Stopped Working

[Ray S.]

I'm running XP Pro version 2002, Service Pack 3 (got this from My Computer
Properties). Updates worked fine up until July 31, 2009. If I look at my
installed updates, I can see a ton of updates, security updates, and
hotfixes, running from when I installed XP on the computer in question from
January until the above date.
Now, I'm getting error 0x8DDD0004. I did a search on that and followed all
the suggested troubleshooting tips...none of them worked. Then I went to the
KB and followed Article ID: 906602 steps, including looking at the command
line installer log...again, nothing works. I was trying to install the IIS
component and was asked to supply the SP 3 CD (which I never had). So, I went
to update, to see if that would provide what I needed. The update failed. I
got this in the update log:AutomaticUpdates Failure Content
Install Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update
with error 0x80070643: Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3). I looked up the
error code and it gave me all this crap about user not having administrative
authority, which is wrong. I am extremely frustrated.

[Shenan Stanley]

Assuming you have Windows XP 32-bit...

Check your HOSTS file - make sure it doesn't contain any redirects you don't
want. If you never use it - it should have a single entry.

Check your DNS settings, make sure they are correctly set. The correct
settings will depend on your setup.

Empty your Temporary Internet Files (in fact - delete all your IE temp files
and reset IE to its defaults.) If you need further direction - tell us what
version of IE you currently use.

Fix your file/registry permissions...

Ignore the title and follow the sub-section under "Advanced Troubleshooting"
titled, "Method 1: Reset the registry and the file permissions"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377
*will take time
(Ignore the 6th step!)

Reboot and ...

Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan (separately) with the
following two applications (freeware versions are the ones to use for this):

SuperAntiSpyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/

MalwareBytes
http://www.malwarebytes.com/

After performing a full scan with one and then the other and removing
whatever they both find completely, you may uninstall these products,
if you wish.

Download and run the MSRT manually:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

Reboot.

Download/Install the latest Windows Installer (for your OS):
( Windows XP 32-bit : WindowsXP-KB942288-v3-x86.exe )
http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=5A58B56F-60B6-4412-95B9-54D056D6F9F4&displaylang=en

Reboot.

and...

Download the latest version of the Windows Update agent from here (x86):
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=91237
... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root
of the C:\ drive, do the following:

Close all Internet Explorer windows and other applications.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemDrive%\windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe /WUFORCE
--> Click OK.

(If asked, select "Run.) --> Click on NEXT --> Select "I agree" and click on
NEXT --> When it finishes installing, click on "Finish"...

Reboot.

Then follow the instructions here:

How do I reset Windows Update components?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058

Reboot.

CHKDSK
How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
* will take time

Defragment
How to Defragment your hard drives
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848
* will take time

Ensure your hardware drivers are up to date (from the hardware
manufacturer's respective web pages.)

Reboot.

Log on as an user with administrative rights and open Internet Explorer
and visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and select to do a
CUSTOM scan...

Every time you are about to click on something while at these web pages -
first press and hold down the CTRL key while you click on it. You can
release the CTRL key after clicking each time.

Once the scan is done, select just _ONE_ of the high priority updates
(deselect any others) and install it.

Reboot again.

If it did work - try the web page again - selecting no more than 3-5 at a
time. Rebooting as needed.

The Optional Software updates are generally safe - although I recommend
against the "Windows Search" one and any of the "Office Live" ones or
"Windows Live" ones fornow. I would completely avoid the
Optional Hardware updates. Also - I do not see any urgent need to install
Internet Explorer 8 at this time.

** If you are installing Microsoft Office updates - it helps to have your
installation media in the CD/DVD drive when installing it.

Come back - let us know if that worked.
... Really - come back and let everyone know if that worked.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this
machine (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com

[Ray S.]

OK, but you'll have to explain exactly what is being done in the registry and
file "fix." Exactly what is being re-set? exactly what is being done to the
registry permissions and files? I began doing it (after a registry backup)
and noticed that it tried to change files it had no business accessing, for
example, my firewall log. I was watching it zoom through files. There were
errors and denials of access. Exactly what is that "fix" doing? It seemed to
change a lot more than registry settings. It also went after files. Please
enlighten me about that. I'm neither comfortable nor too happy about the
massive intrusiveness of the process. I'd almost rather have re-formatted my
drive and re-installed windows!

By the way, the emails I get notifying me of replies to my request for help
have links that are not working for me. I can't click and get back to the
community.
"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> .... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root

> .... Really - come back and let everyone know if that worked.

[Shenan Stanley]

Ray S. wrote:
> I'm running XP Pro version 2002, Service Pack 3 (got this from My
> Computer Properties). Updates worked fine up until July 31, 2009.
> If I look at my installed updates, I can see a ton of updates,
> security updates, and hotfixes, running from when I installed XP on
> the computer in question from January until the above date.
> Now, I'm getting error 0x8DDD0004. I did a search on that and
> followed all the suggested troubleshooting tips...none of them
> worked. Then I went to the KB and followed Article ID: 906602
> steps, including looking at the command line installer log...again,
> nothing works. I was trying to install the IIS component and was
> asked to supply the SP 3 CD (which I never had). So, I went to
> update, to see if that would provide what I needed. The update
> failed. I got this in the update log:AutomaticUpdates Failure
> Content
> Install Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the
> following update with error 0x80070643: Office 2003 Service Pack 3
> (SP3). I looked up the error code and it gave me all this crap
> about user not having administrative authority, which is wrong. I
> am extremely frustrated.

Ray S. wrote:
> OK, but you'll have to explain exactly what is being done in the
> registry and file "fix." Exactly what is being re-set? exactly what
> is being done to the registry permissions and files? I began doing
> it (after a registry backup) and noticed that it tried to change
> files it had no business accessing, for example, my firewall log. I
> was watching it zoom through files. There were errors and denials
> of access. Exactly what is that "fix" doing? It seemed to change a
> lot more than registry settings. It also went after files. Please
> enlighten me about that. I'm neither comfortable nor too happy
> about the massive intrusiveness of the process. I'd almost rather
> have re-formatted my drive and re-installed windows!
>
> By the way, the emails I get notifying me of replies to my request
> for help have links that are not working for me. I can't click and
> get back to the community.

I'll assume you are speaking of this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377
Advanced Method 1...

It went in and set the permissions on the registry keys so that they had the
proper (default) permissions. It did not change registry entries - only set
the permissions back to default. It does the same thing for files.
Essentially ensures that members of the "administrators" group and the
"system" group have full rights (as they should) to everything on the system
so that there won't be anything you won't be able to do/change when trying
to install updates and the likes. It did not send anything to anyone.

In other words - there was nothing intrusive about it really. You can see
the commands it ran and look up exactly what it did. There's nothing hidden
in any of the instructions I gave (although they do make things easier to do
with scripts and executables if you desire to use those instead of the
manual steps.)

If you are speaking of a later reset:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058

You have the choice of the automatic (Fix It For Me) or manual fix (you go
through a bunch of laid out steps.) So you should be able to see exactly
what that does too.

[Ray S.]

For the sake of brevity, I will only quote the last relevant part of prior
responses:

Yes, that was the part...I saved the log...there were tons of "failures" in
the changes as I was watching...hundreds and hundreds of them...here are some
examples:
1.782: In Function GetReleaseSet, line 1240, RegQueryValueEx failed with
error 0x2
17.625: DoInstallation: CleanPFR failed: 0x2
17.672: Fist Condition in Dot3svc.CheckSupplicantMode.Enabled Failed
17.688: Second Condition in
IE.AdditionalSettings.LessThan7.Condition.Section Failed
17.704: DoInstallation: FetchSourceURL for
c:\c33ad62a0fa384dc009268ac\i386\update\update.inf failed
hundreds like this:
33.766: Failed to query DriverPath of ROOT\LEGACY_AEGISP\0000 0x2
33.766: Failed to query DriverPath of ROOT\LEGACY_AFD\0000 0x2
33.766: Failed to query DriverPath of ROOT\LEGACY_ARP1394\0000 0x2
33.766: Failed to query DriverPath of ROOT\LEGACY_AVGTDIX\0000 0x2
33.766: Failed to query DriverPath of ROOT\LEGACY_AWINDIS5\0000 0x2

So, my question is, if there were so many errors, what did it really do?
I'm moving on, step by step, and I'll let you know the final results; but,
I'm worried that if the above step was not successful, not much will have
been achieved....

Thanks...I'll let you know.

[ugpsobta]

i was having a very similar problem...i followed all the steps suggested up
through downloading and installing the windows update agent...and it worked
like a charm...i've never done this kind of detailed work before but it
really was not that difficult with the step by steps provided.
i just wanted to write and say 'thank you very much'. this was a great
resource.

[Shenan Stanley]

ugpsobta wrote:
> i was having a very similar problem...i followed all the steps
> suggested up through downloading and installing the windows update
> agent...and it worked like a charm...i've never done this kind of
> detailed work before but it really was not that difficult with the
> step by steps provided.
> i just wanted to write and say 'thank you very much'. this was a
> great resource.

ugpsobta,

Looking at the conversation, PA Bear didn't give any instructions in this
thread that I see, but has elsewhere, no doubt.

This conversation, with the various threads shown:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/browse_frm/thread/63e9b742c0ef0de6

I'm guessing you meant to respond to one of my posts in this thread by
context of your message only ("downloading and installing the windows update
agent") - and if so - you are welcome; but please finish the instructions in
their entirety - just like you should finish antibiotics - don't stop when
you are 'feeling better' - follow through.

If you were responding to PA Bear - might I suggest you reply in the thread
where you are thanking them? ;-)

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Thanks for your feedback. That being said & to avoid confusion, it's always
best begin a new thread about your specific problems if you need assistance.
State your IE version and full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; Vista SP2)
in your first post.