Windows Update hangs at Preparing to download dialog

  • Thread starter Thread starter Squirrel
  • Start date Start date
S

Squirrel

I know this has been asked a million times, but despite all the past
posts and advice, my problem will not go away.

I have Windows XP Pro with a broadband connection. Recently, the
Windows Update stopped working. After agreeing to the EULA, the update
process hangs (opens Windows Update dialog with status as "Preparing
to download…").

I've tried all of the popular Windows Update fixes, including:
- disabling Norton AntiVirus
- checking the WindowsUpdate keys in the registry
- renaming/removing the CatRoot2 directory
- clearing all IE cache data
- trying WindowsUpdate from another user account (such as
Administrator)
- checking IE's network settings
- reinstall iuctl
- using System Restore and restore to an earlier configuration

None of them work. Is there anyway to get Windows Update to work again
besides reinstalling Windows?

Very frustrated and thanks for all help, SM
 
I know this has been asked a million times, but despite all the past
posts and advice, my problem will not go away.

I have Windows XP Pro with a broadband connection. Recently, the
Windows Update stopped working. After agreeing to the EULA, the update
process hangs (opens Windows Update dialog with status as "Preparing
to download?").

I've tried all of the popular Windows Update fixes, including:
- disabling Norton AntiVirus
- checking the WindowsUpdate keys in the registry
- renaming/removing the CatRoot2 directory
- clearing all IE cache data
- trying WindowsUpdate from another user account (such as
Administrator)
- checking IE's network settings
- reinstall iuctl
- using System Restore and restore to an earlier configuration

None of them work. Is there anyway to get Windows Update to work again
besides reinstalling Windows?

Very frustrated and thanks for all help, SM
Click to expand...

Try installing the latest Windows Scripting Host Package at the
url below. It may help, even if you have done this before.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/downloads/list/webdev.asp
 
Try installing the latest Windows Scripting Host Package at the
url below. It may help, even if you have done this before.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/downloads/list/webdev.asp
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help but this didn't work. Anyone else have any other
ideas?

Once again, the problem I'm having is after I agree to the EULA, a new
dialog labled "Windows Update - Web Page Dialog" opens that says
"Preparing to download...". The update process then hangs here
forever.

SM
 
I noticed that you " - reinstalled iuctl", did you do this manually?
If so, don't, that's bad advice. Delete iuctl.dll and revisit the
site to let WU's ActiveX install it as the Controls package. You
get needed registry keys when ActiveX does it - you don't manually.
Click to expand...

I deleted iuctl.dll, did a Windows Update and was prompted to install
the Windows Update V4 Control. However this did not fix my problem, it
still hangs at "Preparing to download...". I also tried to install
just one of the 4 updates it recommends, no success.

SM
 
I have Windows XP Pro with a broadband connection. Recently, the
Windows Update stopped working. After agreeing to the EULA, the update
process hangs (opens Windows Update dialog with status as "Preparing
to download?").
Click to expand...

I've also tried every suggestion in this thread, still no success.
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&th=b7ea23928f4056be&rnum=1

Is there any hope in getting Windows Update to work on my machine?

Isn't this a major security flaw if users cannot update their
operating system to the latest security patch?

Argh, SM
 
I have the same problem with Win 98 SE. Reinstalled IE6SP1, but in
vain. If I click the cancel button on the Windows Update dialog (the
one that hangs), Explorer is killed on module RPCRT4.DLL.

Any ideas?

Andy


-SNAP-
 
It IS a major security flaw for XP! I noticed a couple of things
Maurice didn't mention on that posted url page. Popup Stoppers
kill Windows Update as does AOL or Netscape Browsers. Time,
date, and YEAR must be correct and set to your local time and time
zone. One guy was hung till he set his wrong, rebooted and then
back to right time. To access WU with AOL browser use Start|
Settings|Windows Update shortcut to launch ie which is the only
browser that will work right at WU site. Any joy now?
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the help everybody. Unfortunately after spending days
(actually more like weeks) on this Windows Update issue, it still
doesn't work. I am therefore forced to reinstall the operating system
- a major pain.

I wish that there were someway to reinstall the Windows Update program
(instead of reinstalling the OS).

SM
 
2003-08-22 10:08:17 17:08:17 Success IUCTL Shutting down

[timestamp from last line]

Squirrel,

Don't you have anything more current?
Or is your computer's date wrong?


---


Squirrel said:
Lucy said:
Hi Squirrel,

Wait! Before you wipe out your system, please post the Windows Update.log
file from C:\windows\system32.


Thanks,
Lucy [MS]
Click to expand...

Lucy,

Thanks for your help. Below is the last 50 or so lines from my
"Windows Update.log" file.
Click to expand...
....
 
Robert Aldwinckle said:
2003-08-22 10:08:17 17:08:17 Success IUCTL Shutting down
Click to expand...

[timestamp from last line]

Squirrel,

Don't you have anything more current?
Or is your computer's date wrong?
Click to expand...

2003-08-22 is the last time I ran Windows Update.

SM
 
Lucy said:
Hi Squirrel,

Wait! Before you wipe out your system, please post the Windows Update.log
file from C:\windows\system32.


Thanks,
Lucy [MS]
Click to expand...

See below for my Windows Update.log file. Note the entry:

2003-09-02 23:37:29 06:37:29 Error IUENGINE Library
download error and timed out (20950 ms). Will not retry. (Error
0x80072EE2)

Could this be the problem? I did a search for "Library download error
and timed out" and basically found a bunch of other people with the
same problem (but no solutions!).

Thanks for all help,

SM

2003-09-02 23:37:07 06:37:07 Success IUCTL Starting
2003-09-02 23:37:08 06:37:08 Success IUCTL Downloaded
iuident.cab from http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/v4/ to C:\Program
Files\WindowsUpdate\V4
2003-09-02 23:37:08 06:37:08 Success IUCTL Current
iuengine.dll version: 5.4.3790.14
2003-09-02 23:37:08 06:37:08 Success IUCTL Current
iuctl.dll version: 5.4.3790.14
2003-09-02 23:37:08 06:37:08 Success IUENGINE Starting
2003-09-02 23:37:29 06:37:29 Error IUENGINE Library
download error and timed out (20950 ms). Will not retry. (Error
0x80072EE2)
2003-09-02 23:37:29 06:37:29 Success IUENGINE Determining
machine configuration
2003-09-02 23:37:29 06:37:29 Success IUENGINE Determining
machine configuration
2003-09-02 23:37:35 06:37:35 Success IUENGINE Querying
software update catalog from
https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp
2003-09-02 23:37:35 06:37:35 Success IUENGINE Querying
software update catalog from
https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp
2003-09-02 23:37:35 06:37:35 Success IUENGINE Querying
software update catalog from
https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp
2003-09-02 23:37:37 06:37:37 Success IUENGINE Querying
software update catalog from
https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp
2003-09-02 23:37:38 06:37:38 Success IUENGINE Determining
machine configuration
2003-09-02 23:37:39 06:37:39 Success IUENGINE Querying
software update catalog from
https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/consumerdrivers/getmanifest.asp
2003-09-02 23:37:42 06:37:42 Success IUENGINE Querying
software update catalog from
https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp
2003-09-02 23:38:17 06:38:17 Success IUENGINE Shutting down
2003-09-02 23:38:17 06:38:17 Success IUCTL Shutting down
 
2003-09-02 23:37:29 06:37:29 Error IUENGINE Library
download error and timed out (20950 ms). Will not retry. (Error
0x80072EE2)
Click to expand...

Squirrel,

There should be a URL associated with that timeout message.
Use nslookup and ping -n 1 (both) with that URL's site name
to confirm that your DNS knows about it and that your OS isn't
misdirecting it. If your OS is NT5 fixing a discrepancy there
could involve flushing your dnscache after fixing (or renaming)
your HOSTS file. If you need to flush the cache open a command
window and enter this command:
ipconfig /flushdns

If the address and its lookup seem Ok I would just assume that
the site is busy and try again later.


Good luck

Robert
---


Squirrel said:
Lucy said:
Hi Squirrel,

Wait! Before you wipe out your system, please post the Windows Update.log
file from C:\windows\system32.


Thanks,
Lucy [MS]
Click to expand...

See below for my Windows Update.log file. Note the entry:

2003-09-02 23:37:29 06:37:29 Error IUENGINE Library
download error and timed out (20950 ms). Will not retry. (Error
0x80072EE2)

Could this be the problem? I did a search for "Library download error
and timed out" and basically found a bunch of other people with the
same problem (but no solutions!).
Click to expand...
....
 
Fix for Windows Update Downloading Hang

Go to Start/Run then type "regsvr32 oleaut32.dll" without the quotes for every .dll listed below. Then Start/Run services.msc. Double click on BITS and start it.

After it's running try Windows Update again...

Hope it works for you. If so, spread this fix around...

Durk Piersma
Grandville, MI
USA


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: Windows Updates fail with error 80246008

Wonderful! After futzing around with deleting various directories, etc.,
this is the fix that worked! I didn't even need to reboot! The common
thread: I just recently removed Norton AV from my system..I won't go into
the details of that nightmare..

-Greg

"Justin H." wrote:

> I've come back to this every now and again, and I finally fixed this one
> last night. I pursued some avenues based on some of the other symptoms
> I was experiencing, such as Search not being fully functional.
>
> In the end, I'm not sure which of the two procedures did it, but here
> they are. In an attempt to fix search, I did the following:
>
> regsvr32 oleaut32.dll
> regsvr32 jscript.dll
> regsvr32 vbscript.dll
> regsvr32 msxml.dll
>
> And in an attempt to fix possible problems with security providers I
> also did the following:
>
> regsvr32 softpub.dll
> regsvr32 wintrust.dll
> regsvr32 initpki.dll
> regsvr32 cryptdlg.dll
>
> After a reboot, I now have BITS up and running and have successfully
> used Windows Updates.
>
> Thanks for the help, and I hope this helps others.
>
> Justin H.
>
 
Phew! At last!

Thanks so very much for this fix, it's done the job for me! I had made the connection that I stopped being able to download updates at the same time as I had installed AVG Free Edition, but hadn't made the connection that I had uninstalled Norton AntiVirus at exactly the same time!
Cheers!
 
Jazzcica ,

Glad you were able to use the fix to solve your problem.

Merry Christmas & All the best to you in 2006!

Durk Piersma
Grandville, MI
USA
 
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