Beware of the Windows Installer Update !

Is it just me, or are others having the same problem?
My computer has been very well behaved for about six months now, no problems at all. On Monday I received an alert that an update was available for MS Anti-Spy, which I downloaded and installed.
Yesterday I received another alert that an update was available for MS Windows Installer, as reported by PeteC in another thread. This also I downloaded and installed.
Yesterday evening I ran the Shields Up check from GRC, which I do after a few updates just to check, and found Port 135 open. This port is used by MS DCOM so I disabled DCOM in SVCS and in the registry. Port 135 is still open with DCOM disabled.
I ran Spysweeper, AdAware, Spybot, HJT, and found nothing unusual.
However, when I tried to run MS Anti-spy, after a long wait I got the message 'MS Anti-spy critical error 101 - restart . . etc.' and was also told to remove and re-install MS Anti-spy using the Add/Remove in the control panel.
In the Add/Remove window click on MS Anti-spy, click remove, and after a long wait I got 'The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in Safe Mode, or if the WI is not correctly installed' Nothing can be removed, I tried to remove the WI update, which is listed, KB898461, but no luck.
I am going to try the MS KB for answers before I do anything else. As usual System Restore does nothing, it never has when I needed it!

Roger

 

Morning Pete,
I started to get very twitchy because I have always had a perfect stealth report from GRC. Finally I managed to remove the MS AS using Norton's Cleanup,then I loaded an ERUNT back-up registry.
Then NAV reported that it may not be reliable, and defragmenter wasn't available, so I gave up on that and installed an image of 'C' from True Image. I have now installed all the updates, except KB898461, and everything is working OK again, with 100% stealth reported. My MSAS is now 1.0.613.
So, I'm going to make another 'C' image, then load the Package Installer again, with fingers crossed!
It still seems odd to me that all those problems could be caused by a dodgy Windows Installer set-up, but all the spy checks etc., found nothing untoward.

Wish me luck!

Roger

 

MSAS Beta 1 Updates

Hi, I have 1.0.509 version and it seems that the Autoupdate is not working properly on MSAS because I have not received any notifications about the 1.0.613 nor the 1.0.614 despite that I have set it for notifications.

I switched to manual and scanned for updates and I only got the definitions updated to 5731 BUT the software remained at 1.0.509

I am downloading the 1.0.614 from Microsoft website but I will create a full system image with Acronis True Image 8 to my External USB 2.0 HD BEFORE applying this software update just in case something goes wrong I will easily be back to the previous environment.

I have already installed KB898461 days ago and I don't know yet what complications it will bring me but I will keep an eye on it when I install the 1.0.614 and see what happens.

 

mazaprin--Interesting. Our Administrator, Arie, had a update problem with 501 but not, on a different computer, with 509.
http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?p=246444#post246444
Anyway, I have not had any problems with the latest, v1.0.614 (knock on wood).

 

Everything was working fine for BOTH, me and my wife (the other user on our WinXp Home with SP2) with version 1.0.509 and all the problems began after I upgraded manually to 1.0.614 (downloading and installing the upgrade directly from microsoft after receiving notification about the upgrade).

Now MSAB 1.0.614 keeps working fine with me but the other User (my wife, also with Administrator Privileges), when she logs in to her account, the MSAB will not LOAD and instead she gets the "Unexpected Error. Quitting" message. When she tries to open MSAB using the desktop shortcut she hets the same error message foollowed by the "error 101 "

I have deliberately NOT installed KB898461 yet since I restored my system with True Image 8 to the state it was before the MSAB upgrade. So... in my case, the KB898461 had nothing to do with this "error 101 ".

Even since this is a BETA software, Microsoft should take more responsibility and try to FIX this error because the Upgrades they make available for this Antispyware have an EXPIRATION DATE and if you are running version 1.0.509 that will expire july 30 and then the upgrade to 1.0.614 is giving you problems with error 101 then the software becomes USELESS even for BETA testing.

If this error 101 persist, I am going to Uninstall MSBA from my PC and wait till january 2006 for when the finished product is officially released. There is no point on using a crippled antispyware.

 

Hi PeteC, you are right and I know all that because I used GIANT when it was released and then when I was about to pay a licence for it the website displayed a message saying will no longer etc... (Microsoft ran and bought it because they knew it was going to be the BEST antispyware).

It seems that I did not use the correct words on my last reply. When I said "even since this is a BETA software" I was referring to Microsoft making it a "Beta" for their OWN testing purposes (OR ADDING MORE FEATURES) and I know that GIANT developers are still working on it BUT... Mr. Microsoft is the OWNER now and he decides whether to offer direct support or NOT and he chose to NOT OFFER direct support (GIANT had a tech support team to back their software and help solve any arising problems) now we are having problems and the NEW OWNER Microsoft WILL NOT let the former GIANT developers to give Tech Support to us (did you catch my drift now?

I was saying that even if, from the Microsoft point of view, this is a BETA software (and they have extended the socalled "Beta" already for 6 more months till December and I don't a see any valid reason for that since GIANT was working very well or even better than now when they were on their own and maybe Microsoft on December will extend another 6 months the "Beta" factor and we will all be ending with a forever BETA product with NO SUPPORT (meaning you are on your own).