Where do Windows Update dowloaded files hide?

I've got a WinXP Home that consistently refuses to install the highly
useful and valuable "Windows Genuine Advantage Validation" software
that it needs to proceed with MicroSoft Update.

It claims tha the WGA has already been downloaded, and I suspect it's
got a corrupted download, where are those files hiding so I can delete
them and force it to download it again?

M$ is being particularly unhelpful, the KB number for WGA has been
withdrawn, so I can't even download tt separately... Sigh.

Thanks for any hints (or pointers to more appropriate newsgroups)!

"William P.N. Smith" wrote in message
...
I've got a WinXP Home that consistently refuses to install the highly
useful and valuable "Windows Genuine Advantage Validation" software
that it needs to proceed with MicroSoft Update.

It claims tha the WGA has already been downloaded, and I suspect it's
got a corrupted download, where are those files hiding so I can delete
them and force it to download it again?

M$ is being particularly unhelpful, the KB number for WGA has been
withdrawn, so I can't even download tt separately... Sigh.

Thanks for any hints (or pointers to more appropriate newsgroups)!

C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files

You can also get there through Internet Options General Settings View
Objects.

--
D

I'm not an MVP a VIP nor do I have ESP.
I was just trying to help.
Please use your own best judgment before implementing any suggestions or
advice herein.
No warranty is expressed or implied.
Your mileage may vary.
See store for details.

Remove shoes to E-mail.
http://spaces.msn.com/members/hillbillybuddhist/

"William P.N. Smith" wrote in message
...
I've got a WinXP Home that consistently refuses to install the highly
useful and valuable "Windows Genuine Advantage Validation" software
that it needs to proceed with MicroSoft Update.

It claims tha the WGA has already been downloaded, and I suspect it's
got a corrupted download, where are those files hiding so I can delete
them and force it to download it again?

M$ is being particularly unhelpful, the KB number for WGA has been
withdrawn, so I can't even download tt separately... Sigh.

Thanks for any hints (or pointers to more appropriate newsgroups)!


William -

If you haven't brought down MS anti-spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx , it
may or may not bring down an un-corrupted version for you, or try going to
the MS Live safety site: http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm , as
it requires same.

Of course, neither may help if they detect that you already have it, which I
think is what you're saying though it's corrupted or non-functional. ?


Stew

"HillBillyBuddhist" wrote:
C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files

You can also get there through Internet Options General Settings View
Objects.

Nope, that directory is (now) empty, and it still claims that the WGA
tool is downloaded and just needs to be installed (but fails when it
tries, and leaves no tracks in the log, sigh).

"S.Lewis" wrote:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx

Well, that was bizarre, I clicked on "validate" for Defender, and it
gave me the "download" button, but MicroSoft Update still wants to
install WGA before it'll let me proceed, and fails to do so.

Thanks for the hints, though!

"William P.N. Smith" wrote in message ...

It claims tha the WGA has already been downloaded, and I suspect it's
got a corrupted download, where are those files hiding so I can delete
them and force it to download it again?

I think Windows Update downloads files to:

C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download

I think the WU logfile is:

C:\Windows\WindowsUpdate.log

There is a microsoft.public.windowsupdate newsgroup, which can be
searched via Google Groups Search:

http://groups.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en

William P.N. Smith wrote:
I've got a WinXP Home that consistently refuses to install the highly
useful and valuable "Windows Genuine Advantage Validation" software
that it needs to proceed with MicroSoft Update.

It claims tha the WGA has already been downloaded, and I suspect it's
got a corrupted download, where are those files hiding so I can delete
them and force it to download it again?

M$ is being particularly unhelpful, the KB number for WGA has been
withdrawn, so I can't even download tt separately... Sigh.

Thanks for any hints (or pointers to more appropriate newsgroups)!


I'd do a Windows repair and see if that helps but first you might want
to go to IE options and see if the WGA add-on can simply be turned off
(ToolsOptionsProgramsAdd-onsWGAdisable)

Alice

William P.N. Smith wrote in
:

"S.Lewis" wrote:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...e/default.mspx

Well, that was bizarre, I clicked on "validate" for Defender, and it
gave me the "download" button, but MicroSoft Update still wants to
install WGA before it'll let me proceed, and fails to do so.

Thanks for the hints, though!

Are you aware MS has a new WGA, I think as of yesterday? I manually update
my Dell, had the same thing. Anyway, let it validate, then proceed, same as
last time.

"User N" wrote:
I think Windows Update downloads files to:
C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download

I killed everything under that directory, and it still thinks it's
downloaded and ready to install (and fails to install).

I think the WU logfile is:
C:\Windows\WindowsUpdate.log

All sorts of bizarre error messages there, thanks!

There is a microsoft.public.windowsupdate newsgroup

I've added that to my list of newsgroups, I'll go follow up there...

Thanks again all!

meomy wrote:
Are you aware MS has a new WGA, I think as of yesterday? I manually update
my Dell, had the same thing. Anyway, let it validate, then proceed, same as
last time.

It's not that it doesn't validate, it's that it won't install. Note
that this is not the validation you get from an ActiveX control when
you want to (say) download Windoze Defender, but the WGAVT that
MicroSoft Update wants to install in order to give you any more
updates. The former works fine, the latter doesn't install.

The Microsoft Newsgroup referenced above has many many people with the
same problem, but none of the indicated solutions seem to work. I
suspect it's time to whack this thing over the head and start over...