Automatic updates hang after reinstalling Win XP

[Guest]

After trying for weeks to fix a constant "AUTOEXEC.NT 16 bit subsystem blah,
blah,blah," error message using all of the cut & paste techniques, I gave up
and finally took out my XP upgrade CD (about 3 years old, legal with COA) and
reinstalled the XP OS. Now, all of my "hotfixes" for the past two years are
missing and Serv.Pk. 2 as well. When I even click on a link to any Windows
Automatic Update, the application freezes/hangs. Start up is also much slower
now as well. Any suggestions? (Besides converting my computer to a boat
anchor.)

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi John,

Reinstalling was totally unnecessary, that fix is very simple. However, that
is in the past and you will need to deal with what is. Reinstalling wipes
out the Windows Updates, and you will need to reinstall them all. Click
start/run and type C:\Window\Windows update.log (make sure there is a space
in there) and click ok. Scroll to the bottom and look for error codes to
compare against this site:
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/troubleshoot/

One note: After installing SP2, the log file name has the space in the name
has been removed (it's windowsupdate.log). If you look at the wrong log, you
will be looking at the wrong error codes.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Rick,
Unnecessary? See KB article 823308 "Losing sound after upgrade to XP" that's
my particular case. I've had no sound for over two years and I've tried
unsuccessfully to open the compressed sound fix patch from Gateway and always
get the Autoexec.nt error message. Tried to fix the Autoexec problem for
months with the KB suggested fixes, without success, still no sound, of
course. "It's hard to remember your original objective was to drain the swamp
when you're up to your neck in alligators" someone once said. How True! Off
to fight another battle of "Man vs. Machine"...John

 

[Guest]

Rick,
Thanks for the advice but typing in the run commands yielded a "C:\window...
is unavailable in this location..." error message. Boat anchor it, right? John

 

[Lewis Jorgenson]

Solution:

I clicked on START and then RUN put in each line seen below and clicked on
OK.

REGSVR32 C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuapi.dll
REGSVR32 C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuaueng.dll
REGSVR32 C:\WINDOWS\system32\atl.dll
REGSVR32 C:\WINDOWS\system32\wucltui.dll
REGSVR32 C:\WINDOWS\system32\wups.dll

One line at a time. what could be easier?

Thanks to Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" and others here.

Lewis Vance Jorgenson

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi John,

My comment was geared at the autoexec.nt problem, you did not mention any
other. The sound problem (which you had not previously mentioned was the
cause of your misfortune) is a Gateway issue, but might have been corrected
had the autoexec.nt issue been addressed correctly. Anyhow, that is in the
past and there is naught we can do about it now.

Thanks for the advice but typing in the run commands yielded a
"C:\window...
is unavailable in this location..." error message. Boat anchor it, right?
John

IsWindows still installed to C:\Windows? If not, try using "%windir%\windows
update.log".

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Guest]

Thanks again for your suggestions, Lewis & Rick,
This is my last post and my apologies for taking up so much of your valuable
time. I visited the auto-update troubleshooter site and none of the error
codes matched. I was able to, by accessing "my computer" right cliking
"explore" right clicking "explore" in the windows folder, to find two
"Autoupdate" notepad logs. One logged multiple times: "unable to connect to
the service. hr=80080005" I assume the numerical part is an error code but I
find no match in the troubleshooter guide. Alternately, I can buy a service
pack 2 upgrade CD separately and this is increasingly looking like my best
option. I'm hoping to replace this computer in the next 6 months but believe
it or not, I paid $2,300 for this *&$#! system in mid 1999. Thanks again for
your help!
John

:
Hi John, My comment was geared at the autoexec.nt problem, you did not
mention any other. The sound problem (which you had not previously mentioned
was the cause of your misfortune) is a Gateway issue, but might have been
corrected had the autoexec.nt issue been addressed correctly. Anyhow, that is
in the past and there is naught we can do about it now.
IsWindows still installed to C:\Windows? If not, try using "%windir%\windows
update.log".
Best of Luck,