Always get update and validation errors

I've been trying to solve this problem for 5 months now with MS support
staff, and I'm getting nowhere.

The symptoms are that when I log on as a "normal" user (admin priveleges,
not restricted), I can't ever validate windows using the website validator,
nor can I ever use the windows update tool to manually look for updates.

Before anyone says AHA!, let me add a couple things.

1) I'm using a genuine copy of Windows XP Pro x64
2) Don't get hung up on those three little characters - the x64 business is
almost certainly relevant, but no-one can ever actually explain how.
3) I can validate using the downloadable local validator - works perfectly,
every time.
4) I get updates automatically if I enable them, I just can't manually
connect to scan for updates.
5) I can connect and validate if I log on as Administrator.
6) If I'm logged on as Admin, I can a) create a new user account with admin
priveleges; b) logoff as administrator; c)log on as the new user account; and
then d) windows update and web-based validation immediately stops working!
7) I don't get any of the usual error numbers in the update site when the
scan fails, it just fails and says oops.

This isn't a system problem, it's an OS problem. Why? Because I can switch
hard drives and boot XP x32 on the same system, and then none of these
problems occur!

This is so much fun. Somebody stop me from laughing.

I'd be delighted to provide msinfo reports, dumps, screenshots, ACL lists,
whatever it takes. But I can't deal much more with MS support folks who just
lose interest because the standard, simple fixes don't seem to work.

I've followed almost every piece of advice published on this type of
problem, and I'm getting nowhere. This includes re-registering the wuweb.dll
trick (doesn't exist on this system!), using security profiles, changing ACL
values for links and folders, etc, etc. So if anyone does know what the
problem is, and where and how I can fix it, I'd be much obliged, because I'm
at my wits' end. (Which actually isn't far).

System is WinXP x64, build 3790 SP2 (plus all hotfixes). I'm currently using
IE6, because IE7 is just way too unstable, and causes major problems on this
OS with 32-bit apps that rely on IE functionality.
--
Data is not Information; Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not
Wisdom.

(cross-post added to 64bit general)
"PC Pete" <PCPete@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:EA21A8B9-B664-41C0-B3CD-760A0F84C303@microsoft.com...
> I've been trying to solve this problem for 5 months now with MS support
> staff, and I'm getting nowhere.
>
> The symptoms are that when I log on as a "normal" user (admin priveleges,
> not restricted), I can't ever validate windows using the website validator,
> nor can I ever use the windows update tool to manually look for updates.
>
> Before anyone says AHA!, let me add a couple things.
>
> 1) I'm using a genuine copy of Windows XP Pro x64
> 2) Don't get hung up on those three little characters - the x64 business is
> almost certainly relevant, but no-one can ever actually explain how.
> 3) I can validate using the downloadable local validator - works perfectly,
> every time.
> 4) I get updates automatically if I enable them, I just can't manually
> connect to scan for updates.
> 5) I can connect and validate if I log on as Administrator.
> 6) If I'm logged on as Admin, I can a) create a new user account with admin
> priveleges; b) logoff as administrator; c)log on as the new user account; and
> then d) windows update and web-based validation immediately stops working!
> 7) I don't get any of the usual error numbers in the update site when the
> scan fails, it just fails and says oops.
>
> This isn't a system problem, it's an OS problem. Why? Because I can switch
> hard drives and boot XP x32 on the same system, and then none of these
> problems occur!


If it's an OS problem, perhaps you should be posting in a newsgroup
which specializes in that OS? (Cross-posting for convenience.)


>
> This is so much fun. Somebody stop me from laughing.
>
> I'd be delighted to provide msinfo reports, dumps, screenshots, ACL lists,
> whatever it takes. But I can't deal much more with MS support folks who just
> lose interest because the standard, simple fixes don't seem to work.
>
> I've followed almost every piece of advice published on this type of
> problem, and I'm getting nowhere. This includes re-registering the wuweb.dll
> trick (doesn't exist on this system!),


That looks like a clue. What does your WindowsUpdate.log show about
your version of WU/AU?


If you just want to try installing it and related modules download and install
the appropriate version of WindowsUpdateAgent for your OS.
I'm not sure I have ever seen a link for a 64-bit version...

Hmm... Supposedly there is one for X64 too?

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa387285.aspx

(Live Search for
X64 windowsupdateagent site:microsoft.com
)

<quote>
<architecture= "x64" clientVersion="5.8.0.2339"
downloadUrl="http://download.windowsupdate.com/v6/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/WindowsUpdateAgent20-x64.exe"/>
</quote>

Hopefully that link would get you a more current version than that example
refers to! ; )


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---


> using security profiles, changing ACL
> values for links and folders, etc, etc. So if anyone does know what the
> problem is, and where and how I can fix it, I'd be much obliged, because I'm
> at my wits' end. (Which actually isn't far).
>
> System is WinXP x64, build 3790 SP2 (plus all hotfixes). I'm currently using
> IE6, because IE7 is just way too unstable, and causes major problems on this
> OS with 32-bit apps that rely on IE functionality.
> --
> Data is not Information; Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not
> Wisdom.