Windows XP Pro Updates

[Dean]

For the last two weeks, coincidentally(?) ever since I lost connection to a
network printer and had to try lots of fixes, I notice that, every single
day, the yellow shield icon is at the bottom right indicating there are new
Windows XP updates to be installed. Every night, when I shutdown my
computer, I choose the option to let it first install the updates. Last
night, I even left the monitor on long enough to verify that it, indeed,
installed the update, in this case, only 1 update.

The fact that this has popped up upon every single morning reboot, for about
the last 2 weeks, seems mighty suspicious to me. Does anyone know if, over
the last couple of weeks or so, Microsoft has been issuing new updates for
Windows XP daily? Is there any other explanation for what I'm seeing?

Thanks!
Dean

 

[JS]

Microsoft has been know to stagger updates from time to time but not over
such a long period of time as far as I know.
You should check to see if it's not the same update trying to install
repeatedly.

JS

 

[Rock]

For the last two weeks, coincidentally(?) ever since I lost connection to
a network printer and had to try lots of fixes, I notice that, every
single day, the yellow shield icon is at the bottom right indicating there
are new Windows XP updates to be installed. Every night, when I shutdown
my computer, I choose the option to let it first install the updates.
Last night, I even left the monitor on long enough to verify that it,
indeed, installed the update, in this case, only 1 update.

The fact that this has popped up upon every single morning reboot, for
about the last 2 weeks, seems mighty suspicious to me. Does anyone know
if, over the last couple of weeks or so, Microsoft has been issuing new
updates for Windows XP daily? Is there any other explanation for what I'm
seeing?

Have you checked to see what the updates were and if they have been
installing successfully? Don't you look to see what is going to be
installed?

 

[mikeyhsd]

if you are using Windows Defender, it updates almost daily.



(e-mail address removed)



For the last two weeks, coincidentally(?) ever since I lost connection to a
network printer and had to try lots of fixes, I notice that, every single
day, the yellow shield icon is at the bottom right indicating there are new
Windows XP updates to be installed. Every night, when I shutdown my
computer, I choose the option to let it first install the updates. Last
night, I even left the monitor on long enough to verify that it, indeed,
installed the update, in this case, only 1 update.

The fact that this has popped up upon every single morning reboot, for about
the last 2 weeks, seems mighty suspicious to me. Does anyone know if, over
the last couple of weeks or so, Microsoft has been issuing new updates for
Windows XP daily? Is there any other explanation for what I'm seeing?

Thanks!
Dean

 

[David Webb]

Go to the Windows Update site and check your system's history. If you see a
recent hotfix repeated many times, take note of it and report this event to the
experts in the windowsupdate newsgroup. Otherwise, assume things to be normal.

 

[Dean]

I'm not quite sure how to do what you advise. If Windows Update is a site,
does it really have some record of what and when I installed things on my
machine? Or are you telling me to compare some dated list of releases on
that site to something I have on my machine? What I have just done is gone
to system restore and noted that, almost every night, there was a listing
called "Software Distribution Service 2.0.". This may be just a generic
name for Windows Updates, or evidence that it keeps trying to do the same
thing over and over again. Do you know?

I haven't been looking at the actual updates since all I do, when shutting
down, is choose express install and it does the rest automatically. All
that I do know is that, when I checked it last night, I waited until it was
done and saw no message that suggested it was unsuccessful. This AM, just
like other mornings, the yellow shield telling me of new updates was back
again.

BTW, I have no idea what Windows defender is, but I assume I would know if I
had it!

Kindly advise.

Thanks much!
Dean

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I'm not quite sure how to do what you advise. If Windows Update is a site,
does it really have some record of what and when I installed things on my
machine?

Yes.

Just go there and let it check your system

 

[Rock]

I'm not quite sure how to do what you advise. If Windows Update is a site,
does it really have some record of what and when I installed things on my
machine?

<snip>

Yes windows update keeps a history off all updates installed by it either
through automatic updates or directly from the WU update site.

Go to windows update, in the left pane click on update history.

 

[Rock]

I'm not quite sure how to do what you advise. If Windows Update is a site,
does it really have some record of what and when I installed things on my
machine?

Clarification, the update history is actually stored on your computer but
Windows Update queries that data and displays it.

 

[Dean]

Ok, I get it! Indeed, when I went there, I noticed that it had tried to
install the same update over and over again. I just posted the following to
the windows update newsgroup: Does anyone know what Microsoft.net framework
is and whether that is an update a normal person needs, and if not, how to
disable it?

Thanks all!
Dean

Apparently, nightly, my computer has been trying to download a certain
update without success. The error message is 0x66A and the particular
update is:

Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework, Version 1.1 Service Pack 1
(KB886903)

Any idea as to what the problem might be?

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

..NET Framework is a set of runtimes (stock code that is used by a .NET
application to do its job.) If you don't have any .NET applications then you
don't need it. It can be uninstalled via Add/Remove programs. Note that
there are also .NET Frameworks 2 and 3, and each contains a different set of
runtimes. They aren't cumulative. .NET applications use one or the other or
the other. A .NET application written for version 1.1 won't be supported by
versions 2 or three, etc.

But, before uninstalling, check to see if the SP1 hasn't been installed
already. In Add/Remove Programs, check the box at top to show Updates and
look for it there. Perhaps WU is trying to install something that's already
installed. If you're using automatic updates, that update should have been
installed ages ago.

 

[Rock]

Ok, I get it! Indeed, when I went there, I noticed that it had tried to
install the same update over and over again. I just posted the following
to the windows update newsgroup: Does anyone know what Microsoft.net
framework is and whether that is an update a normal person needs, and if
not, how to disable it?

Thanks all!
Dean

Apparently, nightly, my computer has been trying to download a certain
update without success. The error message is 0x66A and the particular
update is:

Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework, Version 1.1 Service Pack 1
(KB886903)

Any idea as to what the problem might be?

..Net framework comes in various versions, 1.0/1.1, 2.0, and 3.0. They can
all coexist on the same system. Some early programs might only work with
version 1.1, but for the most part programs that work on a lower version
should work on a higher one.

That said XP does not need .Net for its operations. It's used by particular
apps. If an installed program needs a .Net version, and you uninstall that
version, the program will complain. If so reinstalling that version of .Net
should rectify the problem.

Some of the offerings on WU for .Net are updates to a version already on
your system. In your case WU is offering an update to version 1.1, so .Net
1.1 must already be installed on your system. To confirm this go to
Add/Remove programs and see if it's listed there.

Assuming it is installed the question comes down to whether you have any
programs on your system that need .Net 1.1. Drive Image from PowerQuest
uses it, as does, I believe, ATI for some of it's graphics drivers for the
Catalyst Control Center. Some printer software might also use it.

Do you have any of those programs on your system?

You have several options. Uninstall .Net 1.1 and see if anything complains.
If not then do a custom scan at WU and hide the update to install .Net 1.1.
If so reinstall it and then install the Service Pack 1 update.

Another option is to fix the issue so that update gets installed. A Google
Groups search gives numerous hits on this specific problem. Here is one
that has a post by Eric Brodish from MS that offers some solutions which the
OP then reported worked for them.

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...+windows+update&rnum=7&hl=en#d9dd6a434cc5c5d7

Here is a link to the full Google Groups search:
http://groups.google.com/groups?um=1&tab=wg&hl=en&q=0x66A+windows+update

I suggest you just fix the problem so it gets installed rather than messing
with the uninstall, find a program complains, reinstall, then figure out if
the Service Pack update will install again, route, but it's up to you.

There is no real downside to having .Net in various versions installed even
though there are no apps that need it, but if it's installed it should be
patched with the latest updates for it.

To stop WU from offering an update, do a custom scan at Windows update, then
click the + sign in front of that update, and tick the box to hide it. You
can also hide an update through the Automatic Update notification in the
taskbar if you set the Automatic Updates to alert you to new updates but
don't download or install until you authorize it.

Clear as mud, eh?

 

[Dean]

Thanks, Rock, and Gary. I do have both net 1.1 and 2,0 showing on my
system. To my knowledge, I don't have programs that need it, save for,
perhaps, my HP 7210 all in one machine. In fact, this trouble all started
about the time when I had lost communication (via a router) to that
all-in-one machine from this one computer only. I am still waiting, two
weeks now, for the promised call back from the true experts at HP, to help
me fix that, after the on-line dweebs had me uninstall and reinstall my HP
software ten different times and ways to Sunday. But that's another
problem. But I seem to recall, in one of those uninstalls, they might have
had me uninstall some of this program, too - they tried everything they
could think of, it seemed. So that might be the source of the problem.

In general, Rock, I like your advice of trying to fix it first, based on the
links you provided, rather than uninstall and reinstall. I wonder if fixing
this could bring my communication with my all-in-one machine back to life.
If so, that would be great.

Dean

 

[Rock]

Thanks, Rock, and Gary. I do have both net 1.1 and 2,0 showing on my
system. To my knowledge, I don't have programs that need it, save for,
perhaps, my HP 7210 all in one machine. In fact, this trouble all started
about the time when I had lost communication (via a router) to that
all-in-one machine from this one computer only. I am still waiting, two
weeks now, for the promised call back from the true experts at HP, to help
me fix that, after the on-line dweebs had me uninstall and reinstall my HP
software ten different times and ways to Sunday. But that's another
problem. But I seem to recall, in one of those uninstalls, they might
have had me uninstall some of this program, too - they tried everything
they could think of, it seemed. So that might be the source of the
problem.

In general, Rock, I like your advice of trying to fix it first, based on
the links you provided, rather than uninstall and reinstall. I wonder if
fixing this could bring my communication with my all-in-one machine back
to life. If so, that would be great.

<snip>

You're welcome, Dean. I'm not sure if it will or not. I don't know all
that Service Pack 1 provides for .Net 1.1, if it targets security issues,
bugs or both.

Yes I believe installing the software for some HP printers includes some
version of .Net. Of course if you don't need the software, and can get by
with just the drivers do so, often times the software, particularly from HP
can be problematic. Sorry I'm not familiar with the particulars of that
printer and it's needs so I can't advise on the need for the software.

Good luck and post back with the outcome if you can.