Windows update dialog question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeff Johnson
  • Start date Start date
J

Jeff Johnson

I have Automatic Updates set to "download and notify." Sometimes Windows
will download the updates but it won't put the yellow shield icon in the
tray. I don't know there are updates until I go to shut down and get the
"Install updates and shut down" option. I NEVER blindly install everything
I always review what's there. But without the shield icon, I don't know how
to invoke the dialog. Is there a command I can issue (or even an API I can
call I'm a programmer) to force Windows to display that dialog?
 
Jeff

Not sure about this.

Try right clicking on the Start button and select Properties, Taskbar,
Customise ( Hide Inactive Icons) and change the Icon using the Scroll
bar to Always Show.

Another approach, which I use. In Start, Control Panel, Automatic
Updates uncheck Automatic and check "Notify me but don't automatically
download or install". When notified commence the process by selecting
Start, Help and Support, Keep your computer up-to-date with Windows
Update and opt for a Custom install.


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Jeff Johnson wrote:
> I have Automatic Updates set to "download and notify." Sometimes
> Windows will download the updates but it won't put the yellow shield
> icon in the tray. I don't know there are updates until I go to shut
> down and get the "Install updates and shut down" option. I NEVER
> blindly install everything I always review what's there. But without
> the shield icon, I don't know how to invoke the dialog. Is there a
> command I can issue (or even an API I can call I'm a programmer) to
> force Windows to display that dialog?
 
[I should have cross-posted this to microsoft.public.windowsupdate in the
first place, so now I'm fixing that error.]

>I have Automatic Updates set to "download and notify." Sometimes Windows
>will download the updates but it won't put the yellow shield icon in the
>tray. I don't know there are updates until I go to shut down and get the
>"Install updates and shut down" option. I NEVER blindly install everything
>I always review what's there. But without the shield icon, I don't know how
>to invoke the dialog. Is there a command I can issue (or even an API I can
>call I'm a programmer) to force Windows to display that dialog?
 
"Jeff Johnson" <i.get@enough.spam> wrote in message
news:bJGdndIj7Zw6bKPVnZ2dnUVZ_v7inZ2d@posted.datapex...

> [I should have cross-posted this to microsoft.public.windowsupdate in the
> first place, so now I'm fixing that error.]
>
>>I have Automatic Updates set to "download and notify." Sometimes Windows
>>will download the updates but it won't put the yellow shield icon in the
>>tray. I don't know there are updates until I go to shut down and get the
>>"Install updates and shut down" option. I NEVER blindly install
>>everything I always review what's there. But without the shield icon, I
>>don't know how to invoke the dialog. Is there a command I can issue (or
>>even an API I can call I'm a programmer) to force Windows to display that
>>dialog?

Argh, and now that I'm not only in the XP group and my OS is therefore not
clear from context, I'll state for the record that this is XP SP2.
 
Try this tool, Jeff: AU Client and WindowsUpdate Reset Tool (v76)
http://www.codeplex.com/aureset/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=13656

Did that resolve the issue ?

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


Jeff Johnson wrote:

> "Jeff Johnson" <i.get@enough.spam> wrote in message
> news:bJGdndIj7Zw6bKPVnZ2dnUVZ_v7inZ2d@posted.datapex...
>
>
>>[I should have cross-posted this to microsoft.public.windowsupdate in the
>>first place, so now I'm fixing that error.]
>>
>>
>>>I have Automatic Updates set to "download and notify." Sometimes Windows
>>>will download the updates but it won't put the yellow shield icon in the
>>>tray. I don't know there are updates until I go to shut down and get the
>>>"Install updates and shut down" option. I NEVER blindly install
>>>everything I always review what's there. But without the shield icon, I
>>>don't know how to invoke the dialog. Is there a command I can issue (or
>>>even an API I can call I'm a programmer) to force Windows to display that
>>>dialog?
>
>
> Argh, and now that I'm not only in the XP group and my OS is therefore not
> clear from context, I'll state for the record that this is XP SP2.
>
>
 
Absent any Errors in your WindowsUpdate.log, you may be seeing a delay
caused by excessive demand on the servers. It can take up to 7 days for all
Automatic Update users to get new updates when so many have been released.

You can try downloading/installing the updates via Windows/Microsoft Update:
Understand that by doing so, you're pushing all the Automatic Updates users
further back in the queue (which may explain, at least in part, why
Automatic Updates hasn't brought them in for you yet).
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/


Jeff Johnson wrote:
> [I should have cross-posted this to microsoft.public.windowsupdate in the
> first place, so now I'm fixing that error.]
>
>> I have Automatic Updates set to "download and notify." Sometimes Windows
>> will download the updates but it won't put the yellow shield icon in the
>> tray. I don't know there are updates until I go to shut down and get the
>> "Install updates and shut down" option. I NEVER blindly install
>> everything
>> I always review what's there. But without the shield icon, I don't know
>> how
>> to invoke the dialog. Is there a command I can issue (or even an API I
>> can
>> call I'm a programmer) to force Windows to display that dialog?
 
"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <PABearMVP@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:eFccsucwIHA.552@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> Absent any Errors in your WindowsUpdate.log, you may be seeing a delay
> caused by excessive demand on the servers. It can take up to 7 days for
> all Automatic Update users to get new updates when so many have been
> released.
>
> You can try downloading/installing the updates via Windows/Microsoft
> Update: Understand that by doing so, you're pushing all the Automatic
> Updates users further back in the queue (which may explain, at least in
> part, why Automatic Updates hasn't brought them in for you yet).

You didn't understand the question. I HAVE the updates they've already been
downloaded. It's just that the ICON doesn't appear in the system tray, so I
can't click it and get the dialog where I can choose to do a custom install
and review what WU is wanting to install. I'm looking for a way to force
that dialog to appear even if the icon is unavailable.

I know I can always go out to the WU site but it's been my experience that I
might as well go out and wash the car while I wait for the ActiveX control
to determine what updates I need, so I avoid using the page as much as
possible.
 
"MowGreen [MVP]" <mowgreen@nowandzen.com> wrote in message
news:%23irjItbwIHA.4916@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> Try this tool, Jeff: AU Client and WindowsUpdate Reset Tool (v76)
> http://www.codeplex.com/aureset/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=13656
>
> Did that resolve the issue ?

If I use that tool it'll be difficult to say if the issue is solved for
quite some time because this is a sporadic problem. It's not like the icon
NEVER appears, it's that SOMETIMES it doesn't. Sometimes I can force it to
reappear by turning off updates and then turning them back on again. The
point is I want to get around relying on whether it's there or not and just
invoke the dialog manually.
 
Jeff Johnson wrote:

> You didn't understand the question. I HAVE the updates they've already been
> downloaded. It's just that the ICON doesn't appear in the system tray, so I
> can't click it and get the dialog where I can choose to do a custom install
> and review what WU is wanting to install. I'm looking for a way to force
> that dialog to appear even if the icon is unavailable.

Please reboot your machine, run this command:

wuauclt /detectnow

wait twenty minutes and then (assuming the icon still isn't appearing) post the
contents of windowsupdate.log (usually found in c:\windows) starting from the
time you rebooted.

You are logged in with an administrative account, I assume?

Harry.
 
"Harry Johnston [MVP]" <harry@scms.waikato.ac.nz> wrote in message
news:uVEl9vewIHA.5892@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> You didn't understand the question. I HAVE the updates they've already
>> been downloaded. It's just that the ICON doesn't appear in the system
>> tray, so I can't click it and get the dialog where I can choose to do a
>> custom install and review what WU is wanting to install. I'm looking for
>> a way to force that dialog to appear even if the icon is unavailable.
>
> Please reboot your machine, run this command:
>
> wuauclt /detectnow
>
> wait twenty minutes and then (assuming the icon still isn't appearing)
> post the contents of windowsupdate.log (usually found in c:\windows)
> starting from the time you rebooted.
>
> You are logged in with an administrative account, I assume?

I'll have to wait until the next time it happens before I try this.
 
Jeff Johnson wrote:
<paste>
> [I should have cross-posted this to microsoft.public.windowsupdate in the
> first place, so now I'm fixing that error.]
>
>> I have Automatic Updates set to "download and notify." Sometimes Windows
>> will download the updates but it won't put the yellow shield icon in the
>> tray. I don't know there are updates until I go to shut down and get the
>> "Install updates and shut down" option. I NEVER blindly install
>> everything
>> I always review what's there. But without the shield icon, I don't know
>> how
>> to invoke the dialog. Is there a command I can issue (or even an API I
>> can
>> call I'm a programmer) to force Windows to display that dialog?
</paste>
> PA Bear wrote:
>> Absent any Errors in your WindowsUpdate.log, you may be seeing a delay
>> caused by excessive demand on the servers. It can take up to 7 days for
>> all Automatic Update users to get new updates when so many have been
>> released.
>>
>> You can try downloading/installing the updates via Windows/Microsoft
>> Update: Understand that by doing so, you're pushing all the Automatic
>> Updates users further back in the queue (which may explain, at least in
>> part, why Automatic Updates hasn't brought them in for you yet).
>
> You didn't understand the question. I HAVE the updates they've already
> been
> downloaded. It's just that the ICON doesn't appear in the system tray, so
> I
> can't click it and get the dialog where I can choose to do a custom
> install
> and review what WU is wanting to install. I'm looking for a way to force
> that dialog to appear even if the icon is unavailable.
>
> I know I can always go out to the WU site but it's been my experience that
> I
> might as well go out and wash the car while I wait for the ActiveX control
> to determine what updates I need, so I avoid using the page as much as
> possible.

How have you determined that all of the updates have downloaded if the
Installation Approval prompt hasn't appeared and you haven't check-in at
Windows Update?

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

1a. Check Windowsupdate.log (%windir%\WindowsUpdate.log) to see if all
updates have downloaded successfully, as well as for any errors associated
with the downloads.

How to read the WindowsUpdate.log file
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093

1b. Compare errors to those listed here:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/blogs/mowgreen/index.php?showentry=1122
and/or go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com > click on Help and Support
link in left pane > Solve problems on your own.

Another thing to try: Change your Automatic Updates setting to Notify Only,
reboot, change it back to Download But Notify & reboot again.

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

Start a free Windows Update support incident request:
https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?gprid=6527

Support for Windows Update:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/wusupport
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/
 
"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <PABearMVP@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:u$PShEgwIHA.1436@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> How have you determined that all of the updates have downloaded if the
> Installation Approval prompt hasn't appeared and you haven't check-in at
> Windows Update?

Because if they hadn't downloaded completely, why would I get the "Install
Updates and Shut Down" prompt when I shut down the computer?
 
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