windows update not working??

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MooPoo

251 posts

Ultimate Geek

#74915 10-Jan-2011 16:39

My brother in laws computer got the antivirus8 malware bug yesterday. i got rid of it this morning with malwarebytes.

The only antivirus etc he has on here is Microsoft Windows Essentials.

At first i have trouble getting his computer to access internet after removal of the malware, but that seemed to be fixed when i changed the proxy settings back to everything unticked in internet explorer/LAN settings.

All seemws good except I cant get essentials to update. It starts and comes back with the error that it cant connect to internet.

I updated malwarebytes and a couple of other programs, and I can access internet so I know it is connecting.

I am also unable to access windows update so I assume the two problems are connected?

Has anyone come across this problem and has a fix?

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billgates

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#425807 10-Jan-2011 16:48

is it a work laptop that is joined to the domain?

Do whatever you want to do man.

MooPoo

251 posts

Ultimate Geek

#425810 10-Jan-2011 16:55

No it is a desktop, but it is on the work network at the moment.

none of the other computers have this problem though

thorax

75 posts

Master Geek

#425819 10-Jan-2011 17:14

Have you tried just grabbing the definition updates ?

Download definitions (for 32-bit Windows)

Download definitions (for 64-bit Windows)

Have you checked for root kits?

edit. you have internet connection.

Do you think maybe the malware has damaged some files , maybe you can try reinstalling MSE?

something else to try :

http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=52739

MooPoo

251 posts

Ultimate Geek

#425824 10-Jan-2011 17:27

I did download MSE and install it again, I think it even said it was an update?

No good.

I need it to update itself as it is my brother inlaws and he isnt good enough on computers to do the update manually himself.

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#425826 10-Jan-2011 17:28

Have you checked the hosts file to make sure the windows update domain is not being redirected somewhere else?

thorax

75 posts

Master Geek

#425830 10-Jan-2011 17:33

Also did you try a full uninstall of MSE from the add/remove programs control panel?

MooPoo

251 posts

Ultimate Geek

#425835 10-Jan-2011 17:39

freitasm: Have you checked the hosts file to make sure the windows update domain is not being redirected somewhere else?

No I havent. I will try it tomorrow as I have left the desktop at work.

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MooPoo

251 posts

Ultimate Geek

#425836 10-Jan-2011 17:39

thorax: Also did you try a full uninstall of MSE from the add/remove programs control panel?

will try that too.

billgates

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#425862 10-Jan-2011 19:02

MooPoo: No it is a desktop, but it is on the work network at the moment.

none of the other computers have this problem though

that explains it. chances are that either it's a group policy that's locked windows update down or something like system center essentials is used on the work network to allow/deny updates by the server admin.

go to start then run then type 'regedit' and press enter

then go to HKEY_local_machine then software then policies then microsoft then windows then windows update then AU.

in that you will prob find a key called 'UseWUServer' and it's prob set to 1. change it to 0. reboot machine and then try security essentials update again.

Do whatever you want to do man.

MooPoo

251 posts

Ultimate Geek

#426031 11-Jan-2011 10:37

thorax: you can try reinstalling MSE?

something else to try :

http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=52739

I tried the link first. no good.

I am currently uninstalling and reinstalling MSE.

Looks promising. it seems to be updating.

MooPoo

251 posts

Ultimate Geek

#426048 11-Jan-2011 11:12

It appears the MSE problem is fixed but the windows update problem remains.

I can surf websites etc but when i go to windows update I get a page saying:

Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage.

I can get other pages when i surf but it wont show up the windows update?

Is there a way to uninstall windows update and reinstall it like i did MSE?

MooPoo

251 posts

Ultimate Geek

#426050 11-Jan-2011 11:14

freitasm: Have you checked the hosts file

EDIT:
I fouind the hosts file but the only thing in it is:

127.0.0.1 local host

That should be there right?

Hiamie

354 posts

Ultimate Geek

#426061 11-Jan-2011 11:38

Now that you have got rid of the malware, you could use system restore, to roll the computer back to a time when everything was working OK. This puts all the settings back to the way they were, when it was working properly, and, if it doesn't work as hoped, it can be reversed.

MooPoo

251 posts

Ultimate Geek

#426070 11-Jan-2011 11:58

I disabled system restore when i was removing the malware so i cant roll back to anything unfortunately.

freitasm

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#426075 11-Jan-2011 12:07

MooPoo:
freitasm: Have you checked the hosts file

EDIT:
I fouind the hosts file but the only thing in it is:

127.0.0.1 local host

That should be there right?

Yes, that's right.