Thanks to astute reader Nate Coffey and Dial-a-fix, we've found another DLL registration bug.

The current version of wuaueng.dll provided to Windows 2000 service pack 4 clients has a bug in its DllInstallServer.

In the first picture is a "before" screenshot that shows that all of the SvcHost key values are here. This is a freshly installed Windows 2000 machine that only has Service Pack 4:

In this second picture, I have visited Windows Update, gotten the latest Windows Update client, closed my browser, and then unregistered the DLL using regsvr32 /u:

In this third picture, I have re-registered the DLL using regsvr32 /i, but it caused an error (0×80070057) and only one key was put back. The netsvcs key is lost at this point. In order to fix this, merge this default SvcHost key .reg file.

The error code 0×80070057 is E_INVALIDARG, or invalid parameters/arguments.

The current version of Dial-a-fix will accidentally trigger this because of the malformed DllInstallServer in wuaueng.dll. Once a new, fixed version of the Windows Update client is pushed out, Dial-a-fix will be able to help you again. I'll be filing this as a bug with Microsoft – I hope they fix it.

Edit: be sure to read Superfail part 2 for the solution for afflicted machines.

© DjLizard for DjLizard.net, 2007. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Fixes, Incompetence, Windows 2000, Windows Update, wuaueng.dll

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I probably should have mentioned this long ago, as I've known about it forever: c't has created a program (well, set of AutoIt scripts) which downloads the Microsoft updates for the platform you choose and fashions it into a CD-ROM image (ISO) for you. Click the link above to see. This project is in line with the Microsoft's redistribution EULA, so it will not be receiving a takedown notice.

—

The Autopatcher group apparently never read any of the EULAs for the files they were redistributing and were thus 'cease-and-desisted'. Let that be a lesson to you: follow the EULA attached to Microsoft's files when you create a project such as this and don't be surprised if you are told to stop once you are breaking the rules.

A lot of folks are upset about how long it took Microsoft before the project was told to stop. I don't think the latent notice was malicious. I firmly believe that the "right person(s)" at Microsoft never caught wind of the Autopatcher project until now. By "right person(s)" I mean Microsoft's intellectual property watchdogs. A lot of people at Microsoft didn't mind the project – but that's because it wasn't their job to chase people down and tell them to stop. When enough support calls roll in from annoyed users of Autopatcher (who don't realize it's not Microsoft's job to fix Autopatcher's issues) the "right person(s)" eventually find out about it.

© DjLizard for DjLizard.net, 2007. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Autopatcher, c't, EULAs

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