[tomdrayson]

Hi, I am using Windows XP Professional SP2 with all updates available upto about 2 days ago. Just yesterday I encountered a problem with Microsoft Update. I receive the following error message when I checked for updates:

"Please change your Internet Explorer security settings
To save changes to your settings for this website, you need to enable userdata persistence for Internet Explorer. Complete the steps below, and then click Change settings to the left and try saving your changes again.
In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
Click the Security tab, click the Internet security zone icon, and then click Custom Level.
In the Settings dialog box, scroll to the Miscellaneous section.
Under Userdata persistence , select Enable.
Click OK and when the security warning dialog box appears, click Yes."

(Error number: 0x800A0046)

Unfortunately, Userdata persistence was already enabled so I proceeded to search for the error code. I came across a number of people with the same problem but none of the suggestions fixed it for me. For some reason which I can't remember, I went into "Services", and tried to check the "Automatic Updates" service - but I receive the following error message hen trying to access the Properties of this service:

"Unable to open service Automatic Updates for reading on Local Computer.
Error 5: Access is denied"

All these problems are for all user accounts including the administrator account.

Why would access be denied to the Automatic Updates service?

Thanks for any assistance

[Advertisements]

Open services, does it let you double click automatic updates to set to automatic, is the one below, background intelligent transfer set to manual

Can you update manually

[Retired Tech]

Open services, does it let you double click automatic updates to set to automatic, is the one below, background intelligent transfer set to manual

Can you update manually

[tomdrayson]

Hi Keith, thank you for your quick reply.

The error comes up both when I double click the "Automatic Updates" service, and when I right click it and select properties. The "Description", "Status" and "Startup Type" tabs are all blank, and under "Log on as" it says "Local System". "Background Intelligent Transfer Service" is set to Automatic and works fine.
If I try to update manually I receive the Microsoft Update error I mentioned before, and I have reached a dead-end trying to resolve that, so I think the Automatic Updates service problem may be the cause.
Also, I am unable to start, or modify the service from the command prompt - I receive the same Access Denied error.
I have discovered what appears to be the cause of the latter problem though:
In Event Viewer, in the "System" part, there is the same error on many occasions, presumably whenever I try to use Microsoft Update, source = Service Control Manager, the error is:
"The Automatic Updates service terminated with the following error:
The class is configured to run as a security id different from the caller.
For more information see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft....link/events.asp " (which no longer exists apparently)
Thanks for your help

Edited by tomdrayson, 17 August 2005 - 11:19 AM.

[Retired Tech]

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter to replace the system files, you need the XP CD and get a blue bar, when the bar goes, reboot.

[tomdrayson]

Hi Keith, thanks for your suggestion, unfortunately it didn't work - nothing came up asking me about replacing and files and I still have the problem.

[Retired Tech]

Did it run the blue bar?

If not, there is aspace bewtwwen sfc and /scannow

[tomdrayson]

Yes a window came up saying
"Please wait while Windows verifies that all protected Windows files are intact and in their original versions"
But it got to the end without any other windows coming up so I'm guessing it didn't change anything.
In the meantime I have also tried a System Restore to several points before the first occurrence of the error in the Event Viewer but Windows says it can't restore the system for every one I choose.
Thanks

[Retired Tech]

Click start then all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, click view files for downloaded Programme files, remove all the WUWeb controls for Windows / Microsoft update, confirm delete, click OK to clean.

Go to Microsoft Update here

http://update.micros...t.aspx?ln=en-us

[tomdrayson]

The only things that are displayed in Downloaded Program Files are:
Java Runtime Environment
Office Update Installer Engine
Shockwave ActiveX Control
Shockwave Flash Object
I can't find any "WUWeb controls", where are they?
Thanks

[Retired Tech]

They would be in there and are what is missing for the Updates

You should have Genuine Advantage in the list

http://catalog.micro...?displaylang=en

Click any of the offers until it loads genuine validation

Try Microsoft Update

http://update.micros...t.aspx?ln=en-us

[tomdrayson]

Ok I've got the Winows Genuine Advantage Tool now but no WUWeb or MUWeb controls - how do I install that?
Thanks

[Retired Tech]

They are the first things Microsft Update should look for

http://update.micros...t.aspx?ln=en-us

[tomdrayson]

Ok, when I go to the link I get the "Welcome to Microsoft Update screen" as if I had never used it. I click the Start Now button and then it takes me to a "Review License Agreement" screen - I click Continue, and then I get a screen saying it's checking that I have the latest version of Windows updating software, then my browser clicks a few times and I get the error about Userdata persistence I mentioned before.
Thanks for your help!

[Retired Tech]

Microsoft say this

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;884698

and this

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;836914

[tomdrayson]

Hi, I didn't really understand what I was meant to do in the first article, I have cookies and userdata persistence enabled, and I deleted the Windows Updates files in UserData folders and tried again, but no luck.
Thanks