[Win Me] Automatic Updates isn't working

[Windows Me OS, all updates, very stable system, runs great-no error
messages. No registry hacks, still running the factory year 2000 OS install.
Very knowledgeable user-engineer with lots of PC background. NAV 2005 all
updates, Ad-aware, SpyBot S & D run regularly. Hardware NAT Firewall (behind
a router). No virus/trojans/spyware. System Restore works fine.]



My problem...

Automatic Updates is not working on my system and it had worked before. For
about the past few years I've had it turned-off (update manually) but turned
it back on a few months ago. I even got the Windows Update for AU
(manually). Then I started to notice that there were critical updates
available that I wasn't notified about by AU.



I've performed this procedure from the MS knowledge base with the exception
of renaming the Windows Update folder).
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;275645



I also found this procedure (below) on the web that Mike Maltby MS-MVP
wrote for someone else (with a different problem) that resets Automatic
Updating. This that didn't work either.



************************************************** ****

...try opening the Automatic Updates applet in the Control Panel, select
"Turn off automatic updating", and OK out. Now go to your Program
Files\Windows Update folder
and delete the file AUState.cfg. Reboot and then go back to the Control
Panel and reopen the Automatic Updates applet and configure AU to meet your
requirements.

************************************************** ****



Any ideas?



Steve

Steve,

What follows may not work now that Win Me uses the version 4 Windows
Update site but is worth a go.

1) Delete the file AUState.cfg from your WindowsUpdate folder
2) Delete any cab files there may be in your WindowsUpdate folder.
3) Using Regedit, edit the registry and browse to the key:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Win dowsUpdate\Auto Update
and create a new dword "DebugType" (no quotes, and no space between Debug
& Type with its value equal to 1
4) Reboot your system.

PLEASE do NOT reset or configure AutoUpdates in the Control Panel nor
attempt to visit the WindowsUpdate site.

Your system should now be logging AU activity and will create a text file
"wupdlog.txt" in the ..\Program Files\WindowsUpdate\wupd\user name\
folder. I may have missed something but hopefully the above will be
sufficient. Note you will only get an update offered to you if deemed to
be "critical" by Microsoft and not already installed.

The first thing that should happen is that you are offered the Automatic
Update EULA and asked to accept it. You can now adjust the AU settings to
suit your requirements.

Let this run for a few days or so. The log shouldn't get too large -
normally four or five lines are added each time you boot but a fair number
are added each time that the system actually runs AU. I doubt if the file
will be even 50K after a week (but may well be wrong). Once set up AU
should attempt to connect to the net and check for updates every 24 hours
or when next on line and the connection is lightly loaded.

Remember to disable logging by deleting the DebugType value in the
registry when you have finished other wiser the log could get quite large
over time.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



(yet another) Steve wrote:

[Windows Me OS, all updates, very stable system, runs great-no error
messages. No registry hacks, still running the factory year 2000 OS
install. Very knowledgeable user-engineer with lots of PC background.
NAV 2005 all updates, Ad-aware, SpyBot S & D run regularly. Hardware
NAT Firewall (behind a router). No virus/trojans/spyware. System
Restore works fine.]



My problem...

Automatic Updates is not working on my system and it had worked
before. For about the past few years I've had it turned-off (update
manually) but turned it back on a few months ago. I even got the
Windows Update for AU (manually). Then I started to notice that there
were critical updates available that I wasn't notified about by AU.



I've performed this procedure from the MS knowledge base with the
exception of renaming the Windows Update folder).
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;275645



I also found this procedure (below) on the web that Mike Maltby
MS-MVP wrote for someone else (with a different problem) that resets
Automatic Updating. This that didn't work either.



************************************************** ****

..try opening the Automatic Updates applet in the Control Panel,
select "Turn off automatic updating", and OK out. Now go to your
Program Files\Windows Update folder
and delete the file AUState.cfg. Reboot and then go back to the
Control Panel and reopen the Automatic Updates applet and configure
AU to meet your requirements.

************************************************** ****

Thanks Mike.
I'll give that a try when I get time this weekend. I take-it the log will
reveal whats happening / not happening.

I'll get back to you on how it works out.

Steve

"Mike M" wrote in message
...
Steve,

What follows may not work now that Win Me uses the version 4 Windows
Update site but is worth a go.

1) Delete the file AUState.cfg from your WindowsUpdate folder
2) Delete any cab files there may be in your WindowsUpdate folder.
3) Using Regedit, edit the registry and browse to the key:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Win dowsUpdate\Auto Update
and create a new dword "DebugType" (no quotes, and no space between Debug
& Type with its value equal to 1
4) Reboot your system.

PLEASE do NOT reset or configure AutoUpdates in the Control Panel nor
attempt to visit the WindowsUpdate site.

Your system should now be logging AU activity and will create a text file
"wupdlog.txt" in the ..\Program Files\WindowsUpdate\wupd\user name\
folder. I may have missed something but hopefully the above will be
sufficient. Note you will only get an update offered to you if deemed to
be "critical" by Microsoft and not already installed.

The first thing that should happen is that you are offered the Automatic
Update EULA and asked to accept it. You can now adjust the AU settings to
suit your requirements.

Let this run for a few days or so. The log shouldn't get too large -
normally four or five lines are added each time you boot but a fair number
are added each time that the system actually runs AU. I doubt if the file
will be even 50K after a week (but may well be wrong). Once set up AU
should attempt to connect to the net and check for updates every 24 hours
or when next on line and the connection is lightly loaded.

Remember to disable logging by deleting the DebugType value in the
registry when you have finished other wiser the log could get quite large
over time.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



(yet another) Steve wrote:

[Windows Me OS, all updates, very stable system, runs great-no error
messages. No registry hacks, still running the factory year 2000 OS
install. Very knowledgeable user-engineer with lots of PC background.
NAV 2005 all updates, Ad-aware, SpyBot S & D run regularly. Hardware
NAT Firewall (behind a router). No virus/trojans/spyware. System
Restore works fine.]



My problem...

Automatic Updates is not working on my system and it had worked
before. For about the past few years I've had it turned-off (update
manually) but turned it back on a few months ago. I even got the
Windows Update for AU (manually). Then I started to notice that there
were critical updates available that I wasn't notified about by AU.



I've performed this procedure from the MS knowledge base with the
exception of renaming the Windows Update folder).
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;275645



I also found this procedure (below) on the web that Mike Maltby
MS-MVP wrote for someone else (with a different problem) that resets
Automatic Updating. This that didn't work either.



************************************************** ****

..try opening the Automatic Updates applet in the Control Panel,
select "Turn off automatic updating", and OK out. Now go to your
Program Files\Windows Update folder
and delete the file AUState.cfg. Reboot and then go back to the
Control Panel and reopen the Automatic Updates applet and configure
AU to meet your requirements.

************************************************** ****

Steve,

It's a long time since I've created and looked an AU log and that was for
the previous v3 but as far as I can recall it will record attempts to
contact the windowsupdate site. In addition you will need to also check
the file "Windows Update.log" in the Windows folder. The latter log may
already contain a clue as to the problem such as any errors encountered in
downloading the manifest (iuident.cab) from
https://v4beta.windowsupdate.com/aut...etmanifest.asp
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



(yet another) Steve wrote:

I'll give that a try when I get time this weekend. I take-it the log
will reveal whats happening / not happening.

I'll get back to you on how it works out.

I'll check the WU log file tonight when I get home (a few hours from now-
EST, USA)

Thanks again Mike, you've provided a wealth of knowledge.

Steve

"Mike M" wrote in message
...
Steve,

It's a long time since I've created and looked an AU log and that was for
the previous v3 but as far as I can recall it will record attempts to
contact the windowsupdate site. In addition you will need to also check
the file "Windows Update.log" in the Windows folder. The latter log may
already contain a clue as to the problem such as any errors encountered in
downloading the manifest (iuident.cab) from
https://v4beta.windowsupdate.com/aut...etmanifest.asp
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



(yet another) Steve wrote:

I'll give that a try when I get time this weekend. I take-it the log
will reveal whats happening / not happening.

I'll get back to you on how it works out.

Mike,
Something I found is very interesting.

First, my Windows Update.log file looks normal-all "Success" events. (I
tried posting this with the log attached but it would never show as posted.
If you want to see it I can email it to you.)

Here's where it get interesting, I decided to look at the contents time/date
data and file time/date
stamp of my original AUstate.cfg file and found the date was exactly the
same as the date I applied the "Windows Automatic Updating (Windows Me)"
update from the Windows Update site (on Friday, September 17, 2004):

In the Installation History (at WU site) The "Read more." link for this
update says:

"Within 24 hours of installing this update, the Automatic Update setup
wizard appears, to guide you through configuring your operating system so
you will be notified when critical updates are available for your computer."

Mike, the Automatic Update setup wizard never ran on my PC after applying
this update. This has to be the problem. How do I get the Automatic Update
setup wizard to run?

[.Or maybe I've got it all wrong with my hunch.]

Steve

"(yet another) Steve" wrote in message
...
I'll check the WU log file tonight when I get home (a few hours from now-
EST, USA)

Thanks again Mike, you've provided a wealth of knowledge.

Steve

"Mike M" wrote in message
...
Steve,

It's a long time since I've created and looked an AU log and that was
for
the previous v3 but as far as I can recall it will record attempts to
contact the windowsupdate site. In addition you will need to also check
the file "Windows Update.log" in the Windows folder. The latter log may
already contain a clue as to the problem such as any errors encountered
in
downloading the manifest (iuident.cab) from
https://v4beta.windowsupdate.com/aut...etmanifest.asp
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



(yet another) Steve wrote:

I'll give that a try when I get time this weekend. I take-it the log
will reveal whats happening / not happening.

I'll get back to you on how it works out.

Steve,

I'm sorry but I have nothing to add to my earlier suggestions which I set
out in my previous post. What does the AU log tell you? If AUState.cfg
has the date Sept 17 2004 it would appear that you didn't delete this file
as in the first step of my initial post or was this a copy you saved? If
the latter then I'm not surprised that it has the same date as when you
updated the Automatic Update control which brings us back to why the EULA
didn't display. I would suggest you start over again, delete AUState.cfg
and configure AU to start logging and then keep an eye on both the
"Windows Update.log" and wupdlog.txt files.

Regards,
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



(yet another) Steve wrote:

Mike,
Something I found is very interesting.

First, my Windows Update.log file looks normal-all "Success" events.
(I tried posting this with the log attached but it would never show
as posted. If you want to see it I can email it to you.)

Here's where it get interesting, I decided to look at the contents
time/date data and file time/date
stamp of my original AUstate.cfg file and found the date was exactly
the same as the date I applied the "Windows Automatic Updating
(Windows Me)" update from the Windows Update site (on Friday,
September 17, 2004):

In the Installation History (at WU site) The "Read more." link for
this update says:

"Within 24 hours of installing this update, the Automatic Update setup
wizard appears, to guide you through configuring your operating
system so you will be notified when critical updates are available
for your computer."

Mike, the Automatic Update setup wizard never ran on my PC after
applying this update. This has to be the problem. How do I get the
Automatic Update setup wizard to run?

[.Or maybe I've got it all wrong with my hunch.]

Another thought,

I found the "Windows Automatic Updating (Windows Me)" in the Window Update
Catalog at the Windows Update site. Maybe if I try re-installing the update
(over the old install which is not uninstallable) this will fix the
problem.

My question is, how do I manually install the update after downloading it?

Steve



"(yet another) Steve" wrote in message
m...
Mike,
Something I found is very interesting.

First, my Windows Update.log file looks normal-all "Success" events. (I
tried posting this with the log attached but it would never show as
posted.
If you want to see it I can email it to you.)

Here's where it get interesting, I decided to look at the contents
time/date
data and file time/date
stamp of my original AUstate.cfg file and found the date was exactly the
same as the date I applied the "Windows Automatic Updating (Windows Me)"
update from the Windows Update site (on Friday, September 17, 2004):

In the Installation History (at WU site) The "Read more." link for this
update says:

"Within 24 hours of installing this update, the Automatic Update setup
wizard appears, to guide you through configuring your operating system so
you will be notified when critical updates are available for your
computer."

Mike, the Automatic Update setup wizard never ran on my PC after applying
this update. This has to be the problem. How do I get the Automatic Update
setup wizard to run?

[.Or maybe I've got it all wrong with my hunch.]

Steve

"(yet another) Steve" wrote in message
...
I'll check the WU log file tonight when I get home (a few hours from
now-
EST, USA)

Thanks again Mike, you've provided a wealth of knowledge.

Steve

"Mike M" wrote in message
...
Steve,

It's a long time since I've created and looked an AU log and that was
for
the previous v3 but as far as I can recall it will record attempts to
contact the windowsupdate site. In addition you will need to also
check
the file "Windows Update.log" in the Windows folder. The latter log
may
already contain a clue as to the problem such as any errors
encountered
in
downloading the manifest (iuident.cab) from
https://v4beta.windowsupdate.com/aut...etmanifest.asp
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



(yet another) Steve wrote:

I'll give that a try when I get time this weekend. I take-it the log
will reveal whats happening / not happening.

I'll get back to you on how it works out.

(yet another) Steve wrote:

Another thought,

I found the "Windows Automatic Updating (Windows Me)" in the Window
Update Catalog at the Windows Update site. Maybe if I try
re-installing the update (over the old install which is not
uninstallable) this will fix the problem.

My question is, how do I manually install the update after
downloading it?

By running the downloaded executable in the same way you would any other
downloaded hotfix. However why not try my suggestions first or would you
prefer me not to respond to your posts in future?
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP

My question is, how do I manually install the update after downloading it?

Extract the files, eg with Winzip or Winrar. R-click the .inf file and
select *Install*.

But I have to admit, like Mike, I'm wondering why you're not going with his
advice.



Shane