Article ID: 916089
Article Last Modified on 12/10/2007
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional, when used with:
- Microsoft Office XP Professional Edition
- Microsoft Office XP Standard Edition
- Microsoft Office XP Personal
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition for Itanium-Based Systems
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based Systems
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4
- Microsoft Windows Update
- Microsoft Update
NOTICE
The problem that the "Symptoms" section describes was corrected in Windows Update Agent 3.0 and in update 927891. These updates were distributed through Microsoft Update in June and July, 2007. If you are still experiencing a problem that resembles the one that this article describes, it may be a different problem. To troubleshoot similar problems, please see the "Similar problems and resolutions" section later in this article.
Hotfix replacement information
The hotfix that this article (916089) describes has been replaced by a more recent hotfix (927891). Hotfix 927891 also fixes the problem that is described in the "Symptoms" section.
SYMPTOMS
When you run Microsoft Windows Update to scan for updates or to apply updates to any applications that use Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) 3.1 together with Windows Update, you may receive the following error message in Event Viewer on a Windows XP-based computer:
Additionally, a memory leak may occur when Windows Update scans for updates that use Windows Installer.
These problems may occur when you try to scan for Microsoft Office updates. You may also experience these problems when you use any one of the following update mechanisms:
- The Microsoft Update Web site.
- Automatic Updates through the Internet or through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).
- Microsoft Systems Management Server Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (SMS ITMU).
- Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA).
- Any application that performs update scans by using the offline scan CAB file (Wsusscan.cab) that uses the Windows Update Agent (WUA).
For example, you may experience this problem when you try to scan for Microsoft Office updates or when you apply an update to any application on a computer that uses Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 (also known as MSI) together with the Windows Update Agent.
CAUSE
This problem may occur when the Windows Update Agent tries to scan for Windows Installer updates.
RESOLUTION
Hotfix information
To resolve this problem, apply the latest Msi.dll hotfix. This hotfix is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
927891 You receive an access violation error and the system may appear to become unresponsive when you try to install an update from Windows Update or from Microsoft Update
Hotfix replacement information
The hotfix that was described in this article (916089) has been replaced by a more recent hotfix (927891). Hotfix 927891 includes the updates that are listed in this article. When Windows Update scans for updates that use Windows Installer, the system may stop responding. Hotfix 927891 resolves this problem.
STATUS
This problem was corrected in Windows Update Agent 3.0 and update 927891.
MORE INFORMATION
This update decreases the duration of a scan that uses the Windows Update Agent. However, a scan is still a CPU-intensive operation. The Svchost.exe process contains the Automatic Updates service. When you perform a scan, the Svchost.exe process can cause CPU usage to reach 100 percent for a prolonged time. For example, Microsoft Office updates use Windows Installer. When Microsoft Office updates are detected, these updates can contribute to 100 percent CPU usage for a prolonged time.
For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates
Similar problems and resolutions
If you are still experiencing a problem that resembles the one that this article describes, it may be a different problem. For more information about similar problems and resolutions, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
939273 You cannot deploy software updates on a computer that is running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003
932762 The Service Host process may stop unexpectedly in Windows Server 2003
931852 Error messages when you start a Windows XP-based computer and then try to download Windows Updates
910666 The Svchost.exe process may end unexpectedly on a Windows Server 2003-based computer
894538 When Internet Authentication Service receives an unknown attribute in a packet, a Windows Server 2003-based Internet Authentication Service server stops responding
927385 You receive an error message after a Windows XP-based computer runs an automatic update, and you may be unable to run any programs after you close the "svchost.exe - Application Error" error message dialog box
If these articles do not help you resolve the problem or if you experience symptoms that differ from those that this article describes, please search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information. To search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Then, type the text of the error message that you receive, or type a description of the problem in the Search Support (KB) field.
Additional query words: wuauserv
Keywords: kbresolve kbwinserv2003sp2fix kbpubtypekc kbqfe KB916089
