Windows Update locks up computer

Hello all!

I built a computer for a friend in the spring of 2005. He has had problems with it for quite some time and finally brought it to me. (Yes ... ... lifetime warranty!) As usual, I created a number of Ghost Images while installing and my friend also has created one Image. I thought that it should be an easy fix but no such luck. I think that I have isolated the problem ... ... maybe:

The computer starts but locks up immediately. The only thing to do is to hit the reset button.

I rolled back to the most recent Image and restarted. It worked for a while but within a minute or two, it locked up.

I rolled back to the final Image that I created during the installation and at that time, it worked flawlessly. You guessed right, it locked up after a few minutes. I disconnected from the internet and restored the Image once again.

I started disabling things that run immediately after startup by disabling Windows Automatic Update and Symantec LiveUpdate. Now it worked as it should and could be restarted. I ran manual sessions of Symantec LiveUpdate and it worked well. I reenabled LU and restarted the computer and it worked well. Next, I went to Windows Update to get the updates manually. I never got them because the computer locked up. I hit the reset button and disconnected from the internet but no matter what, upon each restart, the computer locked up.

After restoring the Ghost Image, when up and running, I diasbled WAU, reconnected to the internet and ran LU until it was satisfied. Next, I reenabled WAU and restarted. It locked up.

Since I am 100% sure that the Image I restore is OK, I think that it probably is a hardware problem, possibly the motherboard. An additional curiosity is that the single SATA HDD is detected correctly in BIOS but shows up with an icon in the Notification Area as a removable device ... ... !

The motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-K8N Ultra-SLI. Two 512 MB PC3200 memory modules. I have removed one at a time and shifted the installed one around the four memory slots. (I found out that only the first slot in each pair works for a single module.)

The next thing I will do is to read the motherboard manual to find out about dual channel memory. I am almost certain that it is dual channel, based on the colour coded memory slots but I didn't notice any message of it running in single channel or dual channel mode during the BIOS screen at startup.

If anyone out there has an idea about this, if I am following the right track (hardware problem) or not, please, don't hesitate to post any suggestion you might have!

Christer

 

From the Gigabyte FAQ:

It seems like it is my memory that is failing and not RAM ... ... !

Christer

 

Hi Matt,
thanks for your suggestions!

I followed the same procedure as always (Miss Sophie) when I install a system and don't think that I tripped over any bear skin. It ran flawlessly when I cleaned it up and created the final Ghost Image prior to handing it over to my friend. I always do an Integrity Check of the Image and I think that I actually restored it too. (I don't use the Image created by my friend because I'm not sure about the quality of it.)

The system has worked well for two years, indicating that the SATA drivers (came off the Gigabyte CD) are OK. Even Ghost has no trouble working with the SATA HDD.

All the above is why I think it might be a hardware problem but I am not sure since finding out that the "removable SATA HDD" is normal and not an indication of trouble. Until now, restoring an Image on any system with a problem has cured the system, unless it was a hardware problem.

The problem coincides (more or less) with the recent update to the Windows Update Client discussed elsewhere on the WindowsBBS. The date of the new files is July 2007 and that's about the right time. One thing to try in this context is to update the network drivers. I found "a ton" of those at Microsoft Update Catalog.

If that doesn't work, I will install all updates manually from CD and uninstall the expired Norton stuff before going online to Windows Update and see if that makes a difference.

Two things to try and I'll be back!

Christer

 

I have run chkdsk booted from the WinXP CD, it didn't find anything but I didn't expect it to.

I have downloaded and installed drivers for the chipset which includes LAN-drivers for the nVidia driven port, LAN-drivers for the Marvell driven port (two ports, both are not in use but they are there) and video drivers for the GV-N62128 (strange things can happen with video drivers) but nothing made any difference.

I also stopped the service and renamed the C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution folder to C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistributionOld to make WU start from square one but it made no difference.

I downloaded and installed WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe with the same result (increased proficiency in restoring Ghost Images).

I can use Symantec LiveUpdate and do anything I like on the web but as soon as I go to Windows Update or let it run automatically, the proverbial "you know what" hits the fan.

There has been occasions when it took longer for the computer to lock up and that occurred when I was patient enough to let it idle for a few minutes after startup (Windows Automatic Update disabled). In Task Manager, a few items come and go, most of them connected to Symantec LiveUpdate but two of them always appear together. A few seconds after wuauclt.exe appears, wmiprvse.exe appears. After a few minutes wmiprvse.exe goes away and finally wuauclt.exe and after five minutes, nothing more happens.

If I, after this time has elapsed, go to Windows Update for a manual download. I have managed to get the ActiveX control and the new update software installed. In addition to that, the WGA thingy but it locks up during or immediately after that update. This makes me want to take a look at wmiprvse.exe.

Christer

 

I forgot to mention that I have installed all missing updates from CD which makes the task of Windows Update and/or Windows Automatic Update quite easy.

Christer

 

Matt,

There are two LAN ports, one nVidia and one Marvell. I checked in hardware properties that when installed, each driver update updates the correct driver. I have disabled one at a time, using the other to connect in order to rule out any conflict.

I always do that on my own computer, no download history but the automatic function always notify me of new updates and when I visit the site, there is not a sign of trouble. Note that this comment refers to my own computer.

The internet connection itself is not the problem. It behaves in the the same way at my home as at my friends home.

When installing, I always check if the system works with default Windows drivers. If it does, I install no "branded" drivers. I avoid all "extras" and no additional items get installed. Sometimes the user insists on it but they seem to regret it after a while.

Right now, the expired Norton Internet Security has been uninstalled and the Windows Firewall is disabled. Nothing interfering.

No router.

Thanks for your continued interest! The system has worked well as configured in March 2005. Only recently did this issue develop. There was a new release of the Windows Update Client itself in July 2007 and this coincides with the problem but I don't know if there is a connection and if so, which. LAN seems like a good (?) guess. I will check the file properties on my own system prior to hooking up the bad computer to the monitor and keyboard. To be able to check the file properties on the bad computer, I will have to boot it into Safe Mode.

I don't know when but sooner or later, I will do a fresh install to see how it behaves from square one, XP SP2 and nothing else.

Christer

 

Maybe an important hint that I have forgotten about but mentioned in my previous post:

After the computer has locked up and the reset button has been hit, if restarting into Safe Mode, it does not lock up, only when restarted in Normal Mode. In Safe Mode, there is no LAN.

Christer

 

flyingfox,
welcome to WindowsBBS ... ... !

Thanks for your comment but my knowledge about SATA drives, hot-swapable or not, is very limited. I didn't recognize the removable item icon and misinterpreted it. (My own system runs on trusted old IDE HDDs.) I think the problem would be the same, even with one of the most recent SATA HDDs.

Christer

 

Situation report:

I have fiddled with, more or less, everything, except updating the BIOS. I have restored the first Ghost Image created with only XP SP2 installed. The last option is a reformat and clean installation and I can feel it breathing down my neck.

I have investigated the updated Windows Update Client.

I have compared my system with the other system prior to connecting to the internet and letting Windows Update connect and after letting WU connect. A number of files in C:\Windows\system32\ get changed. On my system:

cdm.dll
wuapi.dll
wuapi.dll.mui
wuauclt.exe
wuaucpl.cpl
wuaucpl.cpl.mui
wuaueng.dll
wuaueng.dll.mui
wucltui.dll
wucltui.dll.mui
wups.dll
wups2.dll
wuweb.dll

All these files are time stamped July 30 2007 and the version is 7.0.6000.381.

On the other system, one file fails to install - wups.dll is still the previous version. My conclusion is that something interferes with the installation of the updated Windows Update Client.

The question is what?

Another question is whether a reformat and clean installation will make any difference? No Gigabyte hardware drivers will be installed but are those the problem?

Christer

 

Matt,

I regard hardware and "branded" hardware drivers as a package. It is not certain that the motherboard itself is misbehaving but maybe the chipset drivers or any of the LAN drivers. I don't remember if or which "branded" drivers I installed but there is an icon for the motherboard in the Notification Area which indicates that chipset drivers are installed.

I create several Ghost Images during the installation. The first one is XP SP2 only, updated to current. (I install the updates from CD to avoid connecting to the internet without FW and AV.) I have restored that Image but it too locks up.

I'm at the end of the road and will probably reformat/reinstall. I will install XP SP2 (slipstreamed) only and if WU works, I will blame the Gigabyte drivers.

If you aren't fed up with this yet, there is a parallel thread over at RADIFIED ... ... !

Christer

 

False ... ... the icon is for the video card.

I have not yet tried all suggestions but if any of them makes a difference, I'll let you know!

Christer

 

I found an old PCI-NIC in my closet. Installed it and at startup I went into BIOS and disabled the integrated NIC's. Wasted time ... ... !

Christer

 

There is no other FireWall than the Windows FW installed and it is disabled.

I will look into GDISK and the possibility of rebuilding the MBR. I have never used GDISK and don't even know whether it is run off the Ghost CD or a floppy.

I took a look into C:\WINDOWS\WindowsUpdate.log and found "Setup: Checking whether self-update is required" which seems to be performed on each run of Windows Update. On the other computer, I will let it lock up and next, reboot into Safe Mode to copy the file. The comparison will be interesting.

Christer