OFF TOPIC - Help please

[JEB]

Hi,

Can anybody recommend a good Forum where I can get advice regarding a problem I have with an MS Automatic Update continually being offered each time I go online despite having downloaded and installed it many, many times?

Regards

John

P.S. I found "Tech Support Guy" but so far no great response.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi,

Can anybody recommend a good Forum where I can get advice regarding a problem I have with an MS Automatic Update continually being offered each time I go online despite having downloaded and installed it many, many times?

Regards

John

P.S. I found "Tech Support Guy" but so far no great response.

Hi Jeb

Have you tried "control Panel" "automatic updates" "tick the turn off button" "click apply"?

Yachtsman1

[fh1805]

John,

I suspect your best bet will be to wait and hope that Brian Kelly (Conflow) spots this thread and can offer some of his words of wisdom. Just one thought from me, have you tried uninstalling that particular update and then letting it back on next time around? It is just possible that something is screwed up in the Registry and the uninstall might just clear whatever it is that is screwed. And a final thought: you have checked the install history and confirmed that the update really has been applied successfully in the past, haven't you?

regards,

Peter

P.S. If the only problem is the aggravation of the repeated download and install it might be prudent to follow the traditional advice: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Trying to solve your problem could make matters worse. Tread carefully!

[JEB]

Thanks for getting in touch folks,

Yachtsman1

Been there done that - but I don't want not to receive future updates so not inclined to do this on a long term basis.

Peter,

I'm afraid I don't now how to go about deleting or uninstalling an update as I don't venture too far into the depths of Windows!

I agree about "If it ain't broke" but as this has been going on for about two weeks and as there has only ever been this particular update offered during this time (unusual) I wonder if somehow it may be blocking other perhaps important updates.

Regards

John

[JEB]

My spelling is not good but I do KNOW how to spell KNOW!!!

[mhwarner]

Hi John,

Not sure if this article will be helpful (http://www.windowssecrets.com/2008/08/14/03-Youll-get-a-new-Windows-Update-like-it-or-not) but if not, perhaps you might find other useful information on the windowssecrets site. It is the home base for a bi-weekly newsletter to which I subscribe and they provide very good expert information about many technical pc-related topics, including automatic updates and patches for both XP and Vista. The search engine will find you some other articles on "automatic updates".

[fh1805]

...I'm afraid I don't now how to go about deleting or uninstalling an update as I don't venture too far into the depths of Windows!...

John,

That's a very wise attitude. However, if you want to explore your way into the uninstall - with no committment to actually do any - then proceed along these lines:

- Start - All programs - Windows Update (this is the Vista route into the software; for XP it might be under Accessories...System Tools)

This will give you the Windows Update window. You can then View update history and at the top of that window it tells you to go to Installed Updates to uninstall an update. If you want to commit to doing an uninstall just study the instructions - and make sure that you have a full image backup before proceeding.

regards,

Peter

[Ken Cox]

John

visit

http://www.blackviper.com/

he has quite few tricks up his sleeve

if you do not like the black background -- top left of column -- box to change it to white

ken

[jevans]

John,

That's a very wise attitude. However, if you want to explore your way into the uninstall - with no committment to actually do any - then proceed along these lines:

- Start - All programs - Windows Update (this is the Vista route into the software; for XP it might be under Accessories...System Tools)

This will give you the Windows Update window. You can then View update history and at the top of that window it tells you to go to Installed Updates to uninstall an update. If you want to commit to doing an uninstall just study the instructions - and make sure that you have a full image backup before proceeding.

regards,

Peter

Peter,

Not sure that this works in Windows XP. However think you can un-install updates from the "add/remove programs" icon in the control panel but you need to have the "show updates" box ticked at the top.

Jeff

[JEB]

Good evening,

Thank you all for your replies.

I followed the lead Mary provided and found the solution there. A quite formal method of preventing a specific download/s from returning. I have been off and on line a few times in the past hour or so just to make sure it's working, hence my delay in getting back to you before now.

Well done folks.

John

[Ken Cox]

John

if you use SpyBot it may indicate an abnormal condition when you do a scan - i just uncheck the boxes for the ms abnormal condition on my xp

ken

[JEB]

Hi,

All still seems to be well.

I run AVG every day, XoftSpySE and RegCure a few times per week (more frequently since this issue) and have had no bad reports.

Hopefully that's the end of it.

One thing that was interesting about the update was that it was for Service Pack 2. I am running SP3. Could this be what is behind it?

Cheers

John

[Conflow]

Hi John,

I have just come upon this thread and I certainly appreciate your problem ~ it's most annoying !!

If Marys'..."windowssecrets.com"...has sorted out your problem thats good news and there is no

point in proceeding further with this 'pandora's box' of Microsofts Updates.

Here is another "Tip" to impliment having sorted the problem:-

Make sure you clean out your Browser-Page as this will contain the 'Auto-Cookie' whichs triggers that

update. It's obvious the update did not cancel its own cookie as it was designed to do, hence it keeps

activating when you go on-Line. This is a very common problem when Windows get's itself in a twist.

See the 'attachment' below for instructions.

(That usually sorts it permanently without going into the Cookies Folder)

For Forum Members, here is a Program which allows you to Edit/Delete Cookies and keep your PC clean.

Link:- http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/iecookies.html

Attachment below.

Brian.Conflow.

[JEB]

Brian,

Thanks for your imput, it's much appreciated.

I will certainly follow this through later in the day. I've just switched on briefly to check that all is still well, and it is, before doing other things away from the PC.

Regards to all who contributed.

John

[Laszlo K]

Brian,

Thanks for your imput, it's much appreciated.

I will certainly follow this through later in the day. I've just switched on briefly to check that all is still well, and it is, before doing other things away from the PC.

Regards to all who contributed.

John

Hi John!

Glad you have sort of solved the problem. Personally I don't let anything automatic do its thing. You can make it a routine to check for updates and than you can see what would get into your system that you might not need.

Concerning cookies and alike, I have been using a very neet little program for years. It is independent from Windows, so it is not running in the background.

It is called X-Cleaner and it has two way scanning and file shredding capability and some other stuff.

I scan before shut down and you can set to scan at start up before windows.

You do have to pay for it but I don't mind paying for something that works.

Laszlo

[JEB]

Laszio,

Thank you for the information regarding cookies. I will be looking at that and the system that Brian has suggested, hopefully this weekend.

The trouble is I know enough to know I don't know enough!

Regard

John