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Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter Update Fails


Kris

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Posted

Hello,

Intro to my problem:

OS = XP Pro SP3.

Following a malware removal a couple of months ago, all MS Office 2003 Pro Auto Updates failed. Previously they had been successful.

Then a few weeks ago, after an auto-upate by MalwareBytes (MBAM), while performing its first scan, an alert appeared saying that MBAM had encountered a problem and needed to close. However, the program continued through to the on screen Log Report, with the must close alert still showing.

Thereafter, MBAM, seemed OK. Then a few days later after the next update, the odd behaviour repeated, so I contacted MBAM Support (MBAMS).

MBAMS suspected malware, and guided me through a cleanup which found some and removed it. None of my resident antiviral programs (AVPs), Norton Internet Security (NIS), SuperAntiSpyware (SASW) or MBAM had found the malware in prior regular scans. And I ran extra ones afterwards for good measure.

After the second malware clean up, I decided to fix the MS Office updates issue. MBAMS advise using Dial-A-Fix form Lunarsoft.

I always hesitate to install freeware, and searched and found two authoratitve forums which advocated reregistering five XP system DLLs using CMD->Run xyz.DLL , with credible favourable reports from both forums. So I ran them in the order stipulated, as listed below:

------

regsvr32 wuapi.dll

regsvr32 wuaueng.dll

regsvr32 atl.dll

regsvr32 wucltui.dll

regsvr32 wups.dll

------

That action fixed all but one of the MS Office updates, the Junk Mail Filter.

Then on reassurance from MBAMS that Dial-aFix was well respected, I installed it and followed the preparatory stages, firstly verifying that the HDD was 'healthy', by using both Hitachi's DFT and chkdsk.

After each stage, I checked to see whether the remaining update bug had been fixed. It hadn't.

Although I don't use Outlook, it's still resident, and now feel that it'd be prudent to eliminate any potential latent vulnerability. So, after familiarising myself with the landscape of this forum, I've opened this new Topic, and currently calmly, await your requests for whatever logs need to be posted and direction.

This is the error report taken from OTL's Extras.Txt log file :

Error - 10/01/2012 18:20:59 | Computer Name = ZVAC-1 | Source = Windows Update Agent | ID = 20

Description = Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update

with error 0x80070643: Update for Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter

(KB2597098).

If by naivity, I step outside of normal forum procedure, please advise.

Bye for now :-)

  • Administrator
Posted

Just to verify, have you tried running Dial-a-fix yet? If yes, which numbers have you run? Also, did you press the Flush Software Distribution button?

Posted

I've just had another look at this problem:-

Error - 10/01/2012 18:20:59 | Computer Name = ZVAC-1 | Source = Windows Update Agent | ID = 20

Description = Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update

with error 0x80070643: Update for Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter

(KB2597098).

Error 0x80070643 -- also sometimes known as error 0x643 -- is an error in the Windows Installer program, msiexec, that installs .MSI files and applies .MSP patches.

Office 2003 updates (unlike Windows updates) are actually .MSP files inside a self-extractor or other container and are installed by msiexec, not by the Windows update installer.

The good news is that KB2597098 is only a Junk Email filter update (released last Tuesday) and does not expose a latent vulnerability if it is not installed.

The bad news is that fixing error 643 is quite complicated. If all other Office 2003 patches have installed and only this one has not, then I suspect that the MSI software update registration (which is in the Registry) could be corrupted.

If I am right, then I would not like to lead someone through the steps of finding the right SQUID* in the Registry and fixing it. Just how complicated it is to do this can be seen from Microsoft's own instructions in the KB: How to fix MSI software update registration corruption issues One of the steps that Microsoft left out is that you need to find, or write yourself a little script to translate between GUIDs and SQUIDs.

There are simpler things to do, like re-registering the msiexec files, but if all the other Office patches install, then msiexec probably doesn't need re-registering.

*A SQUID is "Microsoft-speak" and means a Squashed GUID.

GUID stands for Globally Unique Identifier and looks like a long string of letters and numbers.

You can read all about GUIDs at Wikipedia: Globally unique identifier

.

Posted

Thank you Tarun and James.

I've been otherwise preocupied with bigger PC issues.

Yes, I ran Dial-a-Fix through the first three stages and FLUSHed history or wahatever it was (I'm a bit hazy now on than detail and I didn't make a note at the time), but I'm absolutely sure I did do the flush. I deliberated on what might be lost or gained for a few minutes, and thought, 'What the heck'.. let's do it and see!

Well, I recon James' advice sounds comforting, and a fix would push me well out of my keboard comfort zone. I treat the Registry with deep respect and care when peeping in on its machinations.

I'll just ignore the spam filter matter without worry. Spam level isn't heavy anyway, as most gets pulled by ISP filters.

My latest calamity is related to CAD software installs and uninstals which hung and have somehow diabled the CD & DVD drivers.

The rest works OK, so before I bash that one, I'm going to deal with some essentail mundane necessities before I do more damage.

Thanks again and bye for now, I'll be back, I'm sure.

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