Resident Shield blocks Windows Update
Today as I attempted to run Windows Critical updates for a computer I only update occasionally I was blocked from downloading the initial (wga or update manager 3.0 whatever) this in effect locked me out of downloading the criticals from the page that should have loaded after the initial install.
I regret that before visiting the Windows site I updated Spybot to the latest definitions otherwise the failure may not have occurred and I would know for sure it was something new.
After some extensive searching and trials to get the update to work again, I ran across someone who had disabled Zone Alarm, Spybot S&D and a few other things and was able to get the download. So, to test the theory that it was only one of these I disabled teatimer resident shield first and went back to the update site and bingo the installation succeded.
The error I recieved when the download failed [error number : 0x80070020] had been identified by a tech in one of my searches as a locked file stopping the installation of the download. So Teatimer is locking a file necessary for Microsoft to install its newest Download Manager (or WGA I suspect).
To test my theory I used another PC thats updated regularly so it would have the latest Spybot definitions and it also could not download the update until I disabled the Resident Shield.
If someone could verify this and look into the problem I would be gratful. I've used Spybot since the begining of time, when I was using a rock as a computer and real mouse to surf the ancient web (web .000001), and I will miss it if I have to let it go.
Probs with windows critical updates
I have XP too and cannot access the updates either with no idea what the cause really is although Spybot + McAfee are the prime suspects. Just the other day I received two critical updates 'automatically' and they both installed OK. After that, a visit to the m'soft.com update site to check that I now had everything resulted in the same outcome - I couldn't install either the updating software or any relevant updates. I am loathe to disable either spybot or t-timer. If M'soft are going to hold their hands up for this one it would be interesting to see how they can create a 'critical' update - that cannot be downloaded?
Also I have an unusual incident where, on 'immunize' the products immunized keeps changing from the updated level of 24,000 odd back to 18,000 odd. A reinstall of the update corrects the prob but only short term. In seems that XP security updates or McAfee block certain entries in the registry, when it seems that S'Bot puts the same entries in the registry but with a routine that makes them inoperable. Seems like a clash of ideas. I am of the view that S'Bot are up to the problem and that it is XP that need to look at the way S'Bot deals with these problems so that some synergy develops for the benefit of all.
S'Bot always seem to have a genuine and human(e) appreciation of the probs 'out here' when XP seem to live in an ivory tower 'out there' where probs are a pain.