XP Home/SP2/Windows Update problem

[Panama Red]

Haven't seen this one before. Just updated a Gateway 1.7Gig P4 system. Added SP2, Adaware, Spybot, AVG. All updates went fine and all those programs work ok but I hit a snag trying to do Windows Update. After accepting the Active X download from the blocking built in SP2, I get no option to scan the system for updates. The screen hangs at the page "Checking for the latest version of the Windows Update Software...". I've adjusted the Security settings, turned off the firewall, adjusted the Pop Up blocker settings, been thru all the WU and MS KB articles related to WU troubleshooting and can't seem to find a fix. Anyone else ever had this and fixed it? Don't know if this is SP2 related or not since I didn't do any updates prior to the SP2 install and I don't believe the owner ever updated it either.

[pam123]

My update problems started with SP2 when automatic update failed to download the service pack after it popped up the notice.
Now automatic update routinely fails to download fixes.
I haven't had any problems when I go to the update site to get them but the last time I was there was for the SP2 hot fix relased on 10/12.
It sounds like M$ updates is having some sort of steadily worsening server trouble.

[GaryRouth]

Panama - I'll bet you've already fixed it, but I seem to remember its a "Windows Controls"/"Virtual Machine"/"JavaScript" tango.

I've had luck on some boxes running a repair install of IE, for others I had to manually download the Windows Update Controls, the "MS Virtual Machine", or a new Java version.

See if any of those do it.
. . . Gary

[Panama Red]

Don't bet, Gary! I'm still strugglin'. Been thru every fix possibility I could find on the web, all to no avail. I did take a look at the WU log files and now I know SP2 didn't have anything to do with this. It started having problems on Oct 13. I just got it yesterday, the 18th. Don't know if this Gateway came with a full copy of XP, but I'm leaning toward an over-the-top repair now.

[GaryRouth]

Did you just enter the update site in Tools?

"In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-up Blocker Settings.

To allow pop-up windows only when using Windows Update, under Address of Web site to allow, type (or copy and paste) this URL: https://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and then click Add. "

I imagine that's what you already tried.
-------
If you want to try putting in the Windows Update Controls manually, here's the article relating to that:

"For Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003:
download our controls from http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.co...code/iuctl.cab and save them to your desktop. Extract the .cab file following the steps below:

1. Go to the desktop and right click the iuctl.cab file.
2. Click "Open".
3. Select all the files listed.
4. Right click on them and click "Extract."
5. Point to a known location (like the desktop) and click "OK."
6. Go to the location you selected and right click the iuctl.inf file.
5. Click "Install."
-------

I haven't heard of how well repairs go with SP2 in already: if you go that route, and anything spectacular or wonderful happens, I'd be interested to hear.
. . . Curious Gary

[Panama Red]

Had me excited there for a minute, Gary! Installed the new .inf file and when I went to WU, I got a new screen telling me they had updated the site and that new software is available. Said yes to install and it hung at the 100% registration. Tried connecting to WU again and this time it stopped at the same screen I had before. Darn it! Oh well, I confirmed last nite that the gal who owns this one does have a full XP install disk so I'll probably just do the over-the-top repair, reinstall SP2 and be done with it.

[Panama Red]

This is getting aggravating! Went to WU after the repair and it did the same thing before SP2 was even installed. Installed SP2 and no change. Time for a little registry comparison to one of my machines.

[pam123]

Panama Red.
It really isn't you.
I'm now installing all windows updates by hand and by luck.

[GaryRouth]

Let me see if I can find a download over at Microsoft that has just the Virtual Machine in it. I'm still thinking about Java Script - recently there was the legal flap, and MS had to not include it's version in certain downloads (or something to that effect [if anyone can remember the details, jump right in])...

I had this problem a while back, and I wish I would have kept a record of what fixed it. Seems like it might've been as simple as a newer version of Windows Media Player, or Virtual Machine, or IE.... one of those seemed to have provided a change in scripting that allowed Windows Update to work again.

It's a shame the manual download of the controls didn't work. Did you use the .msi file or the other one? If it wasn't the .msi file on your first try, give it a go with that one & see if it turns out better.

If I find a link to Virtual Machine only, I'll edit it in here.
. . . Gary

[... and Hi, Pam! ]

[Panama Red]

Thanx pam! At least I'm not alone.

Hey, Gary. Don't think there's anything else I can update. It's running the latest WMP, IE and I've even added Java VM. Not sure what happened to cause this, but we're pretty sure HOW it happened. Oct 13th was the day this lady had her grand kids (ages 5 & 6) at her house and they were "playing" on her computer. They moved her task bar to the top of the screen, made it double wide and several other minor changes. That's the date WU shows as unable to connect for the first time in the WU log file. I'm just surprised the over-the-top didn't repair it. As I said earlier, I know it's not an SP2 issue cuz it wouldn't update when I finished the repair and before I reinstalled SP2. Maybe I ought to uninstall Java and see if that has any effect. A friend suggested running the System File Checker (SFC) to see if that would find/repair a file problem. May give that a try first.

[GaryRouth]

It'd be nice if the System File Checker helps, who knows. [Although I think I tried that for this situation a while back, and didn't have much luck]. You going to do the sfc /scannow option?

Here are a few pages devoted to the Java "Virtual Machine" situation & Microsoft's version, as well as some links to transitioning tools. You might find a clue or a useful tool to try there. Some of the tools do things like test the Java environment on the target machine. http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/java/

Something else you can look at, but is a low percentage try, is the Windows Firewall again. If it's turned off, and the customer has a third-party firewall installed, sometimes the alg.exe process still runs in the XP background (even though the Windows Firewall service is "stopped"). You can try disabling the Application Layer Gateway [=alg.exe] in Services to see if it helps. I don't think the third party firewalls need it, and I doubt your customer is interested in using the clumsy Windows ICS (Internet Connection Sharing).

Might also try a repair of IE, even though it shouldn't need to be repaired - stranger things have happened.

While I don't remember what fixed the problem, I sure do remember the frustration.
. . . Gary

[sonofjesusfreak]

Please share if you arrive at a solution, Panama Red. I'm having the same problem as well.

[Panama Red]

Ended up returning it with instructions on how to do manual updates. Runs great except for the WU problem.

[GaryRouth]

Panama & sonofjesusfreak - in both of your cases, did you ever receive any error messages, or does it always just hang at the "Checking for the latest version..." screen? [I'll guess it just hangs, since you'd probably mention any error messages]

I wonder, sonof (since Panama's case has gone back to the customer), what happens if you manually delete and then use System File Checker to restore, and then manually re-register wuaueng.dll [Click Start, click Run, type regsvr32 Wuaueng.dll, and then click OK two times]? [wuaueng.dll=WindowsUpdateAutomaticUpdateEngine.DynamicLinkLibrary]

. . . I'll be doing an SP2 update to a machine later this week, so I'll keep a watch out to see if I run into any of the same problems. If I catch a fix in the process, I'll post it here. Seems it's got to be in the program itself, or it how IE and JavaScripting are setup. If it's just a bug between the .dll and SP2, it seems like we ought to see it more often . . .

"Curiouser and curiouser" (Alice In Wonderland)
. . . Gary

[sonofjesusfreak]

As to your question, Gary. No I do not get any error messages. The screen simply hangs on the "Checking for the latest version..." screen. And if I manually put in the Windows Update Controls the screen hangs on the "Registering 100%" screen.

As to your suggestion here's what I did (please correct any mistakes):

I clicked Start, Search
Searched "all files and folders" for wuaueng.dll
Found it in C:\WINDOWS\system32
Rightclicked the file, clicked delete, clicked yes.

I clicked Start, All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt
Typed sfc /scannow
Let the process run through.

Reregistered wuaueng.dll exactly as you explained.

Went to Windows Update and the screen still hangs.

sjf

P.S. I should have noted before that I'm currently running Service Pack 1 on my machine. Perhaps I should have made my post in another forum, but my Windows Update difficulties seem to be identical to Panama Red and Pam123's.

[GaryRouth]

Well, I hate to give up on an interesting case like this: so here's a rather odd idea that's really a search for clues more than anything else: Since you've got SP1 rather than SP2 - see if you can find someone who has the "Windows Security Update CD, February 2004" . . . it was available for all versions of Windows from Win98 through XP (one size fits all). That update CD falls into the time slot between SP1 and SP2, so it shouldn't throw your system for too big a loop.

Trick is, that JavaScript has to be enabled in the currently installed version of IE on the target machine for the Update CD to run. So if you put the Update CD in your cd/dvd drive, and instead of starting you see an error message something to the effect of "this program needs JavaScript to be enabled in your browser..." ---> then it seems to me this is a clue to the problem. Why? Seems to me that the computers I've seen with the Update Trouble of hanging at that same point all got that same error from the Update CD.

Problem is, I'm getting less organized and more forgetful as my dendrites clog up with beta-amyloids, so I can't remember how I fixed it the last time. But perhaps if we follow the clues carefully, we'll get to the solution anyway! [. . . and, yes, I'm exagerrating my forgetfulness . . . ]

Let me know if you want to try the Update CD idea, and if you receive that error. Then we'll likely tinker with IE a bit.
. . . Gary

[rcvalencia9]

i have experienced the same problem back then but i was able to solve it. i have a mcafee security center with virusscan, firewall, privacy service & spamkiller installed. i wasn't able to download security updates from windows. i just shut down the mcafee privacy service and everything worked fine. i can't send email messages also when my privacy service is on. maybe "script blocking" is the reason why you can't access windows update.

[GaryRouth]

rcvalencia - just to test this one, can you try:

1) re-enable the privacy service
2) visit Windows Update to see if you get the expected hang
3) if so, enter the "options" or "preferences" settings of the Mcaffee privacy service, and look for an area where you can add "trusted sites" or "trusted domains" to a list. If you can find this, then try adding the entire domain "microsoft.com" to the "trusted" list.
4) then visit Windows Update again & see if it works OK now with the privacy service running.
5) if not, check in the privacy service settings one more time & see if there's anything about a rule blocking JavaScript that might override custom settings [I wouldn't expect it, but as I don't have any McAffee products, maybe you could check for us]

Symantec (Norton) also adds a "Script-Blocking" component. It stays even when the rest of a Norton AntiVirus package is uninstalled, because it is installed as a Shared component [over in Program Files/Common].

pam123 - if you happen to have Norton, could you check the same script-blocking idea on a box with Norton?

I'm thinking we already tried similiar settings in the first go-around, but perhaps we missed some detail. I'll be looking again over at the Microsoft sites later tonight, since this is something I imagine we'll see more of and might have several folks struggling with manual workarounds.
. . . Gary

[GaryRouth]

OK, I looked around over on the Microsoft website for a bit - so here's some of the settings to try doublechecking, and a link or two to articles with even more tricks to try:
=================
For the version 5 Windows Update service:
----------------------
How do I add Windows Update to my list of trusted Web sites?
-In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
-On the Security tab, click Trusted Sites, and then click Sites.
-Under Add this Web site to the zone, type (or copy and paste) this URL: https://windowsupdate.microsoft.com.
-Click Add, and then click OK.
-----------------------
To change Pop-up Blocker settings (available only for Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP SP2):
-In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-up Blocker Settings.
-Do one of the following:
-To allow pop-up windows only when using Windows Update, under Address of Web site to allow, type (or copy and paste) this URL: https://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and then click Add.
-To allow new browser windows to open when using any secured (https://) Web sites, in the Filter Level list, click Low: Allow pop-ups from secure sites.
------------------------
"If you use other pop-up blocking software, find out whether you can change your settings just for links that you click within a Web site. If not, you might need to allow pop-ups while using Windows Update"
------------------------
Microsoft Knowledge Base article “How to Configure and Use Automatic Updates in Windows XP”
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

Among the details: must be an administrative user to use Windows Update.
Quick way to turn on the service: Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then press ENTER (then select how you'd like the updates from a menu of choices).
-------------------------
========================================================
ALL the above tips were from MS for the version 5 of the Windows Update software.
========================================================
Following below are tips for the *version 4* of the Windows Update software.

From the Version 4 Troubleshooter Scripting Settings

"First, check your Internet Explorer settings to make sure that they are configured correctly for the environment.
1. In Internet Explorer click "Tools," and then click "Internet Options."
2. Click "Security."
3. Click "Custom Level."
4. Make sure that "File Download" is enabled.
5. Make sure that "Run Active X controls and plug-ins" is enabled.
6. Make sure that "Active Scripting" is enabled.
7. Set your Java Permissions to "Medium safety."
8. Make sure that "Launching applications and files in an IFRAME" is enabled.

Make sure you have disabled any ad removal programs, Web accelerators, and anti-virus programs prior to accessing Windows Update. These can cause script errors.

If none of the above resolves this issue you can attempt to resolve it by registering the following DLLs using the instructions below:
1. Click "Start," and then click "Run."
2. Type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\vbscript.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
3. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\mshtml.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
4. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\msjava.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
5. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\jscript.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
6. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\msxml.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
7. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\actxprxy.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
8. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\shdocvw.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.

NOTE: These re-registering instructions above assume you are running Windows 98 or Windows ME. For Windows 2000 or Windows NT4, change "windows\system" to "winnt\system32." For Windows XP, if you upgraded from Windows NT 4 or Windows 2000 change "windows\system" to "winnt\system32." Change "windows\system" to "windows\system32" if you installed Windows XP using another method. If your operating system is installed on a drive other than "C," change the drive letter in the instructions above to reference your system drive.

Once you have completed the above procedures, restart your computer and access the Windows Update site."
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OK - that's what I came up with tonight in my rummaging through the Microsoft sites. Hopefully a detail will jump out to help.

If you're not sure what version of Windows Update you're trying to run, look at the URL that shows in your "Address" box of IE --> at the very beginning of the address you'll note the v4 or v5 . . . [and, yes, you usually need to use IE to use Windows Update . . . you can use Opera, Firefox, or whatever for everything else, but for Windows Update, IE works best].

One of the interesting things I noticed, was that there isn't a manual download of the controls for version 5 as there was for version 4 [at least not one I found right away]

. . . Gary

[P.S. --- these tips are for Windows Update troubles when no error message is received = the process just hangs indefinitely. For trouble with specific error messages, there is often a fix procedure for each exact error message.

Firewalls --- I didn't put in specific tips yet for Firewall problems that can lead to trouble with Windows Update, but this is yet another area to explore if you are having trouble with the Automatic Updates or just Windows Update. At the very least, the "Generic Host Process for Win32 Services" (svchost.exe) MUST have permission to access the Internet, or Windows Update will fail every time. With most firewalls, you can choose whether to be prompted, or to allow access always - on a program by program basis.]