Windows Update Problem

Tezcatlipoca · 08-07-2004, 21:34

A little intro...

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...1&postcount=13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tez

(snip)

I've just rid my housemate's PC of CoolWebSearch (well, I hope I have...) & the only way I could fully remove it was to do all the scans in Safe Mode.

(snip)

Right....as above, I have just (I think) cleaned CoolWebSearch (or some variant of it) from my housemate's PC.

I tried to do use Windows Update afterwards, as my mate is a bit...lax...in updating anything.

The Windows Update page loaded, it did the bit where it says its checking for a new version of windows update, but then, instead of giving me the option to scan for updates, it instead said something along the lines of...

Quote:

Originally Posted by M$ WinUpdate

Windows Update can only be run in Administrator Mode. Please try again from an Administrator account

Fair enough....if his PC was running XP....

...but it uses Win98 SE!

I tried the M$ Help, but the only solution it had was to run Windows Update from an Admin account. No use to me!

Has anyone experienced this before?

Why would WindowsUpdate think my housemate's PC is trying to run it from an NT/2K/XP Limited User account?

Thinking back to the start of my post....perhaps there is still some crap on the PC, which is somehow interfering with WindowsUpdate?

Florence · 08-07-2004, 21:41

I removed the same search from my pc and have had no problems updating afterwards from Microsoft.

I removed mine from going into the folders where they was an removed all that was websearch cookies, .exe and anything that had websearch name on it then deleted the recycle bin before rebooting and it was gone.

Paul K · 08-07-2004, 21:55

What update page is he aiming at to update the PC?
Could try aiming it here and then let it pick up the right links
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

08-07-2004, 22:59

Try version 5 of Windows Update.

http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Only thing I could think of, sorry

greencreeper · 08-07-2004, 23:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tezcatlipoca

Why would WindowsUpdate think my housemate's PC is trying to run it from an NT/2K/XP Limited User account?

Because Microsoft thinks everyone should run XP

It's an error message - how often are they accurate?

Two things I can think of, having had troubles with Windows Update recently, are ActiveX and Certificates. Is the system too secure to allow Windows Update to run??

08-07-2004, 23:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Is the system too secure to allow Windows Update to run??

Are you kidding? Windows being that secure?

snodvan · 08-07-2004, 23:15

I have not had any probs with CoolWebSearch - but one of my networked machines REFUSES to allow normal operation of Windows Update. The machine is running XP and delivers the "You must be an adminsitrator.... etc " message even when I am operating as an administrator!!!

I have tried disabling the firewall etc. No effect. I have been to the Microsoft help pages and have worked my way through all of the supposed fixes, including (carefully) those that involve bios changes. Nothing has worked. I stoically accept it as a fact of life. Actually what I do is run Windows Update on one of the other networked machines and make a note of the name/ number of the suggested update file. Then on the "other" machine I go to www.microsoft.com, select 'downloads' and then enter the name/ number of the update file in the search box. From there I can download it ok.

Messy, but it works.

greencreeper · 08-07-2004, 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electrolyte

Are you kidding? Windows being that secure?

I was thinking that ActiveX components might be blocked from running or there's a weird certifcate<-->activex interaction going on. Something like that. Just a thought - I have them now and then

[edit] Windows Update puts things on the disk temporarily, so they could be an issue there. Also, I have a weird entry in my firewall programs list, "dw5", that needs permission to access the Net but only exists temporarily.

Tezcatlipoca · 08-07-2004, 23:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kits

I removed the same search from my pc and have had no problems updating afterwards from Microsoft.

I removed mine from going into the folders where they was an removed all that was websearch cookies, .exe and anything that had websearch name on it then deleted the recycle bin before rebooting and it was gone.

Yeah, I've got rid of everything I can find, & it seems fine (apart from this). No idea if it's related or not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

What update page is he aiming at to update the PC?
Could try aiming it here and then let it pick up the right links
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

Whichever link you get from accessing it by going to IE's Tools menu, & selecting "Windows Update".

On my PC, doing that goes to windowsupdate.microsoft.com & then to the one you've quoted.

I assume it'd be the same for his. I'll check.

If not, I'll give that link a try, cheers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electrolyte

Try version 5 of Windows Update.

http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

Only thing I could think of, sorry

OK, cheers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Because Microsoft thinks everyone should run XP

It's an error message - how often are they accurate?

Two things I can think of, having had troubles with Windows Update recently, are ActiveX and Certificates. Is the system too secure to allow Windows Update to run??

I've not messed with IE's security options myself (& my housemate wouldn't know how to), but I have installed Spybot S&D on it, which does "immunize" against ActiveX vulnerabilities. But it shouldn't stop WindowsUpdate running.

I'll have a look at the security settings etc, see what they're set at.

Cheers all - hopefully something will work

Tezcatlipoca · 08-07-2004, 23:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by snodvan

I have not had any probs with CoolWebSearch - but one of my networked machines REFUSES to allow normal operation of Windows Update. The machine is running XP and delivers the "You must be an adminsitrator.... etc " message even when I am operating as an administrator!!!

I'm not alone, then.

Annoying, isn't it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencreeper

[edit] Windows Update puts things on the disk temporarily, so they could be an issue there. Also, I have a weird entry in my firewall programs list, "dw5", that needs permission to access the Net but only exists temporarily.

Cheers, more ideas