Windows Update History

Hi,

Who knows where the Microsoft Update History is kept?
And is there a way to get this back, when it seems to have vanished?

I have this PC with 2 OSses: XP-Pro and 2K-Pro. Now in XP I still have the full overview, while in 2K I only see the febr-patches, all before that is gone.

I know there are alternatives, I'm using Belarc Advisor which is very good, but the point is that I don't know why it disappeared?
I also did a search for "iuhist.xml", which should be in \Program Files\windowsUpdate, but did not find it on neither the XP-partition, nor the 2K partition nor in the totally 6 backups of those 2 OSses. And yes, I see hidden files and all extensions.

Does anyone know where this info is kept (registry perhabs?) and how to get it back?

TIA,
Marcel

 

You can review your update history on their website...

 

What do you mean by "You can review your update history on their website...".
If y're refering to "Review your update history" in the Mictosoft Update facility, that's exactly what I'm talking about. In this review in my 2K environment I don't see any update from before the 15th of february.
I don't know where else I can see that review.
Marcel

 

What version of Windows Update are you using ?

Windows Update v6 stores the info in your Windows sub-folder....SoftwareDistribution\DataStore. What is the date of that file in there ?

 

Hi Bubba,

I'm using V6, I think since I switched from "windows Update" to "Microsoft Update".
I found the datastore dir, here it comes:

D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore
=====================================================

D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\LOGS DIR 11-3-2006 21:39:01
D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\DataStore.edb 12.01 MB (12591104 bytes) 11-3-2006 16:57:06


D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\LOGS
==========================================================

D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\LOGS\edb.chk 8.0 KB (8192 bytes) 11-3-2006 16:57:06
D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\LOGS\edb.log 128.0 KB (131072 bytes) 11-3-2006 16:57:06
D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\LOGS\edb00065.log 128.0 KB (131072 bytes) 10-3-2006 17:43:41
D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\LOGS\edb00066.log 128.0 KB (131072 bytes) 10-3-2006 17:43:42
D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\LOGS\res1.log 128.0 KB (131072 bytes) 1-2-2006 12:40:02
D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\LOGS\res2.log 128.0 KB (131072 bytes) 1-2-2006 12:40:02
D:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\LOGS\tmp.edb 64.0 KB (65536 bytes) 11-3-2006 16:57:06


In the meantime I've gone back to my january-backup, re-did everything I did since then, and my History Overview is back.
So in fact I solved the problem, well not really solved, but I'm still very anxious to find out what has caused this, but that might be a mission impossible, cause I haven't written down all actions done since january.
But much more I would like to know how to get this info back in a much more easier way tham I did now, just in case it happens again.

Hope you can help me out.

Greetz,
Marcel

 

Just for info....with V6 whether you are using WU or MU it stores the update History in the DataStore.edb file and is logged as such in the DataStore\Logs\edb00039.log file.

Just thinking out loud but wonder if it has something to do with the D: drive location and your january-backup

 

Hi Bubba,

After the monthly Automatic Update I (almost) always go back into the Update facility to check for optional patches AND to check the history review.
I'm pretty sure, though not a 100%, I did so after the January-update also. If this is true, then something else has caused this.
Is there a way to manipulate the .edb file? Or at least look into it.
The logs are non-notepad-readable files, so that doesn't give me any info either.
About your suggestion about the D: drive: I don't think so, cause something like a year ago I had a similar situation on my C: drive (WXP) as well as the D: drive (W2K).

I think this is one of those mysteries which every now and then happen.
Thanks so far for all your help.

Greetz,
Marcel