[brillobo]

For last several months, when I try to install MS updates for XP, Office 2000 (Word, Excel, etc), they download fine and start to install, then I get error message:

"Error creating process <C:\DOCUME~1\user name\Local Settings\Temp\IXP000.TMP\ohotfix.exe>. ReasonWINDOWS\system32\advpack.dll"

Error suggests advpack.dll is blocking installations. I have tried manually changing all (11) advpack.dll versions in system32, i386, dll cache, etc, to various other versions. When I started this, had v. 6.0.2900.2180 published 5/8/05 in two locations, and v. 7.0.6000.16512 published 4/25/07 in others. Have tried making all v. 6.0.2900.2180, all v. 7.0.6000.16512, and even tried an older version from 2004. No change, same error.

Then tried removing all advpack.dlls, just for the heck of it. Not hiding, not renaming, I removed them all to an external disk and turned that disk off. Thorough search shows no advpack.dlls in system.

After reboot with all known advpack.dlls removed, on attempting to install updates, I get same error - Reason is advpack.dll in system32. There is no advpack.dll in system32 or anywhere else!!! I removed them all. I checked before and after. It had not been mysteriously replaced from or to anywhere on system. advpack.dll is nowhere that I can find on this machine. Yet, the error says advpack.dll in system32 is the reason for the error.

This happens with all XP, MS related updates. I tried autopatch for August 07, sadly the last autopatch there will be. It installs the updates, sort of. They are listed in add/remove as installed but with yellow exclamation icon and all are .75 MB in size. This is true of security and other updates, however .NET 3 and similar installed fine via autopatch, apparently.

BTW, web references for advpack.dll state that it is required for proper operation. Either I missed removing some of the advpack.dlls or it is not needed.... because the machine is working fine.

All third party programs install without a hitch. No other known issues.

It was not long after advpack.dll v. 7.0.6000.16512 was installed (4/26/07) that this problem started. Please note however, I replaced all advpack.dlls with older version, and still installation of updates failed with same error message. What package was this .dll a part of?

Suggestions? I've searched around, and tried all I could think of?


Inspiron 9300, XP Pro, sp2, 2.13 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 120 GB HHD, 300 GB Segate external HD, minimally tweaked

[alex]

I believe you have either a trojan or some spyware that has either replaced the .dll in question or corrupted it and your registry.

Have you run any spyware scans? what a.v software are you using?

Run scans and see if that clears it up. If not, I would run a windows repair. Don't bother with any of the registry cleaners/fixers you can download as, in my experience, they usually cause more harm than good as they're basically generic applications not suited to an individual system.

EvilFantasy will have more info on this when he comes on, I'll flag this thread to him.

[evilfantasy]

Try installing C:\DOCUME~1\user name\Local Settings\Temp\IXP000.TMP\ohotfix.exe from the command prompt.

You can scan the individual files at http://www.virustotal.com/ Once at virustotal just browse to the file you want to scan and it will run it through 32 different antivirus programs and then show the results.

I would suggest using an online virus scanner as well. Kaspersky Online Scan It won't take long and at least we can rule out or in malware problems.

[evilfantasy]

C:\DOCUME~1\user name\Local Settings\Temp\IXP000.TMP\ohotfix.exe

Found some more information. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/or...364081033.aspx