[32] A few Vista related questions

A few days ago(Aug, 28), I turned my computer on to check something online really quick. Windows gave me a notification there were new updates available. I figured it was only a new Windows Defender update and decided not to install/check for more updates since I was only going to have my computer on for a short while. I turned my computer off, but then later had to check something again. When I turned my computer back on I noticed briefly white text flash on the screen after the Windows boot screen came up. I couldn't really make anything out due to how fast it came up on the screen. I think I saw the word "Registry". Then the "Windows is Configuring Updates" screen came up. I thought this was weird since, like I said, I didn't install any updates. I went to check my update history in the control panel and it said that Windows Update Agent 7.2.6001.784 was installed. How did this get installed automatically? I only have Windows set to notify me about new updates, not to download or install them automatically. I saw someone else make a post about this on the Microsoft forums as well, but no one had replied back, last I checked.

That brings me to my next problem/question. As I mentioned earlier, I saw white text flash by pretty quickly after I started my computer again after Windows installed the Windows Update Agent on its own. To verify if the text I saw was because of the update, today I decided to perform a system restore to see if I could install it again and see if the text was displayed again. After my computer restarted from the System Restore, I got a notification that there was an unspecified error during the System Restore and it didn't complete successfully. Just to double check if anything was changed or not, I went to my windows update history in the control panel only to find it empty. The installed update list still shows what updates I have installed, though. I have performed a few restores and none of them have been successful and my update history is still empty aside from it showing that I installed the most current Windows Defender update. I made a restore point of my own before the initial restore and even restoring to that point, I still only see the update I installed today in my update history. So, does anyone know why my restores are unsuccessful and why the restores seem to have deleted my update history?


Windows Vista Home Premium SP1

Anyone have any ideas?

Do you have windowsupdate.log file present in C:\Windows?

Yes.

Microsoft in its wisdom has the ability to push/install updates on to your system even if you select only to notify which sounds like whats happened in your situation.Im not sure system restore will remove such updates as you mention only reimaging a system would bring you back to the state of a previous date.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 104456

Microsoft in its wisdom has the ability to push/install updates on to your system even if you select only to notify which sounds like whats happened in your situation.Im not sure system restore will remove such updates as you mention only reimaging a system would bring you back to the state of a previous date.

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Yes, I seem to recall reading about this recently - MS will still update the update system automatically irrespective of your Windows Update settings.

I read on a blog that Micropoop explained to a complaintant that one or more of the following may have occurred:

* During the installation of Windows Vista, the user chooses one of the first two recommended options in the “Out of Box Experience” and elects to get updates automatically from Windows
* The user goes to the Windows Update Control Panel and changes the AU setting manually
* The user goes to Security Center in Windows Vista and changes the AU setting
* The user chooses to opt in to Microsoft Update from the Microsoft Update web site
* The user chooses to opt in to Microsoft Update during the installation or the first run experience of another Microsoft application such as Office 2007.


According to the article, it seems the only way to completely prevent the auto updates is to go into the Group Policies and whack it from there. Doesn't sound like MS plans on "correcting" the issue.

It never happened to me, but if this is true, it's just ridiculous!

I did see this posted as a possible solution by adding it to your Hosts file

#Block Windows Automiatic Updates
127.0.0.1 mpa.one.microsoft.com

Ha, interesting....

That's a first, adding Microsoft to the Hosts file....:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lgbpop

That's a first, adding Microsoft to the Hosts file....:D

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Oh, that's no big deal. I've had BillGates.com and AnythingElseRelatedToMicrosoft.com in my Hosts file for quite awhile now.... :D

LOOOOOOOOOOL

I checked the event viewer and after I saw that there were a few entries relating to WUClient- SelfUpdate. So, it would seem that was why it installed on its own. But does anyone know why my system restore attempts failed and why they seemed to have deleted my update history? Broni, you asked if I had windowsupdate.log present. Does that have something to do with it?

windowsupdate.log is a file where history of updates comes from.
Can you actually post a content of that log?