Windows Not Updating Correctly

[Kbalanis]

I've recently been having an issue with Windows not updating. I've been getting a couple to update but it seems it takes a long time. Usually they start to download but they never get past 0% complete and this doesn't change the whole day while I'm at work. Eventually a couple of them updated before shutting down but not all of them, the ones that fail will have an 80010108 error code. Also, it seems I have to manually update MSE as well since the update process seems to "hang" halfway through. I don't know if there's maybe an issue with the Update Agent, or something else, causing these problems.

 

[MowGreen]

80010108 RPC_E_DISCONNECTED
The object invoked has disconnected from its clients.

Open Windows Update on the Start Menu ( click the Start orb > All Programs > WIndows Update ), the click the Check for updates link in the left frame.

When the check is finished copy and paste the last 50 to 75 lines of the WindowsUpdate.log (WU.log for short) into your reply, please - How to read the Windowsupdate.log file

FWIW, the most recent entries are at the bottom of the log. You can go back up in the log and look for entries that contain FATAL for a clue as to what's occurring.

Will wait for you to post the requested part of the WU.log before recommending any remedial steps. That specific return code is a tad unusual and I have never seen it before.

 

[Kbalanis]

I attempted to check for updates but it never completed. I had it running for almost 2 hours and it never completed the update check. In the bottom right-hand corner, I have the Windows Update icon there and, when I hover over it with my mouse, it shows Windows Update is 8% complete. So it IS downloading the updates but it's VERY slow. It's been at least 8 hours and it's only gone up to 8%, so there's obviously an issue. I can show you what I have in my WU.log as it is right now if you'd like.

Edited to Add: After starting up my computer this morning, I found that the Windows Update is now up to 40% complete. I also tried to update MSE and I got a message stating that MSE couldn't update the definitions due to an internet or connectivity issue. Which is strange because obviously I can go online and I have no other network issues.

 

[MowGreen]

I attempted to check for updates but it never completed. I had it running for almost 2 hours and it never completed the update check. In the bottom right-hand corner, I have the Windows Update icon there and, when I hover over it with my mouse, it shows Windows Update is 8% complete. So it IS downloading the updates but it's VERY slow. It's been at least 8 hours and it's only gone up to 8%, so there's obviously an issue. I can show you what I have in my WU.log as it is right now if you'd like.

Edited to Add: After starting up my computer this morning, I found that the Windows Update is now up to 40% complete. I also tried to update MSE and I got a message stating that MSE couldn't update the definitions due to an internet or connectivity issue. Which is strange because obviously I can go online and I have no other network issues.

MSE should install it's definitions first, before any updates install. It's difficult to assess what the issue is without first seeing the WindowsUpdate.log. However, it's quite obvious that something ain't right.


1. Is a 3rd party firewall being used ?
2. Was another antivirus/security suite installed before MSE was ?


You can either wait for this month's round of massive updates to install or you can open the Windows Update Troubleshooter ( it's under System and Security ) and see if it can speed things up some.

To be perfectly honest here, I've not seen the specific return code, 80010108, before in 10 years of helping folks out with Windows Update issues. I'm leaning towards either a malware/network connectivity issue, or a combination of known troublesome updates ( .NET Frameworks or Visual C++ ) as being the cause.

Can you manually download, save, and then install the latest definitions for MSE ?

Either click this link to obtain them - Microsoft Security Essentials 64-bit, June 24, 2011 or, go to the Microsoft Malware Protection Center and click the 64-bit link next to Microsoft Security Essentials, 64-bit.

Save mpam-fex64.exe, do not run it with the browser open.

When the download completes close the browser and all other open program or applications.
Right click mpam-fex64.exe and choose 'Run as administrator', then agree to the UAC prompt to install the defs.

If the system is still installing updates then suggest you restart it to Safe Mode for now - How to Start Windows 7 in Safe Mode
All of the previously downloaded updates will resume their installation after you've done a system scan from within Safe Mode and the system is restarted to normal Windows mode.

Please let us know about your results from using the Windows Update Troubleshooter, in updating MSE, and the results of the MSE scan from Safe Mode, along with the answer to the 2 questions.

 

[seavixen32]

I attempted to check for updates but it never completed. I had it running for almost 2 hours and it never completed the update check. In the bottom right-hand corner, I have the Windows Update icon there and, when I hover over it with my mouse, it shows Windows Update is 8% complete. So it IS downloading the updates but it's VERY slow. It's been at least 8 hours and it's only gone up to 8%, so there's obviously an issue. I can show you what I have in my WU.log as it is right now if you'd like.

Edited to Add: After starting up my computer this morning, I found that the Windows Update is now up to 40% complete. I also tried to update MSE and I got a message stating that MSE couldn't update the definitions due to an internet or connectivity issue. Which is strange because obviously I can go online and I have no other network issues.

In view of the problems you're having would there be any mileage in you uninstalling any existing updates and making a fresh start, but change Windows Update settings so that thay are not installed automatically? That way, you're in control.

I've found through experience I get far less errors when I choose what to install and even less errors when updates are installed in small batches.

As for .net framework updates, it does seem as if they prefer to be updated individually.

 

[gdawg65]

Extremely Long Time Taken To Install Updates

Approximately 2 days ago Windows tried to install 12 updates. It got stuck on update number 2 for at least 2.5 - 3 hours. I eventually had to do a hard shutdown so I could move on to my linux distros and get some work done. I'm reluctant to boot windows because I fear I'll be forced to do the same. Is there a remedy for this? Thank you. BTW this is Win 7.

 

[MowGreen]

Approximately 2 days ago Windows tried to install 12 updates. It got stuck on update number 2 for at least 2.5 - 3 hours. I eventually had to do a hard shutdown so I could move on to my linux distros and get some work done. I'm reluctant to boot windows because I fear I'll be forced to do the same. Is there a remedy for this? Thank you. BTW this is Win 7.

gdawg65,

To avoid confusion please start your own thread and attach the WindowsUpdate.log to it - How to read the Windowsupdate.log file

Thanks !

 

[Kbalanis]

1. I just use the Windows 7 firewall.
2. McAfee was installed on this computer during setup by a coworker, but this was over a year ago. Long before MSE was on here and I hadn't had any problems with Windows updates or MSE updating until about a week ago.

I ran the troubleshooter, it took a while for it to finish but the updates are still taking just as long. I am able to manually download and install the MSE update, so I ran a full scan and it came up empty.

Again I attempted to d/l the Windows updates and as I type this, the 3 updates that I have checked to install are currently installing correctly but I have to restart to make sure they install completely.

After restart I checked the update history and 3 of 4 updated successfully while one failed. The one that failed had that same 80010108 error code.

 

[MowGreen]

Did you do the scan from within Safe Mode or in normal Windows mode while the updates were installing ?

The 80010108 return code in this situation apparently means that updates are installing that need to be installed by themselves, therefore the client, your computer, is disconnecting from the update servers or a COM object that is being updated is disconnecting from it's "server", which in this case, is actually it's service, so that it can update files that are in use

If you want to find out which updates are still installing then either attach the entire WindowsUpdate.log (WU.log) or post the last 50 - 75 lines of the WU.log - How to read the Windowsupdate.log file

 

[Kbalanis]

Sorry, yeah I did the scan in normal Windows mode. I just finished a full scan, after updating MSE manually, in safe mode and still nothing found. I have attached the WU.log file for review.

 

[MowGreen]

Good. After going over the WindowsUpdate.log I can confirm that some troublesome updates are causing this issue as they need to be installed by themselves, not in one massive round of updating that appears to be taking a week to install.

So, suggest you download the Fixit from this KB article and save it - How do I reset Windows Update components

When the download completes close all open programs and web browsers.
Now run MicrosoftFixit50202.msi with the system connected to the internet and choose it's Aggressive mode.
When the Fixit has finished running restart the system.

That will remove an accumulation of "stuff", reinstall the Windows Update Agent, clear the BITS que, and then it will reset the Security Descriptors of Windows Update and BITS.
Using the Aggressive mode also will delete the update history that is shown when one clicks the View update history link in Windows Update.
However, the updates will still be listed in Installed Updates as they are not removed.

Suggest you do open Windows Update when the system has restarted, click the Change settings link in the left frame, then click the drop down window under Important updates.
Set Windows Update to " Download updates but let me choose whether to install them " . Click the OK button and agree to the UAC prompt.
The updates that were not installed will be downloaded again for installation.

When the Windows Update icon appears in the Notification Area, install the .NET Framework updates by themselves along with no other updates.

Do the same for updates offered for Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package, Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package, or Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package.

If the Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer has not installed as yet, install that by itself, too.
It usually takes longer than installing them all at once, but we've already seen what happens when they all install in one massive updating session.

 

[Kbalanis]

Well I attempted to run the Fix and I got a message halfway through stating that I don't have sufficient privileges, here it is.

 

[MowGreen]

To be perfectly frank here, this is the first time that a User has reported back to me that the Fixit will not run due to insufficient privileges. That immediately raises my suspicions.

When you started to run the Fixit was there a UAC prompt ?
Is the User Account you're running the Fixit from an Administrator or is it a Standard User ?

Please run the McAfee Removal Tool so we can be as certain as possible that some remnants of McAfee are not still present. At the present moment I can't seem to access McAfee.com. Please download the tool from the Author's site link on Majorgeeks after first reading how it should be used - McAfee Consumer Product Removal Tool 5.0.285.0

 

[Kbalanis]

Well the update issue has been fixed. The IT guy at my work checked on it, then figured out that it was a registry issue causing the updates not to go through. But there IS the issue of not being logged on as Administrator that's causing the problem with Fixit. My user account setting was set to Other: Debugging Users and not Admin. When he went to try to change the privileges back to Admin he got an error message denying it. So currently that's the problem. He's going to be checking in to it to find out how I can change it back to Admin, hopefully you have some good ideas on how to fix it as well.

EDIT: We were able to change my privileges back to Admin, I guess I had to get all the security updates for Windows installed first maybe? Anyway, that's back to normal and now I can update. So no more problems with that.

However there is still an issue with adding new users. The IT guy tried to add a new user in the User Accounts and he still keeps getting a "trust relationship" error message, so he can't do it. It's not a critical problem but it's something that is still happening.

 

[MowGreen]

Could you please find out specifically what the registry issue was that was preventing the system from updating ?
Is this a brand new system or a refurbished one ?
Was Windows 7 already installed or was the system upgraded to it ?

Installing Security updates has nothing to do with your User Account being changed from Admin to Other-Debugging Users.
Something sounds awfully suspicious here. He should be able to create new User Accounts as most day to day activities should be done from a Standard User Account, not a User Account that has Admin privileges. Using a Standard User account to surf the web drastically reduces the chances of a system being exploited - Report: 64% of all Microsoft vulnerabilities for 2009 mitigated by Least Privilege accounts


Does your IT guy have a Linux-based virus rescue disk that he can scan the system with so that the Hard Drive is not running ?

 

[Kbalanis]

He used CCleaner to fix the registry so I don't know if he's aware what registry issues were fixed but I can find out if he knows. It's a new system with Windows 7 already installed. I'll have to ask him if he's got a Linux-based virus rescue disk as well.

Other work stations in the office have their user accounts set up as administrators, it's just how it's set up here. If it's best that we aren't set up as administrators, maybe it's something that I need to notify him of so he can get that changed on all the other user accounts in the office.

 

[MowGreen]

I'm not familiar with how CCleaner logs changes made to the registry or if the backups are viewable. Perhaps you can ask the IT guy if it does log the changes ?

This YouTube video shows how to boot from the Win 7 installation DVD to reenable the Disabled Admin account ( the booting from the DVD takes place around the 3:30 minute mark )- http://www.youtube.com/v/iJo7__tp3rg&hl
Do you know if he used that tutorial or this MS KB article ? - How to use System Restore to log on to Windows 7 or Windows Vista when you lose access to an account

The question that still remains is, how did the Other-Debugging Users become Enabled and the Admin account become Disabled ?
Either it stems from a software installation (perhaps Visual Studio), or faulty hardware, or hidden malware.

 

[Kbalanis]

I'll check on the CCleaner log issue. As far as how he was able to enable the Admin account, he didn't use either of those. I was watching him the entire time. From what I could tell, after he ran CCleaner he was able to install the updates. Then he logged in our network under a separate Administrator account and changed my user account setting to Admin. and it worked fine. Right after I noticed my updates not installing, I did a full scan with MSE and I DID find a virus, some type of Java exploit. Not sure exactly what type it was though. So then MSE got rid of it.

 

[MowGreen]

MSE logs it's actions so please check it's History for the name of the malware by putting a mark next to All Detected Items. You should be able to see the specific name of the suspected malware.

 

[Kbalanis]

The virus was: Exploit:Java/CVE-2010-0840.DT