Windows Update

[pointd]

Win2k Pro with an ADSL connection using NAT to connect to the Internet.

When using Windows Update I can select the updates I want, choose to download them, Accept the Licence agreement and the dialog box appears. This says "Preparing to download.." and beneath this "Download progress:". Normally to the right of this it would say something like "25Kb of 2.5Mb". This bit never appears and the download never starts.

I have left it like this for over an hour and it still doesn't start. I have emptied my IE cache, reset the Internet Zone to Default level and tried several times. My second machine running through the smae connection works no problem.

All ideas as to how to fix this appreciated.

[Miz]

Have you tried shutting down everything running in the background...including any programs accessing the net (instant messengers, WeatherBug, etc.), software firewall, anti-virus program and/or popup blocking software? Any or all can (not always, but sometimes) interfere with MS's update site.

[pointd]

After posting this message I discovered the WindowsUpdate newsgroup at msnews.microsoft.com. It would appear that this has happened to a lot of people over the last couple of weeks.

It would appear that the official fix is to Repair your Windows installation. This seems a bit severe and all critical updates come with a reference number to a KB article from where you can download the update anyway.

I will wait a few weeks and see if they find out what is causing the problem and if they release a fix (which will probably come in the form of a critical update )

Thanks anyway.

If anyone else has any other ideas then please post them. I'll give most things a go.