Windows Update problem

K

Kate

Windows XP Home SP3 IE6 (Not sure if this query should be addressed
here or to the IE6 browser Newsgroup... )

I have set Windows Update to notify me but not to download and install
automatically. Until a few months ago, when the gold shield appeared
in the Notification Area, I would >Start/Windows Update, the page
would open, I would get the "Checking to see if your computer..."
message and all would proceed properly. Now, when I do this, the
progress bar for "Opening Page
update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx..." freezes about
one third of the way across. Occasionally, after a long wait, it will
open, I receive the "Checking to see..." message, and then a blank
window, which remains that way. Meanwhile, there is no activity
showing in the double-monitor icon in the Notification Area. To get
around this, I have been clicking the gold shield to get the update
details, then clicking download, followed by install when it has
finished. Today, I selected download and then tried to bring up the
progress window, but nothing happened and the gold shield disappeared.
There certainly wasn`t sufficient time for the whole package to have
downloaded and installed and there was no activity showing in the
Notification Area. I tried re-booting, but the gold shield has not
re-appeared.

I have not made any changes to firewall settings, nor to browser
options, and hope that someone can explain how to resolve this
problem, please.

Many thanks
Kate
 
D

db

be sure to turn off
your anti virals and
firewall.

you should trust
microsoft.

also, in services
be sure that bits,
autoupdating and
error log services
are enabled.



--
db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- @hotmail.com
"share the nirvana" - dbZen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
B

Bennett Marco

Kate said:
Windows XP Home SP3 IE6 (Not sure if this query should be addressed
here or to the IE6 browser Newsgroup... )
Click to expand...

Neither...

microsoft.public.windowsupdate would be the proper place.

I've crossposted this to that group to get you started.
 
K

Kate

Bennett Marco : Thank you for crossposting for me; I did not realise
that there was a dedicated NG for this subject.

Andrew E : the address you mentioned is the page which hangs and will
not open, unfortunately.

db : all services started and automatic. Re : anti-virus software -
no changes were made to my settings before I started having this
problem, and I do not have any third-party firewall software - just
the physical firewall of my router. Again, no changes have been made
to its settings.

BTW, I do not get any error message/s. I have looked online for a
solution, but couldn`t find anything that was wholly relevant. Oh,
and the Windows Update folder in /Programs is empty, if that makes any
difference.

Thanks
Kate
 
K

Kate

Correction, db : I could not find a BITS service. Don`t recall ever
having had one...

Kate
 
K

Kate

Ignore last post please : I do have the BITS service after all. I
didn`t realise it was an acronym and was looking for "Bits".

Kate
 
L

Leonard Grey

Warning: Don't install anything from that phony web page!

Patrick Christopher Butts, alias pcbutts1, alias "The Real Truth MVP" is
well-known in these newsgroups, and for good reasons:

1. He pretends to be an MVP. (He isn't.)
2. Despite the faked URL, his web page is not an MVP web page.
3. Patrick steals other people's software and claims it as his own. He's
been called out for this many times.
4. He often re-writes the software he's stolen in a way that can cause
harm to your computer.

And finally...

5. Microsoft does not publish a "Windows Update Repair Tool" or any tool
with a similar name for Windows XP.
 
P

PA Bear [MS MVP]

There's never been an MS utility named "Windows Update Repair Tool" and the
utility the MVP IMPOSTER refers to was pulled from a beta site about a year
ago!

What's the "real truth" about pcbutts1? Read on...

.. Is he an MS MVP? No!
cf. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/communities/mvp.aspx

.. If xxx.ms-mvp.org redirects to xxx.pcbutts1.com, why didn't he post that
link to begin with?

.. Is he a proven thief? Yes!
cf.
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.security.virus/browse_frm/thread/58e6c02dbc6279ad
cf.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/hostsnews/a..._.-the-saga-continues-_2E00__2E00__2E00_.aspx
cf.
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.security.homeusers/msg/213247814fb4d61e
cf.
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.security.homeusers/msg/e19fce884897662f

.. What do real experts have to say about him? It ain't pretty.

http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/pcbutts1.com (Reviews)

http://www.digg.com/security/PCButts1_Under_Attack

http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/pcbutts1.com

http://bughunter.it-mate.co.uk/PCBUTTS.TXT

http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/pcbutts1.com

http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/www.ms-mvp.org

.. Does he have all his marbles?
cf. http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/NASA_van_rolls_off_California_mountain

Ignore this MVP imposter!
 
K

Kate

I have now run Microsoft`s FixIt, but it didn`t make any difference.
I have tried to approach
http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us
from different angles, but it still hangs. I then started in Safe
Mode with Networking and was able to open the page. However, when it
tried to check my system for updates, I got error # 0x8007043C
(service not available in safe mode). Aaargh! This morning the gold
shield reappeared, but when I clicked on it, there was a different
update available "Cumulative Update for ActiveKillBits" or some such,
and none of the updates I was offered yesterday. I selected download,
but it didn`t seem to do so. Before, I have been able to open a
progress window and check download and install progress, but now I
cannot even do this. Curiously, when I went to restart in safe mode,
there was a message to say that downloads were available to install
and this would be done automatically if I shut down the computer. I
have never seen this message before today. Does anyone know where
update downloads are stored prior to installation, please? I could
then check to see what has downloaded.

Further suggestions would be very welcome, please, as this is proving
most aggravating!

Thanks
Kate
 
Æ

Ǝиçεl

Hi Kate,

1.- Test this WGA diagnose test, connection to MS, that scripts working,
etc. etc.
<http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/diag/>

Reboot
-=-


2.- Go ahead and download Dial-ª-Fix.
<http://wiki.djlizard.net/Dial-a-fix>

Scroll down about 2/3 of the way to Download Dial-ª-fix

Click the Double green checkmark and click Go.

Reboot

Try the
<http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/>
and D/L your updates
-=-

See if the system can update now.

I hope this post is helpful.

Let us know how it woÑks ºut.



Ǝиçεl
◕‿◕
-=-
 
P

PA Bear [MS MVP]

[Thread history:
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...nd_support/browse_frm/thread/0e8740d213468a44]
...Curiously, when I went to restart in safe mode,
there was a message to say that downloads were available to install
and this would be done automatically if I shut down the computer.
Click to expand...

That tells us that Automatic Updates (AU) is working.

You'll only see AU's "Updates are ready to be installed" icon when all of
the updates you've approved have downloaded.

When a large number of updates are released on a given Patch Tuesday, you
may encounter an "Install updates and turn off computer" button when you go
to shutdown. Using it will install the already-downloaded updates but
there's no way of knowing which updates you're installing.

Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log (cf.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093), you may be seeing a delay caused by
excessive demand on the servers ("Update is not allowed to download due to
regulation"). It can take up to 7 days or more (sometimes much more) for
all Automatic Update users to get new updates when so many have been
released on the second Tuesday of a given month. See...

Updates are not downloaded or the "Automatic Updates" icon does not display
the status of downloads when you enable the Automatic Updates service
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/910340

Microsoft Update Product Team Blog: Update Notifications and
Install-at-Shutdown Behavior:
http://blogs.technet.com/mu/archive/2009/06/26/update-notifications-and-install-at-shutdown.aspx

Much ado about nothing
http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/arc...o-try-to-get-people-to-turn-off-updating.aspx

In most circumstances*, you can install the updates via Windows/Microsoft
Update website (WinXP) or by running Windows Update manually (Vista)
instead: Understand that by doing so, you're pushing all other Automatic
Updates users further back in the queue (which may explain, at least in
part, why Automatic Updates hasn't brought them in for you yet).

===================
* I say "most" because many users are posting here and saying that they
can't update manually right now.
 
M

MowGreen

For the issue with the Update icon appearing in the Notification Area
and then disappearing after you Appove the download of updates ...
there's a bug in the updating mechanism if Automatic Updates is set to
anything but it's Default setting, Auotmatic (recommended).

What's happening is that after you Approve the download of *all* the
updates the ones that are not *regulated* are downloaded to the system.
The non-regulated updates are Security updates. Then the update icon
disappears and you are not prompted to install them.
But, if you click Start > Turn off Computer, you will notice that the
Turn Off icon now has an icon overlay on it and this text is at the
bottom of the window

" Click Turn Off to install important updates and turn off your
computer. Click here to turn off without installing updates "

The last sentence is a link to turn off and not install the updates
downloaded. What's occurring is that the *regulated* update has not
been downloaded and the system does not prompt you to install the
Security updates previously downloaded.
That's not what Users expect when they *want* to have their systems
install Security regardless of whether non-security updates have been
downloaded.

As to IE freezing when it hits the Windows Update site, either there's a
scripting issue, an unregistered .dll, or malware present.
Scripting and unregistered .dll issues are usually caused by security
software or a 3rd party firewall.
If you go here: How do I reset Windows Update components?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058
There's a Fixit that you can either run from within IE or you can
download it and run it offsite. The tool will register the associated
updating .dlls when run in it's Default option.

When you run it in it's Agggressive mode, *all* of the steps are carried
out that are listed in the KB. The system must be online for it to
download and install the Windows Update Agent, as described in Step 11.
AFAIK, the only difference between the Default and Aggressive options is
Step 11.

If you choose to run the Aggressive option, temporarily disable the
installed antivirus/security suite/3rd party firewall.
If a 3rd party firewall is disabled, * be sure * that the native XP
firewall is now Enabled.

MowGreen
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============
 
P

PA Bear [MS MVP]

MowGreen said:
For the issue with the Update icon appearing in the Notification Area
and then disappearing after you Appove the download of updates ...
there's a bug in the updating mechanism if Automatic Updates is set to
anything but it's Default setting, Auotmatic (recommended).
Click to expand...
<snip>

BroMow, folks have been encountering this same behavior when AU is set to
Automatic, too.
 
P

PA Bear [MS MVP]

[Long, long, /long/ story involving excessive consumption of all sorts of
things and one helluva good time...]
 
K

Kate

Firstly, thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

As I mentioned before, I have run the Fixit, but not in Aggressive
mode.

Re Automatic Updates, I have that set to Notify Me but do not download
and install : I like to see what is being loaded into my computer -
even if I am not sure what it does! To that end, when the shield
appears, I have always gone to Start/Windows Update and connected that
way. Incidentally, the Target details in Properties for this link are
correct as stated by MowGreen in another thread in
microsoft.public.windowsupdate. Since the difficulties with
connecting to the webpage started, I have clicked the shield icon and
downloaded and installed that way, and that does seem to work.
Because of that, I do not think that it can be high traffic which is
blocking my access. Also, having been able to connect in Safe mode,
leads me to think that there is some conflict in my computer.
However, I have disabled my anti-virus software (AVG 8.5 Free) and
tried to connect, but no luck. As I have said, I do not have any
firewall software apart from Windows. I have run an Ad-Aware deep
scan, but nothing was reported. I have read lots of articles both on
MS Support and elsewhere trying to find a solution but haven`t found
one yet.

Yesterday, I did manage to reach the webpage. The site checked that I
had the right ActiveX software, and then checked for updates. The
progress bar (green scrolling thingy) just kept working and working
but
nothing appeared - not even the message to say that there were no new
updates available. I saved a copy of the WindowsUpdate.log for the
relevant attempt, the last few lines of which read "
80072ee2 WindowsUpdate Failure
Software Synchronization Windows Update Client failed to
detect with error 0x80072ee2."

I have searched this error code and run MS`s Article ID: 836941
troubleshooting suggestions, but am still getting the same problem.

It looks as though I shall probably have to live with it, and hope
that it clears itself eventually. Maybe it is time to try the Fixit
in Aggressive mode (I shall set a System Restore Point first!).

Thanks again for all the advice.
Kate

MowGreen said:
For the issue with the Update icon appearing in the Notification
Area and then disappearing after you Appove the download of updates
... there's a bug in the updating mechanism if Automatic Updates is
set to anything but it's Default setting, Auotmatic (recommended).

What's happening is that after you Approve the download of *all* the
updates the ones that are not *regulated* are downloaded to the
system. The non-regulated updates are Security updates. Then the
update icon disappears and you are not prompted to install them.
But, if you click Start > Turn off Computer, you will notice that
the Turn Off icon now has an icon overlay on it and this text is at
the bottom of the window

" Click Turn Off to install important updates and turn off your
computer. Click here to turn off without installing updates "

The last sentence is a link to turn off and not install the updates
downloaded. What's occurring is that the *regulated* update has
not been downloaded and the system does not prompt you to install
the Security updates previously downloaded.
That's not what Users expect when they *want* to have their systems
install Security regardless of whether non-security updates have
been downloaded.

As to IE freezing when it hits the Windows Update site, either
there's a scripting issue, an unregistered .dll, or malware present.
Scripting and unregistered .dll issues are usually caused by
security software or a 3rd party firewall.
If you go here: How do I reset Windows Update components?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058
There's a Fixit that you can either run from within IE or you can
download it and run it offsite. The tool will register the
associated updating .dlls when run in it's Default option.

When you run it in it's Agggressive mode, *all* of the steps are
carried out that are listed in the KB. The system must be online for
it to download and install the Windows Update Agent, as described in
Step 11.
AFAIK, the only difference between the Default and Aggressive
options is Step 11.

If you choose to run the Aggressive option, temporarily disable the
installed antivirus/security suite/3rd party firewall.
If a 3rd party firewall is disabled, * be sure * that the native XP
firewall is now Enabled.

MowGreen
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============




Bennett said:
Neither...

microsoft.public.windowsupdate would be the proper place.

I've crossposted this to that group to get you started.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
K

Kate

A thought that has occurred to me : is it possible that Microsoft .NET
Framework 2.0 could cause this problem? It seems to me that my Update
difficulties *may* have started after I installed this..

Thanks
Kate
 

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