How did I get a "Windows Critical Update"?

[adam1991]

WMC7. Windows updates OFF. Running ShowAnalyzer, Security Essentials, and Malware Bytes. That's it. Three extenders configured (two XBox and the Echo I don't use).

Tonight I noticed it wasn't skipping commercials. Hmmmm....down arrow brought up the guide, not the DVRMS Toolbox "turn skip on?" which is what I hoped to see. Yeah, that's a problem--it looks like someone turned off commercial skip.

A quick restart to fix that, and it came up to the login screen. ???? I autologin, and in three years haven't seen the login screen. WTF?

I log in and run netplwiz to look at it, and in the Users tab all the users are grayed out. The settings look right, but I can't select anything to really check it out and maybe reset the autologin. ?????

I definitely need to change this login behavior, so I just decide to go back to a restore point. But when I ran the restore wizard, not only did it show the appropriate restore points, it also showed in the list that yesterday I got a Windows Critical Update. ????? WTF?? I have Windows Updates turned OFF!

However that happened, this is no doubt the problem. I restore back a couple of points (there's a half hour of my life I'll never get back--on reboot I get "Windows did not start up; do you want to run Windows Repair (recommended)?" and it went back to some restore point or another and finally I'm back up) and get my standard desired behavior back. It automatically logs in and starts WMC.

I did a Get Guide Listings, so now I seem to be OK.

Does anyone have any insights as to how I would have gotten this Windows Critical Update despite my having upates turned OFF???

[holidayboy]

I seem to remember another thread somewhere that described a similar issue...

Doesn't MS have a way of pushing out "critical" updates that address serious security vulnerabilities (and anything else they see fit) even when auto updates are set to manual?

I think that the person there may have manually disabled the update service (via services.msc) in order to completely stop any forced updates showing up.

[werds]

If you find the information on how that person stopped it let me know. I know that I have at times had issues with this as I think MS sneaks them in via the WMC update cycles - if I shut off and disable all the WMC update services though does that also stop the EPG from updating? I too had seen WMC get messed up because of updates but mostly because I have done extensive changes to some of the files it uses so that when there is an update things go wildly horrible until I do a system restore (and yes I too see the Critical update messages in restore points even though I have all update options shutoff in everything else MS...)

[IownFIVEechos]

I too wondered about this when I lost the 'sports bar'. I figured because I have guides being updated that this found its way in. I like the idea of turning off the services etc.. Perhaps put in a block on *.Microsoft.com in your fw rules?

[Crash2009]

I don't know how you got an update, but I am curious to see if I will be the next victim. I shut off updates and the nag screen that tells you to turn on updates about a year ago. My HTPC reports that it has not even checked for updates since March 2013. MSE has been updating regularly. I don't know where to look to see a list of EPG updates, but the guide is working. TV is a little slow to load this morning->griping about a low signal. Other than that mine looks normal.

My Sports Bar is OK too.

[tzr916]

I've had my WMC 7 machine for about 10 months. I manually install all windows updates usually once a week. The only update I don't ever let windows do is the gpu driver. I also let AVG Free do auto updates... Never had any problems but just in case I do take an image of my system drive once a week. I read a lot of horror stories, guess I am lucky that I have never had to restore due to updates.

[werds]

Go to your system restore points and show all restore point saves. See if you have received any updates through there. I too have all my Windows updates and nags shut off but I regularly see a "Critical Update" snuck in when I check the restore points. Then again I also have my restore points turned on and have it set to create a restore point ANY time software is added or changed on my machine since I so rarely make changes. And the only times I suffer from instability anymore is when something auto-updates without my knowledge!

[Crash2009]

Go to your system restore points and show all restore point saves. See if you have received any updates through there.

You are correct werds.

I just checked where you said to check, and I got nailed January 26, 2014->my printer stopped working and I had to re-install it the next day.

Got nailed again February 2, 2014->I thought I had router problems,,, maybe I don't.

Adam will likely find the same thing. I was incorrect when I said I haven't got an update for a year.

How are we going to stop this?

[holidayboy]

You can certainly turn off the update service by using services.msc

I just tried it and windows updates are definitely not working!

I guess that this would stop the machine re-downloading a critical update if it was uninstalled....

I don't really want to uninstall any critical updates though! :s

[Crash2009]

Thanks Rob, I think I'm gonna check my schedule and give it a go when the time is right.

[werds]

You can certainly turn off the update service by using services.msc

I just tried it and windows updates are definitely not working!

update_service.PNG

unable_updates.PNG

I guess that this would stop the machine re-downloading a critical update if it was uninstalled....

I don't really want to uninstall any critical updates though! :s

Looks like you are correct. I forgot that when I upgraded my HTPC processor and motherboard recently I manually shut off the Windows update service as well. I just compared my restore points to Crash2009's screenshots and from December through now it doesn't show any Windows Critical Updates for me.

[Crash2009]

Well that's great then. Thanks guys. Looks like everything turned out OK for me. Time will tell, what or if, there are any concequences to stop and disable the WindowsUpdate service. After I rebooted from the restore back to January 29, 2014, (That was the day I got the first unwanted update) WMC was updating->down by the clock-> when I disabled WinUpdate, I thought it might effect the WMC update, but it just kept on going. It appears those two are unrelated.

Unfortunately for me though, it appears that WinUpdate and MSE are closely connected, as MSE is unable to update now. Would it be possible to create an event or task or something that would allow MSE to enable WinUpdate service for a short time, you know, just enough time to go get its definitions, and then, when done, allow MSE to disable the WinUpdate service? and if possible, how?

[werds]

Well that's great then. Thanks guys. Looks like everything turned out OK for me. Time will tell, what or if, there are any concequences to stop and disable the WindowsUpdate service. After I rebooted from the restore back to January 29, 2014, (That was the day I got the first unwanted update) WMC was updating->down by the clock-> when I disabled WinUpdate, I thought it might effect the WMC update, but it just kept on going. It appears those two are unrelated.

Unfortunately for me though, it appears that WinUpdate and MSE are closely connected, as MSE is unable to update now. Would it be possible to create an event or task or something that would allow MSE to enable WinUpdate service for a short time, you know, just enough time to go get its definitions, and then, when done, allow MSE to disable the WinUpdate service? and if possible, how?

I got rid of MSE because of this close tie in unfortunately I never tried to figure a work around...

[Crash2009]

I got rid of MSE because of this close tie in unfortunately I never tried to figure a work around...

Might end up doing the same thing.

Was just playing around with the NET command. I can start and stop it, but only if "windows update" service is set to manual. Rob's disable works pretty good. Gonna try sc next from elevated prompt

Might be on to something with sc.....

Code: Select all

C:\Windows\system32>sc config wuauserv start= disabled
[SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS

[holidayboy]

^ I wouldn't be surprised if the update service starting up caused an immediate check for critical updates! :s

[Crash2009]

^ I wouldn't be surprised if the update service starting up caused an immediate check for critical updates! :s

Would you be surprised if I told you, you are correct.

Well I guess that means SC is a waste of time for the moment. damm that was a fun little toy. stumbled into MSG along the way, that's fun too, so this adventure wasn't a total loss.

I'd rather not change antivirus, but that just might be the easy way.

Gonna have to look into "disable critical update(s)" and see what pops up.

[Crash2009]

If you cant beat em, join em. I just installed them all. Hopefully my chariot doesn't turn into a pumpkin.