Windows Update Problem

[swag]

Hi......I am having a problem with my Windows Update....I have 98SE......It automatically goes into to the update page that I set task to do.....but...it doesn't scan it automatically....and when I hit...."scan for updates", it stops and freezes up at 66%......I then have to reboot.....I have Win98 version 4.10.1998.....and was told to update it to.....Winme 4.90.3000.....I don't have a clue how to do what it says on the troubleshooting page in microsoft's update page.....Does anyone have an "easy" solution or know what in the world I have to do to get this thing going again? Thanks....

[GaryRouth]

There is indeed a troubleshooter for Windows Update freezing at 66%, caused by a conflict with McAffee AntiVirus software:
_______________________________________________
"This is a known issue involving the spoolss.dll file and McAfee's Virus Scan software. The most common fix is to replace the Win98 version of spoolss.dll (4.10.1998) with the WinME version (4.90.3000). However, there have been a few cases since Win98/ME customers were migrated to the new version of the Windows Update site (version 4) where they have the WinME version installed and going back to the Win98 version resolves the issue.

The spoolss.dll file is protected by the operating system so you have to manually replace it from a command prompt. To replace the file you will need to boot Win98 while pressing the F8 key so you get the Windows 98 StartUp menu. On this menu, select option 5 and boot to a Command Prompt. Use the Copy command to manually replace the file.

If replacing the file isn't an option, then make sure you are running the current version of McAfee's Virus Scan product, which is version 7.0. Version 7.0 allows you to configure the scanner so that it will exclude files and folders from the scan. If you choose this option, then make sure you exclude these items:

C:\Windows\Spool
C:\Windows\System\spoolss.dll "
_____________________________________________

For the full article, go to the "Other" section of the troubleshooter =
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/troubleshoot/
______________________________________________

If this applies to your situation, the easiest resolution might be to update your McAffee [& try excluding those folders - instructions are in the "Help" files - if necessary. Going to a newer version might solve it all by itself.

If you don't have McAffee, post that info here & we'll look for another repair.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[if it turns out you want to try replacing that spoolss.dll with a WinMe version, you'll have to find that file on the Windows download site (not Windows Update, just the Downloads site), then copy it onto either a floppy or your hard drive. From the Start/Shutdown button & menu, select Restart. As the computer is starting, tap the F8 key so the boot menu will display. Select number 5. From the next prompt, type copy A:/spoolss.dll C:\Windows\System\ [if you copied the file to some other location than your A: floppy, put that location in just after you type the copy command]. Windows will ask you if you wish to overwrite the existing file - to try the new version, answer Yes. [you can always use System File Checker to restore your original Win98 version of the file anytime you want (choosing to "extract one file...")]

[swag]

Hi.....thanks for your reply.....I did a search in Microsoft for that file but to no avail I couldn't find it.....I don't have MCAffee.....I use Norton..... I did a file checker but, since I recently formatted my hard drive there are a million files coming up showing changed...it would take me a year to go through all of them.....I should let you know that this was happening "before" I formatted....and I was hoping by restroring windows it would work....but it didn't...evidently they don't put that file in with the restoration disks.....I searched for the file on my restoration cd's and it's not there....I think I need a full version of 98se to get that file......Also....i'm not sure if that will work either by changing it to WinMe under the F8 key....I was told it doesn't work and could cause problems.....So, I'm at a loss....if you have anymore ideas I surely would appreciate it......thanks again...

[GaryRouth]

Not sure why Microsoft isn't providing it on their download site, since they refer to it in their article. At any rate, if you want to try the WinMe version of the file, here is a working link [ http://www.catenacomputers.com/http_ftp/spoolss.dll ]. Download it to your hard drive, then scan the download for viruses (just to be sure it's a clean download). Copy it onto a floppy. Then boot with either your installation Cd, or a bootable floppy, then insert the floppy with your fresh version of spoolss.dll on it, and from the command prompt, type

copy A:\spoolss.dll C:\Windows\System\

If Windows asks if you wish to overwrite the file, say Yes to use the newer version.
_______________________________________________

. . . and - if you happen to be using Norton System Works or Norton Clean Sweep along with their antivirus package, view the following article for a setting that can cause Windows Update to stall. A simple setting change will do the trick in such cases:
Norton CleanSweep Interferes with Windows Update
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...av&svy=&csm=no

. . . and if neither of these help, post again & we'll research another repair!
. . . Gary

[swag]

Hi......thank you very much for your assistance....but guess what I just found out on Microsofts website.....they don't do Updates on windows 95,98,98se,ME anymore.....but I will check out that information anyway and see if it does anything.......from what I understand...earlier windows versions have to do it manually now.....I'm getting a full version of 98se from a friend and am going to format again and reinstall the full version.....I am confused if I should just borrow another friends full version of xp or not.....hear to many bad things about that version......but the luck i'm having lately with my 98se....i don't think it could be much worse......thanks again...

[GaryRouth]

When Microsoft announces the end of support for certain versions, it doesn't mean that Windows Update suddenly stops working for that version (I can still successfully connect to Windows Update for all my Windows 98 machines. Haven't tried Windows 95 in a while, but it worked as late as last year.)

Usually, they are referring to the active support (actual folks answering phones).

You can still download useful files as far back as MS-DOS, though you do have to search the downloads site for those.
_____________________

Is Windows 98 2nd Ed. really causing you that much grief? It's usually a pretty good little OS. If your computer is four or five years old, Win98se might be the best match for your machine. XP requires more recent hardware to really shine, and Win98 shows it's age on recent hardware [has trouble with the superfast cpus, the gigantic RAM amounts, the hard drives growing past 200gb, etc.]
______________

If you want to clean up your current installation of Win98se, you might think about a few options. Might make a few backups first.

1) Clean Up in the Registry, and in Device Manager.
Boot the computer in Safe Mode. In Add/Remove Programs, remove any software components to hardware no longer present or no longer in use. In Device Manager, remove hardware entries you know are no longer present. In Windows Explorer, look in on your C:\Windows and C:\Program Files folders for folders that belong to programs you thought you'd already uninstalled. These are unintended leftovers. If you are fairly sure you aren't using them & have tried to uninstall them, you can delete them. Now run RegClean 4.1 [ http://download.com.com/3000-2094-88...ml?tag=lst-0-1 ] instructions on how to use it are in the Readme.txt file. [Yes, you could run the Norton cleaner, but those programs seem to have been acting up in your system, and RegClean is a simple, known commodity with a nice Undo feature]. All of these steps take place while you are still in Safe Mode.

2) Try Windows Update. Does it work now? If not, try the two fixes in my last post (replacing the spoolss.dll, and trying the different setting for Norton's CleanSweep). Try a repair install or IE, or download a newer version or newer Service Pack. Try Windows Update again. Does it work now?

3) If the answer is still no - take a good hard look in your Norton settings. See if there are agressive options in there that are preventing Windows Update from running. Test this by temporarily disabling Norton while you visit Windows Update. Does it work then?

4) You can consider an over-the top install (though note that a fellow forum member recently had difficulties with the procedure I usually use - take a look at http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=70846) . . . In that same thread, note the system files verify command "setup /p f" that you can also try = this is only for same-version reinstalls.
5) Consider manually updating the files that run Windows Update. Visit Windows Update, go to the Troubleshooter link, and look in the list for the article that details how to "Manually Install Windows Update Controls" (or some wording close to that)...

Windows 98 2nd Ed. on older machines has a pretty good record as far as ease of use, and widespread hardware compatibility.

This is a lot to read = you have a lot of options!
Feel free to ask any questions you have about any of this.
. . . Gary

[p.s. ....you can't really "borrow" winXP = only one license per machine, unless an additional license is purchased, and then it needs to be activated with Microsoft. As an owner of Win98, however, you'd qualify for the $90 upgrade edition of XP Home (or if you are a college student - the $81 Academic version of XP Pro!)]