Windows Updates not working yet the Windows Update Service is running

[euston]

The Background Intelligent Transfer Service and Windows Update Service are running. No automatic updates are forthcoming. I am unable to use Windows Update and the Windows Update GUI shows a red shield with a white cross on it. Is this a known problem and are there any fixes available? I tried MicrosoftFixit50362.msi without success. My only short term mitigation is to ban my sister in law whose computer it is from using Internet Explorer.


Owzat! On ya way, back to the pavilion!

Windows XP Pro SP3, AMD Athlon XP 3000+, 2GB RAM, AVG free 2012, Agnitum Outpost Firewall Pro 7.5.3, OpenDNS Premium, Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit 3.0, BufferShield, Internet Explorer 8, Opera, Google Chrome, POPFile spam filter, DropMyRights, Amust 1-Defender, Spyware Blaster, Spybot - S&D

 

[euston]

Looking in winsxs, I see that the most recent windows updates are dated 13 September 2014.

Owzat! On ya way, back to the pavilion!

Windows XP Pro SP3, AMD Athlon XP 3000+, 2GB RAM, AVG free 2012, Agnitum Outpost Firewall Pro 7.5.3, OpenDNS Premium, Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit 3.0, BufferShield, Internet Explorer 8, Opera, Google Chrome, POPFile spam filter, DropMyRights, Amust 1-Defender, Spyware Blaster, Spybot - S&D

 

[goombawaho]

If those are the specs of your computer and the software on your computer >>>>>>
A. You should have posted in Windows XP instead of Windows 7 (which do you have just to be sure)
B. Sounds like you have way too much anti-malware/firewall stuff on your computer. I would disable or uninstall a lot of those (rebooting in between each uninstall) and see if Automatic Updates will function. You can always reinstall.

Link

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[euston]

No they're not. I have tried to remove them from my profile but without success. The computer in question is a 2011 vintage Sony VIAO laptop. The outcome is that I realise that the poor failing hard disk must have caused loss of data and a subsequent failure when running SFC /scannow (as admin). My next plan is either to see if the system can be repaired by running a 64bit Home Premium installation or as a last resort to run the Sony provided system install.

It's amazing what an improvement in system performance you get from a new good hard disk.

I now use Agnitum Outpost Security Suite 9.1 having removed Avast because of probable compatibility issues. I find that the rest exist harmoniously. I must use BufferShield because my CPU has no hardware DEP. I also now use Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit which is a gem, once you have sorted out which EMET (now at v4.1 update 1) mitigations must be turned off (mostly EAF and SimEx) for apps protected by Anti-Exploit and EMET. All those security components do different jobs and work in different ways. I have yet to experience intrusions in my second incarnation of XP (installed in 2006 and still running like new).

Don't use Internet Explorer and do set all the Internet Options -> Security zones to HIGH.

Owzat! On ya way, back to the pavilion!

 

[goombawaho]

Are you saying that your problem is solved?

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.