Always doing updates

[Bob]

I have noticed over the last few weeks that my computer always seems to be
involved in updates. This is not causing me any real inconvenience that I am
aware of but it concerns me because I cannot recall it ever being so
frequent. Whenever I go to shut down I get the symbol and notice that updates
will be completed and then the computer will shut down and I am not to shut
it down myself. This is what I would expect during a typical security update
by MS but are there a lot going of these being done right now? It seems at
least once a day I am getting new update notices when I start up or shut
down. Any advice is appreciated. I have tried going to MS Update site and
signing up for the automatic service twice thinking that maybe the first time
something went wrong. I have also recently updated to IE8. I am using XP
Media Center OS. on an HP a1450n model computer.
--
Bob

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

May I assume Automatic Updates is set to the Notify Only option (i.e., you
must approve which updates are download and which updates are installed)?

When so many updates are released on a given Patch Tuesday (e.g., 14 Apr-09)
and when so many of them apply to just about any Windows version and when MS
then "pushes" other non-critical updates during the third week of the month
(i.e., IE8; Office 2007 SP2), the update servers get swamped/overloaded.

[If your windowsupdate.log shows lots of recent "Update is not allowed to
download due to regulation" entries, this is what's happening (cf.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910340).]

When this happens, some but not all of the Approved updates will be
downloaded by AU, in which case the AU "Install updates" icon doesn't appear
but you encounter the "Install updates and shutdown" option when shutting
down for the day. IOW, this is expected/normal, albeit clumsy, behavior.

You can download/install the updates manually via Windows/Microsoft Update
(WinXP): Understand that by doing so, you're pushing all other Automatic
Updates users further back in the queue (which may explain, at least in
part, why Automatic Updates hasn't brought them in for you yet).
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002

[Shenan Stanley]

What MS Office version do you have, if any?
Which specific updates are you seeing, are they repeating?
(KB######)

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

[Bob]

Thanks for the replies. I am using MS Office 2007. I understand from browsing
that there is a log on my computer that will show information about update
history? If that is true how do i get to it? That might allow me to figure
out if it is the same update not getting completed and then Automatic Updates
is trying again each time I boot up.
--
Bob

[Bob]

Also jut to note if I did not before, I am using IE8. Does this influence the
updating process? Just a thought.
--
Bob

[Shenan Stanley]

Bob wrote:
> I have noticed over the last few weeks that my computer always
> seems to be involved in updates. This is not causing me any real
> inconvenience that I am aware of but it concerns me because I
> cannot recall it ever being so frequent. Whenever I go to shut down
> I get the symbol and notice that updates will be completed and then
> the computer will shut down and I am not to shut it down myself.
> This is what I would expect during a typical security update by MS
> but are there a lot going of these being done right now? It seems
> at least once a day I am getting new update notices when I start up
> or shut down. Any advice is appreciated. I have tried going to MS
> Update site and signing up for the automatic service twice thinking
> that maybe the first time something went wrong. I have also
> recently updated to IE8. I am using XP Media Center OS. on an HP
> a1450n model computer.

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> What MS Office version do you have, if any?
> Which specific updates are you seeing, are they repeating?
> (KB######)

Bob wrote:

> Thanks for the replies. I am using MS Office 2007. I understand
> from browsing that there is a log on my computer that will show
> information about update history? If that is true how do i get to
> it? That might allow me to figure out if it is the same update not
> getting completed and then Automatic Updates is trying again each
> time I boot up.

Bob wrote:
> Also jut to note if I did not before, I am using IE8. Does this
> influence the updating process? Just a thought.

Office 2007 has had several updates over the past month - perhaps you are
seeing those. You did not provide any details on what updates you are
getting notices about (the notices should tell you.)

Control Panel --> Add or Remove Programs --> check the "Show Updates"
checkbox.
or
In Internet Explorer, visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and from the
left-side, click on "Review your Update History"...

I'm betting you are just seeing all the various updates for Microsoft Office
2007 - including Service Pack 2.

[Bob]

I did as you suggested Shenan and found quite a few listings of the same
number. KB967715. Does that mean that it is trying to do something and it is
not going through?
--
Bob

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

See the revised & expanded FAQ section of
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967715

Bob wrote:
> I did as you suggested Shenan and found quite a few listings of the same
> number. KB967715. Does that mean that it is trying to do something and it
> is
> not going through?
>

[Shenan Stanley]

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Office 2007 has had several updates over the past month - perhaps
> you are seeing those. You did not provide any details on what
> updates you are getting notices about (the notices should tell you.)
>
> Control Panel --> Add or Remove Programs --> check the "Show
> Updates" checkbox.
> or
> In Internet Explorer, visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and
> from the left-side, click on "Review your Update History"...
>
> I'm betting you are just seeing all the various updates for
> Microsoft Office 2007 - including Service Pack 2.

Bob wrote:
> I did as you suggested Shenan and found quite a few listings of the
> same number. KB967715. Does that mean that it is trying to do
> something and it is not going through?

Possibly...

Visit it's Knowledge Base Article and scroll down to the "Known issues with
this security update" section (3/4 of the way down) and likely your problem
is described as, "Update 967715 is reoffered multiple times" and the
suggested fix is there.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967715

[Bob]

Thanks Shenan for your help. I will not know for sure if it helped but it
certainly got me on the right track for a solution. I now know that I can
check up on these things too.
--
Bob