The Windows update shield is not appearing for a friend of mine.

Unless something to do with the security centre, or Windows update, or any of the various components that the yellow shield relies on gets infected, there is no reason why it should be affected.
It is more likely that certain malware will attempt to turn the security centre off (among other things, like, say, disable the control panel) than files needed for it to run become infected.
And if you are up to date and have a reasonable security practice, this is unlikely to happen.
Yes, good people get malware, but it doesn't take too much in the way of protections to minimize the risk.

 

If it's already set as that in the settings and if it's still disappearing, should i let it be and don't worry about it or should i still goto control panel and click windows update?

 

Is this a hypothetical question or IS it indeed NOW already set as Tarq57 suggests in post #26?

 

Exactly,lol

If it's set to download and notify and there is no icon in the tray and there is a download ready for installation, during one of the restarts/shutdowns that sooflymami says he/she has done, it would be obvious on the shutdown/logoff screen. Again, if that is the case then control panel, auto updates, disable then re-enable auto updates with a possible restart will fix that, at least it has for me in the past. If it's not that and upon a restart, the icon appears and goes away quickly and does so repeatedly, then it's more than likely a failed update which failed on shutdown and failed upon restart and that can be identified by going to Win updates site and checking update history. For me, an update that fails will always try another install when PC is re-started, the icon appears briefly then disappears with no message of a failed update. After seeing this with a couple of restarts, I will then go to Windows Update site and check update history and from there you can tell what the update is and how many times it failed.

 

Please copy this :-

c:\windows\WindowsUpdate.log

Paste it into your [ IE / FF / or Run.. ] as it is .. then hit enter key

We need at least the latest 100 lines.. or send me the whole file via email..

 

Now today, the yellow shield isn't appearing at all on this computer when it's supposed to..on the mouse, it has a waiting icon and that's when the yellow icon is supposed to show but it's not. I went to security center and it's already set as automatic because I want it to update it automatically. What should I do?? Im very worried.

 

Okay please get on your messenger

 

I think Az7 wanted the file emailed rather than messaged, or posted here.

(BTW, how do you know when the yellow icon is supposed to appear, if you have it set to automatic? It will only appear when the security centre detects an abnormal condition.)

 

I mean this icon should appear if its set as automatic
http://www.microsoft.com/library/media/1033/windowsxp/images/sp2/51804_34x34_ico_warning_f.gif

 

Yeah, that's the icon I understood you to mean.
And it will only appear when the security centre detects that something needs attention, and may appear from time to time during an auto-update.

 

Maybe that one ?

 

Since mine keeps disappearing, should I go to the microsoft website and install it from there? Where am I supposed to click in order to find out which updates that I haven't updated it that's released?

And how do people install the windows updates by control panel without going to the website?

 

It showed and then disappeared when the windows started again and it appeared again at 41% and it disappeared and not coming back up. What do you think might be going on?

 

Well, it's "patch tuesday", so there'll be updates downloading. In my experience, particularly recently, they can take quite a long time to download, with a few stop-start cycles before each download finishes downloading.
Then they install, which could take a few minutes, too.
Just give it a bit of time.

 

I'm not at all clear what you mean.
But overall, I wouldn't turn off or disconnect my computer while it was downloading or installing updates. That's asking for it.
All going well, it will just update again when it is reconnected/running. All not going so well you could end up with a corrupted update that is registered but not working. These can be a bu@@er to fix.

 

last week, it updated but today, i turned back my computer and i saw the yellow shield again. i dont know what new updates came up after that but that yellow shield appeared and then disappeared again.

 

Could have been an out of schedule update. I had one of those last week, too.
If you look in your add/remove programs list you should be able to see what was installed on the day the shield appeared.
Thing is, you can't have it both ways. If you want updates to remain on automatic, you have to put up with glimpses of the yellow shield without knowing what's happening until later.
If you want to see what is going on, you have to set it to one of the two other options. (Or you could turn it off completely...not recommended.)

 

That yellow shield showed up today again too..this happends when the windows starts when everything is loading. When I put mouse on that yellow shield, it said 0% and then just disappeared. Do you think it's not doing that because I have missed updates or something? The last time I had an update was last week and already installed that one and before that, it was few months ago when I had an update..So this was the only update that they came out this month? Do you think I still shouldn't worry about that and should I just ignore that? I still want to keep it as auto update on settings.

 

I really am not sure, sooflymami.
But what I think is that it could be the Windows updater just connecting with MS to check for updates, finding none, then going back to sleep.
My update is set to "notify" rather than automatic, and I've never seen the shield unless it means business.
If you are still concerned, try looking in your "add/remove programs" list (I think it's called "programs and settings - manage programs" or something in Vista) make sure the "show updates" box has a tick, and see what the latest update you have is. Write down the KB number. Then go to microsoft update (should be at the top of your "programs" list after clicking the start button" and (1) seeing if there are any updates pending, (2) look at your update history.
That should put your mind at rest. (Or not.)