ms windows update v4 software release today

Please be careful about changing anything on your system. All users appear to be having trouble and looping, etc with this v4 windows update release today.
microsoft has released another v4 windows update software download today, buttttttttttttttt it seems no one is able to get the software to download and install. this appears to be a problem with ME, 98, all others. anyhow............more info at:

http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp?icp=windowsupdate

 

I have not encountered a new version of the WindowsUpdate control today, but with the new release a couple of days ago I found the following allowed it to install the new version correctly and fixed my looping problems:

Please do not attempt the following actions if you have not taken proper precautions such as backing up important data and making a backup of your registry. While Microsoft even suggests the following, and there should be no problems caused by following the instructions below, if you have not had experience performing this sort of operation before, please do not attempt it.

1.)Close all instances of IE
2.)Rename IUCtl.dll and the IUEngine.dll to IUCtl.bak and IUEngine.bak respectively (most likely in your System or System32 folder)
3.)Delete the string value “SelfupdateStatus” present in the HKLM\microsoft\windows
urrentversion\windowsupdate\IUcontrol key
4.)Rename iuenginenew.dll if it exists to iuenginenew.bak (again, most likely under the same folder as the IUCtl.dll and IUEngine.dll files)

*By renaming these files you can replace them if necessary if the above steps cause any problems.

Then re-visit the windowsupdate website and it should download and install the latest version correctly.

While Microsoft has steps similar to the above in its troubleshooter, I found these steps worked on a Windows XP system and a Windows ME system.

Regards,

-Javacool

 

was this the 2nd v4 download or first that you are referring to

this is the second download and install for a lot of people because of the probs with the first v4 version released. have you gone to the site today and ckd to see if a v4 update is available?

 

Re:was this the 2nd v4 download or first that you are referring to

The first download (I haven't gotten anything today for it - can connect fine.)

I just checked a minute ago on both a Windows XP machine and a Windows ME machine - I don't doubt that it wasn't released, but neither machine seems to need the update to connect. Typical MS.

I'll keep checking and post back if either machine ends up asking me to download the update.

Regards,

-Javacool

 

sent you a couple IM's. maybe you could ck out the site that i referred to and determine if we're talking about the same software? please? a lot of people have had probs because they went messing with their computers due to the probs of the first release of the v4 windows update software. that's why i think we need to be very careful because it was the released software and not the people's computers which were the culprits. bob

 

I have checked out the link you provided - and yes we're talking about the same software.

While the files I mentioned may not seem as though they are part of the new WindowsUpdate at first glance, they are in fact engine files for it. If you remove them, the WindowsUpdate ActiveX installer can successfully install the new ones.

The problem some people were having is that the original files were not being successfully replaced with the new ones (hence the presence of the "ieenginenew.dll file") - by removing the old ones they could install the newest versions with no issues. It was not the people's computers, but a declared fault within the Microsoft WindowsUpdate installation (which is why Microsoft said they would release a new version of WindowsUpdate soon).

Removing those files should not cause any problems (as the WindowsUpdate installer simply installs them again, and they are only used for WindowsUpdate), but I have altered my original posting to instead point to renaming them.

Some people tried various other methods which unfortunately caused system trouble for them. The method I posted above only removes the current version of the WindowsUpdate ActiveX controls on your computer. The WindowsUpdate website can easily reinstall them so it is no harm done (and in this case, it allows the WindowsUpdate website to correctly update your software). Needless to say, if someone has not performed this sort of "operation" on their computer before, they should not do it now.

Regards,

-Javacool

 

Update FYI:

i placed an "s" at the end of http of the URL for the windows update site. it appears that the download and install worked fine. i am going to do what you suggested and then keep an eye on this. will let you know if new developments.

 

Well, if the download and install worked fine no need to follow the couple steps I posted above.

That's interesting that it worked with an "s" at the end...

Regards,

-Javacool

 

I don't know about the adding "s" thing either. It's like a new URL for the site though somehow and I had to place it in my favorites in order to access this way. I humbly request that you guide me as a child on how to get to:
HKLM\microsoft\windows
urrentversion\windowsupdate\IUcontrol key

I went to start, run, typed regedit, but this must not be where I was suppose to go due to there not being any HKLM entries that I can locate

 

HKLM stands for HKEY_Local_Machine

Pieter posted a nice image below explaining it in detail.

Regards,

-Javacool

 

See attachment

Keep clicking the plusses until you find

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion\WindowsUpdate\IUControl

Regards,

Pieter


Sorry JC, didn´t notice your post in time

 

Once jc told me it was in regedit.....I found it. By the way jc............could you tell me where the "any key" is on my computer as sometimes I am prompted to hit the "any key", but I can't find it?!? Don't answer that!

How can I tell if this windows update software istalled okay? The main software that is, not critical updates or whatever?

AND ALSO:
Finally got the new v4 revision to install I think. I'm
back to Looping on Q328970 critical SP1 update. It appears
to install okay...shows as installed successfully in
installation history, but.......when I scan for
updates........Q328970 shows up as a critical update
needing to be installed. Loop, loop.

 

Pretender,

After you have installed any update there should be a link called installation history on the update site. Click that one and you can tell if the update was installed or not.
Thnx for bringing this up by the way, I noticed one of my updates is marked failed
That´s how I found the "Any" key. Hit your head on the keyboard in despair. That´s the "Any" key

Regards,

Pieter

 

javacool, should “SelfupdateStatus” have replenished itself after the windows update software was used?

Pieter, the problem is more with Looping. installation history shows the critical update as successful install, but when I scan for updates again.....the same critical update pops up stating the it needs to be installed.

 

It may or it may not (depending on what version of WindowUpdate you use, and what version of Windows). In many cases it does, but I have seen times where it was never replenished.

Regards,

-Javacool

 

Hi Pretender,

Could you see if this method works?

Regards,

Pieter

 

I am working on a Windows ME box now that only gave me the message that no updates were needed. I used JV Powertools and then tried it again and the site then pulled up the updates needed.

 

Q286045 appears to not be available any longer. Pieter, were you able to get to the download by using the link on the page that your link took me too? It looked very promising until I was unable to get to the download and I thank you for the try.

 

Hi Pretender,

It was not as much that particular download (Q286045) I gave you the link for, but the method of installing it in order to escape the endless loop you got sucked into.
The one you're looking for (Q328970) is available here.

Regards,

Pieter

 

Sorry, I though the Q286045 had a patch for the problem. Anyhow, back on track and will give it a try.
bob

Tryed with no luck . When I added the string and chose ok an error popped up "invalid path..............". I decided to 2Xclk the exe to see what would happen and an error popped up that I must have IE6 with service pack 1 installed..............which I believe I do.

 

Hi Pretender,

Your screenshot seems to indicate that the installs were indeed unsuccesful.

Regards,

Pieter

 

I have a change now. I can't even scan for updates. I get an "Administrators Only" error. Tryed the microsoft fixes. No help.

Thanks for the confirmation Pieter.

 

I got this same error once on a test system (still don't know what caused it). Nothing I could do fixed it (but I was about to reformat that system anyway and start from scratch so it wasn't as big a deal for me). I'm almost positive this is some sort of bug in the WindowsUpdate software.

Can you try renaming the files in my first post in this thread, and deleting that registry key again? (if you have not done so after this new problem started occuring) That should allow you to start over - if not, please post and I'll try to cause this error again on one of my machines (to try various fixes of course - there's no problem if this particular machine of mine gets fried as I'll simply use Norton Ghost to restore it in a very short amount of time ).

Regards,

-Javacool

 

I'm going to give it a try again. I downloaded the Q328970 and when I 2Xclk'd it to install I received the following. So I extracted the files and right clk'd on the ......inf file and chose the install option and it appeared to install, but did not when I ckd.

 

Javacool,

I did as you suggested: "Can you try renaming the files in my first post in this thread, and deleting that registry key again? (if you have not done so after this new problem started occuring) That should allow you to start over " and found that the "update class" file had been damaged. Anyhow, went back to windows update and am now not getting the "Administrators Only" error. Was able to scan for updates which again showed the Q328970 critical update as needed. So I downloaded and was told the it had installed successfully and, it also, placed a "0" in place of the "1" in left pain for the number of critical updates needing to be downloaded. But, after restarting my system and going to "Help" in the IE explorer menu bar and clicking on "About Internet Explorer"........I found that the Q328970 was not shown after the "SP1". I do appreciate your help in getting me back to where I had been before the "Adminstrators Only" error message. Perhaps this next week will shed some light and some of the people at microsoft come back after a long weekend.

FYI: I did not have an "iuenginenew.dll" file on the first go around nor on this second go around.