Microsoft’s Treacherous Updates Prevent Patch Installations

Microsoft admitted on September 28, 2007 that there was a problem in its Windows Update that prevented users of Windows XP from installing the recent patches.

When users employ an XP repair CD, it substituted the system files including Windows Update with those files' older versions and then renews the registry, said Program Manager for WU (Windows Update), Nate Clinton, in a blog posting of Microsoft. PC World reported this on September 28, 2007. Since WU's latest version included 'wups2.dll' that Windows XP did not have originally, therefore, following the repair of the operating system, wups2.dll continues to be on the computer system, but there are no registry entries. This conflict causes failure in update installation.

Associate Editor and Writer for Windows Secret Newsletter, Scott Dunn, brought the issue to light. PC Magazine reported this on September 28, 2007. Dunn said in the newsletter that the problem relates to treacherous updates that Microsoft deployed in July and August 2007. The system files do not allow users of Windows XP to install these latest patches when they use the repair function.

Dunn further explained that when a computer user uses an XP CD-ROM's repair features, WU downloads and deploys the recent 7.0.600.381 executable files. As a few of the executables of Windows Update are not listed with the OS, they do not let WU to function as desired.

Clinton said that by registering the wups2.dll file alone, it is possible to fix the problem. He provided certain essential steps for users to adopt and said that more details about it would be available on Microsoft's support site soon. But the document with the details, called KB943144, did not appear till September 28, 2007.

A Microsoft partner feels that even with the presence of the fix, the vendor should be more proactive in terms of the modifications it makes on users' computers.

The President of the solution provider Evolve Technologies, Sobel, said while there has been extended scrutiny of Microsoft's patch policies, the company must assure users that when it announces 'no changes', it adheres to that. ChannelWeb Network reported this on September 28, 2007.

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