updates failure

"rabidrobot" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Windows Updates constantly fail on my clean Vista Ultimate install. I
> have manually installed about half a dozen, but am having trouble
> keeping track through all the reboots and also finding instructions and
> the downloads for each update.
>
> I have previously noted my frustration with this, so I will just skip it
> and plea once more for some dribble of information from the MS gurus.
>
> How can I get Automatic Updates working? Why does it not work? When
> will it work? What is the problem?
>

"rabidrobot" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Windows Updates constantly fail on my clean Vista Ultimate install. I
> have manually installed about half a dozen, but am having trouble
> keeping track through all the reboots and also finding instructions and
> the downloads for each update.


Why not at least use AU with full prompt mode to get the list of updates
it would install for you? Then you can use Custom button to get more information
on each specified update including a link to a download site if you prefer doing that
manually.


>
> I have previously noted my frustration with this, so I will just skip it
> and plea once more for some dribble of information from the MS gurus.
>
> How can I get Automatic Updates working? Why does it not work? When
> will it work? What is the problem?


<title>How to read the Windowsupdate.log file</title>
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
---

Robert Aldwinckle wrote:
> "rabidrobot" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Windows Updates constantly fail on my clean Vista Ultimate install. I
>> have manually installed about half a dozen, but am having trouble
>> keeping track through all the reboots and also finding instructions and
>> the downloads for each update.
>
>
> Why not at least use AU with full prompt mode to get the list of updates
> it would install for you? Then you can use Custom button to get more information
> on each specified update including a link to a download site if you prefer doing that
> manually.
>
>
>> I have previously noted my frustration with this, so I will just skip it
>> and plea once more for some dribble of information from the MS gurus.
>>
>> How can I get Automatic Updates working? Why does it not work? When
>> will it work? What is the problem?
>
>
> <title>How to read the Windowsupdate.log file</title>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093
>
>
> HTH
>
> Robert Aldwinckle
> ---
>
>
Yeah, very helpful. Here's the deal.

"Full prompt" doesn't tell anything more than Failed. Those links
rarely get to the proper destination, in fact they usually maddeningly
drop me off at Vista HQ.

The log file instructions were very helpful. Now if you'll just pay the
community college and my time off work so I can learn to follow those
instructions; hopefully delaying having to MANUALLY update my AUTOMATIC
UPDATE once again by about a week or so.

That being the point--that it doesn't f)(*&$#ing work-- not that I
didn't type in the right search query before asking here, or didn't look
around and try to solve this myself, no the goddamn point is this
expensive operating system doesn't update, doesn't search, and any
information actually pertinent to the solution is buried deep in some
esoteric maze guarded by sarcastic newbie-pouncing newsgroup gnolls.

I "hope that helps" elucidate the issue a bit more.

Don't shoot the messenger.


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2007]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



rabidrobot wrote:

> Robert Aldwinckle wrote:
>
>> "rabidrobot" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>
>>> Windows Updates constantly fail on my clean Vista Ultimate install. I
>>> have manually installed about half a dozen, but am having trouble
>>> keeping track through all the reboots and also finding instructions and
>>> the downloads for each update.
>>
>>
>>
>> Why not at least use AU with full prompt mode to get the list of
>> updates
>> it would install for you? Then you can use Custom button to get
>> more information
>> on each specified update including a link to a download site if you
>> prefer doing that
>> manually.
>>
>>
>>> I have previously noted my frustration with this, so I will just skip it
>>> and plea once more for some dribble of information from the MS gurus.
>>>
>>> How can I get Automatic Updates working? Why does it not work? When
>>> will it work? What is the problem?
>>
>>
>>
>> <title>How to read the Windowsupdate.log file</title>
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093
>>
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> Robert Aldwinckle
>> ---
>>
> Yeah, very helpful. Here's the deal.
>
> "Full prompt" doesn't tell anything more than Failed. Those links
> rarely get to the proper destination, in fact they usually maddeningly
> drop me off at Vista HQ.
>
> The log file instructions were very helpful. Now if you'll just pay the
> community college and my time off work so I can learn to follow those
> instructions; hopefully delaying having to MANUALLY update my AUTOMATIC
> UPDATE once again by about a week or so.
>
> That being the point--that it doesn't f)(*&$#ing work-- not that I
> didn't type in the right search query before asking here, or didn't look
> around and try to solve this myself, no the goddamn point is this
> expensive operating system doesn't update, doesn't search, and any
> information actually pertinent to the solution is buried deep in some
> esoteric maze guarded by sarcastic newbie-pouncing newsgroup gnolls.
>
> I "hope that helps" elucidate the issue a bit more.
>

"rabidrobot" <> wrote in message
news:
....
>> Why not at least use AU with full prompt mode to get the list of updates
>> it would install for you? Then you can use Custom button to get more information
>> on each specified update including a link to a download site if you prefer doing that
>> manually.


> "Full prompt" doesn't tell anything more than Failed.


You're going to have to do a better job of describing what you are doing
and what you are seeing if you need help. Remember, your words have
to substitute for what our eyes might notice.

To expand on my hint I am expecting that you have used the
Automatic Updates Control Panel applet, e.g. Run...

control wuaucpl.cpl

and used the option
Notify me but don't automatically download or install them.

You could also see this dialog by rightclicking on the Yellow shield
in the Systray but that would have meant that you probably already
had some kind of prompting for AU in effect.

The dialog that I am expecting you to see a Custom button in
is shown by *doubleclicking* on the Yellow shield icon.

Tip: it helps to modify the Taskbar's Notifications to make the Yellow shield
an Always Show item to facilitate such inspections.

BTW these descriptions are my recollections of how AU works on XP.
I don't have Vista so I don't know how the UI has changed with it
and unfortunately I don't have an AU icon in my Systray at the moment
either.

One way to force the icon to show if there are updates available
is to Run...

wuauclt.exe /detectnow

I just tried doing that in hopes of seeing the icon but it didn't show.
However, now I have a wuauclt.exe running (as seen in Task Manager's
Processes tab.)

Run... %windir%\windowsupdate.log opens the WU/AU log in Notepad.
I can see in there a line corresponding with that attempt but stangely
enough there is no reference to the PID for the wuauclt.exe process,
just one for the WUAU Service:

<notepad>
2007-06-24 09:19:56:505 780 76c AU Triggering AU detection through DetectNow API
</notepad>

(So, evidently in the log I could have scrolled to the bottom and done a
Find Up for DetectNow to see the full report of that command.)

Here's what that 780 was according to tasklist:

<tasklist>
svchost.exe 780 Console 0 15,536 K
</tasklist>

Another tasklist proves that that PID is hosting wuauserv
(the AU service.)

<cmd>
tasklist /svc /fi "PID eq 780"
</cmd>


> That being the point--that it doesn't f)(*&$#ing work--
....
> I "hope that helps" elucidate the issue a bit more.


Unfortunately I think you are giving contradictory signals.
On one hand it appears that you might be interested in having some help
but on the other it appears that you may only want to rant about the usability
of the feature. I will try to help but I don't want to be a sounding board for
ranting.


HTH

Robert
---

Yes, I apologize profusely for my flame. I realize you are only trying
to help, and am very sorry for loosing my anger on an innocent
bystander. The frustration with this is indescribable, though, all the
more so when other people don't have the problem.

Again, you are far too kind, I am going to go through the suggestions
you have given and see what I have to report.

thank you and I'll return with any news.
rr


Robert Aldwinckle wrote:
> "rabidrobot" <> wrote in message
> news:
> ...
>>> Why not at least use AU with full prompt mode to get the list of updates
>>> it would install for you? Then you can use Custom button to get more information
>>> on each specified update including a link to a download site if you prefer doing that
>>> manually.
>
>
>> "Full prompt" doesn't tell anything more than Failed.
>
>
> You're going to have to do a better job of describing what you are doing
> and what you are seeing if you need help. Remember, your words have
> to substitute for what our eyes might notice.
>
> To expand on my hint I am expecting that you have used the
> Automatic Updates Control Panel applet, e.g. Run...
>
> control wuaucpl.cpl
>
> and used the option
> Notify me but don't automatically download or install them.
>
> You could also see this dialog by rightclicking on the Yellow shield
> in the Systray but that would have meant that you probably already
> had some kind of prompting for AU in effect.
>
> The dialog that I am expecting you to see a Custom button in
> is shown by *doubleclicking* on the Yellow shield icon.
>
> Tip: it helps to modify the Taskbar's Notifications to make the Yellow shield
> an Always Show item to facilitate such inspections.
>
> BTW these descriptions are my recollections of how AU works on XP.
> I don't have Vista so I don't know how the UI has changed with it
> and unfortunately I don't have an AU icon in my Systray at the moment
> either.
>
> One way to force the icon to show if there are updates available
> is to Run...
>
> wuauclt.exe /detectnow
>
> I just tried doing that in hopes of seeing the icon but it didn't show.
> However, now I have a wuauclt.exe running (as seen in Task Manager's
> Processes tab.)
>
> Run... %windir%\windowsupdate.log opens the WU/AU log in Notepad.
> I can see in there a line corresponding with that attempt but stangely
> enough there is no reference to the PID for the wuauclt.exe process,
> just one for the WUAU Service:
>
> <notepad>
> 2007-06-24 09:19:56:505 780 76c AU Triggering AU detection through DetectNow API
> </notepad>
>
> (So, evidently in the log I could have scrolled to the bottom and done a
> Find Up for DetectNow to see the full report of that command.)
>
> Here's what that 780 was according to tasklist:
>
> <tasklist>
> svchost.exe 780 Console 0 15,536 K
> </tasklist>
>
> Another tasklist proves that that PID is hosting wuauserv
> (the AU service.)
>
> <cmd>
> tasklist /svc /fi "PID eq 780"
> </cmd>
>
>
>> That being the point--that it doesn't f)(*&$#ing work--
> ...
>> I "hope that helps" elucidate the issue a bit more.
>
>
> Unfortunately I think you are giving contradictory signals.
> On one hand it appears that you might be interested in having some help
> but on the other it appears that you may only want to rant about the usability
> of the feature. I will try to help but I don't want to be a sounding board for
> ranting.
>
>
> HTH
>
> Robert
> ---
>
>
>