I tried to install a hotfix manually and it complained it couldn't verify it since the Cryptographic services may not be running.

I verified that the Cryptographic Services isn't running nor even listed in the Services for Windows 2000.

So I can't even start it since it isn't listed. It isn't listed either when I do "net start" at the command line.

I read in the help files for services that Cryptographic Services are installed by default. However, I have

Win2K PRo with SP4 and patches, and it isn't installed.

How do I get the Cryptographic Services installed and running under Win2K services?

I see that my WIn XP SP2 work PC has this service running.

The cryptographic service isn't a "service" in the SCM on Windows 2000, it runs in kernel and is always running - you won't see it in the services list.

Try running regsvr32 on the following .dlls, reboot, and see if things work:

wintrust.dll

initpki.dll

dssenh.dll

rsaenh.dll

gpkcsp.dll

sccbase.dll

slbcsp.dll

cryptdlg.dll

You must unregister the following DLLs then reboot:

regsvr32 /u wintrust.dll

regsvr32 /u initpki.dll

regsvr32 /u dssenh.dll

regsvr32 /u rsaenh.dll

regsvr32 /u gpkcsp.dll

regsvr32 /u slbcsp.dll

regsvr32 /u cryptdlg.dll

Warning, Windows File Protection will be triggered after you reboot.

Windows File Protection will think that files were modified! They weren't modified!

So just click "Cancel".

Then re register the following DLLs:

regsvr32 wintrust.dll

regsvr32 initpki.dll

regsvr32 dssenh.dll

regsvr32 rsaenh.dll

regsvr32 gpkcsp.dll

regsvr32 slbcsp.dll

regsvr32 cryptdlg.dll

Thanks, I did all of the above but it still complains it can't verify the structure of update.inf or that

security services is not running.

Can a hotfix be installed without a catalog file assuming I comment out the catalog file statement in

the update.inf?

can a hotfix be installed whereby the catalog file is not signed? I assume that I'll get a warning saying

that the files aren't signed WHQL(?).

Is there a tool that can verify that the update.inf file doesn't contain any mistakes or missing directives

that appear in [] 's? and tell which line number is having the problem.

I'm trying to figure out work-arounds to the problem.

Note the hotfix has been extracted to a directory and I'm selecting the "update.exe" file to install the hotfix.

Which hotfix are you attempting to install?

I dont know about win2k, but in xp when you run sigverif.exe it creates a log file in the windows directory that says what is signed. It seems people of late are having this problem. It very well could be a bug with a hotfix. Post the log file for the hotfix or service pack you're installing, it'll prob be in the windows directory.

-gosh