"Security Essentials" updates automatically, "Windows Update" does not?

Anonymous
2011-03-14T18:58:28+00:00

Hi:

I bought a new Dell last month pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit).

I immediately downloaded Microsoft Security Essentials (after removing via Control Panel a trial version of McAfee, I believe it was, which I never enabled/activated) to use as my Security Suite.

According to my "View Update History", Microsoft Security Essentials updates automatically every day.

"Windows Update" itself, however, does not.

This is despite the original default settings being in place, i.e., "install updates automatically" is checked.

When I finally noticed this and attempted to manually check for updates, I kept getting the dreaded "server is busy" error code.  This lasted several hours.  When I was finally able to connect, I received a long list of updates to download/install.  However, when I tried to do so, several "Failed" (according to "View Update History"), including some marked "Important".  Further, when I manually check for updates again, these "Failed" updates don't reappear, so I don't know how to get them.

More importantly, I don't understand why "Microsoft Security Essentials" updates automatically and daily and without problem, while "Windows Updates", though set to update automatically, does not?

True, my computer is turned off at 3:00AM (the default update time), but my understanding is that the update should then occur (delayed) the next time the computer is turned on.

I've read several of the questions/answers here, and have tried most of what was suggested - for example:

  • My internet connection is obviously working fine.
  • I have no "Proxy Server".
  • I ran "TDSSKiller" and there was no threat found.
  • I also run the Microsoft "Fix Tool", which shows that something was fixed, but it has no effect.  And every time I run it, it apparently "fixes" the same thing.  To no effect.

I ran Windows Update again manually before posting here, and it seems to have worked okay, but why does it not work automatically?

Thanks,

Five

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2012-02-07T00:25:30+00:00

If all were well with your computer: 

  1. You should not be getting 80072EE2 errors [1] when running a manual check for updates assuming your User Account has the requisite Permissions.
  2. You should not be seeing any "Managed by your system administrator" if your User Account has the requisite Permissions. [2]
  3. KB2572077 should be installed IMHO, especially if Win7 SP1 is installed. [3]

I appreciate your help...but let's not (both) let this become a full-time career!

Computer security is my full-time career! <wink> [although I'm a volunteer here]

===============================================================

[1] See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836941 

[2] Start | Control Panel | Windows Update | Change settings (left-hand menu) | Allow all users to install updates on this computer <=check/enable this option | OK your way out & Reboot | Make sure the option is still checked/enabled.

[3] For home users, no-charge support for security updates (only!) is available by calling 1-800-MICROSOFT (1-800-642-7676) in the US or 877-568-2495 in Canada. For more information about how to contact your local Microsoft subsidiary [i.e., in other regions] for support issues relating to security updates, visit the following Microsoft International Support website: http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx?rdpath=4

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-04-02T23:22:30+00:00

    No.  Chrome was never installed.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-04-02T21:25:43+00:00

    I use Firefox as my browser, not IE...

    Ah...

    Is Chrome also installed or was it ever installed?

    [notes to self: default;checksur;sfc]

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-04-02T17:37:53+00:00

    Hey:

    FYI, the "80072EE2" error is what I always get when I click "Check for Updates" in Windows Updates.  Then, I click on "Check online for updates from Microsoft Updates" on the same page just below, and I get the updates just fine.

    1a.  Yes.  Always connected to the internet via cable-broadband modem.

    1b.  Desktop, not laptop

    2.  No router.

    3.  No router.

    4.  No router.

    5.  I use Firefox as my browser, not IE.  However, back when I was first investigating all this, I went through some procedure to see if I was using a Proxy Server.  I'm not.

    Finally:

    I appreciate all your help.  However, as I stated before, I'm not going to do any sort of reinstall of Windows.  The problem doesn't justify it.  I'll just live with manual updates if I have to.

    Thanks again,

    Five

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-04-01T23:47:55+00:00

    Thanks. (Feel free to edit your previous post & delete all but the last/bottom-most 15-20 lines in hopes that this thread won't spawn even more pages.)

    I suppose the definitive KB article would be...

        You may encounter temporary connection-related errors [e.g., 0x80072EE2 - ERROR_INTERNET_TIMEOUT] when you use Windows Update or Microsoft Update to install updates

        http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836941

    I'd suspect a W32/Alureon-variant rootkit infection to be your troublemaker except for that fact that you've told me that both of the Feb-11 Kernel updates (i.e., KB2393802 & KB2479628) are installed.

    Then there's the mysterious fact that (a) MSE is auto-updating itself anyway, (b) you can successfully install updates manually per http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/How-can-I-tell-if-my-computer-is-up-to-date, and (c) doing an Aggressive-mode Reset followed by a reboot did not fix anything.

    I'm really running out of ideas here but I'll offer some from the "bottom of the barrel"...

    1a. Is this computer ALWAYS connected to the internet via cable-broadband?

    1b. If it's a Notebook PC (laptop), do you see the same behavior if the computer's connected to the internet at a friend's or relative's house for a day or two?

    1. Does the computer connect directly via the modem or is a router involved?
    2. If a router, does the computer connect directly or wirelessly to the router? Do any other computers connect (directly or wirelessly) via the router and are any of those computers having any issues whatsoever?
    3. If a router where other computers are connected, can the computers "see" each other via the local network? IOW, can you access, e.g., My Documents folder on Computer A from Computer B?

    5a. IE Tools | Intenet Options | Connections | LAN settings | Use a proxy server for... : Is this box checked/enabled?

    5b. If it is checked/enabled, can you unchecked/disable it, reboot & then find that it's still unchecked/disabled?

    
I'll be honest with you: If it were *my* computer or one of my clients' computers, I would have done a clean install as soon as I noticed that Automatic Updates wasn't working.

=======================================  

Disclaimer: MS MVPs neither represent nor work for Microsoft  

[http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/mvpexecsum](http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/mvpexecsum)

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