BITS Error 1290: 0x50a following updates

To Keith: - I responded on the other thread.

To Richard:

As far as I can see the Fix-It you get from the webpage you quoted is the same as the one I tested just another route to the same place. The file it runs is called   MicrosoftFixit.wu.MATSKB.Run.exe  - however there are other variations

• but if you save them and do a file compare they are identical.

Would be easier if MS gave these Fix-It's a unique ID - some do have Fix_It numbers - but others do not identify themselves until you run them.

Yes the error codes vary in combination and reinstalling BITS fixes the problem without really identifying what caused the problem/s in the first place.  It is like if you have a flat tire and get an entirely new replacement automobile it will fix the problem with transportation even if you never know what caused the flat tire in the first place.  But you could be driving away in your new car and have another flat tire.  So it could be good to know where the road is covered with nails.

Hi Keith - check out the following post I have just made on another help site:

http://forums.techguy.org/8830414-post36.html

It contains details of my analysis of the BITS registry damage caused by two faulty MS-Fix-It's people have been using when attempting to get Windows Updates to work. If you like my solution feel free to use the fix I have developed. Will post more in this forum when I have time.

That is all that is needed sometimes is the registry merge.  But for some cases it has been reported that is part but not all of the procedures required.  It probably depends on what else other than the registry may have been altered either by various fix its, or by users other troubleshooting steps.  And it is likely that there are other causes than the Fix it tool.  It could be something being done by the Windows Update site itself in faulty negotiations with and incorrect installations of software by the ActiveX at windows update.  I have speculated that there may be malicious scripts being encountered there and it could very well be true if the same genius that designed the Fix it also amended the ActiveX installed files for Windows Update or for the installer for SP3 or IE8 or some other common update.  Personally I don't think the problem is limited to the Fix it modules.  And it would not surprise me if Microsoft knew all about it and is using it like a "kill switch" for XP.  Otherwise where are the advisories and hotfixes and why the low key public relations about how Microsoft is "working on the problem" that is a problem that should have been and could have been fixed a long time ago.  Believe me Microsoft is dragging its feet on service because April can't get here soon enough.

All things are possible - and there are many, many things that can be damaged.

However my analysis is of the actual effects of two specific faulty MS-Fix-It's:

KB971058 - How do I reset Windows Update components?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058/en-gb

and

Fix the problem with Microsoft Windows Update that is not working

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/windows_update/en-us

There were a few technical details I omitted to mention in my previous post and were also left out of the forum post I linked (to avoid it being too confusing) - these I will detail below:

As far as I can tell these two faulty MS-Fix-It's have only one faulty action:

They both modify the BITS registry by using Vista/Win7 entries - renaming and disabling BITS

They do NOT change or delete any of the XP DLL's or un-register any of the DLL's

The only error the Fix-It's report is a corrupt or missing service registration - that would be the BITS registry - and the Fix-It created that problem itself - it did not exist before the Fix-It ran!

The Fix-It's most probably do fix everthing else - and appear to leave Windows Update fully functional - once the BITS registry damage is fixed - and I can see no other problems so far. Windows Update runs and BITS auto-starts on command during Windows Update downloads.

To restore the correct XP version of BITS registry you can merge a clean copy from a standard XP system - however because it is a merge and not a replace - this only corrects the keys and values that it overwrites - anything else is left untouched.

It leaves untouched 3 new registry values created by the faulty Fix-It

- and one of those new registry values prevents BITS from starting

The 3 new registry values created by the faulty Fix-It's are:

"DelayedAutoStart"       <---- Meaningless to XP - but shouldn't be there

"ServiceSidType"           <----  Causes error 1290 - and stops BITS from starting

"RequiredPrivileges"     <----  Meaningless to XP - but shouldn't be there

My special BITS registry fix includes registry commands to delete these 3 values

• as detailed in the Forum post here: 

http://forums.techguy.org/8830414-post36.html

Hope that gives you the missing info to understand this specific BITS damage and fix

Happy Xmas All