Automatic downloading fails every time?

XP pro/SP3

I consistently get this, even allowing time for the normal propagation of
patches - like waiting several days for the background download.

The progress monitor (yellow shield) sits at 0% for a while and vanishes.
If I use the website, all the latest patches are detected, no problem, and
they are queued for download, and this then fails - perhaps 1 in 20 will
actually work, it has to be said.
Various issues are reported in the history list, generally stuff about 'no
internet' (err, right.....)

I then go through the list and manually download and install the lot
without any problem whatsoever.

So, something is preventing me from doing the auto download, but what?

s_m_b wrote:
> XP pro/SP3
>
> I consistently get this, even allowing time for the normal
> propagation of patches - like waiting several days for the
> background download.
>
> The progress monitor (yellow shield) sits at 0% for a while and
> vanishes. If I use the website, all the latest patches are
> detected, no problem, and they are queued for download, and this
> then fails - perhaps 1 in 20 will actually work, it has to be said.
> Various issues are reported in the history list, generally stuff
> about 'no internet' (err, right.....)
>
> I then go through the list and manually download and install the lot
> without any problem whatsoever.
>
> So, something is preventing me from doing the auto download, but
> what?

Cleanup and update the update system itself...

First...

Start button --> RUN --> type in:
winver
--> Click OK.

What does the picture say at the top?
Quote the entire line below that starting with the word "Version" in
response to this.

Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan (separately) with the
following two applications (freeware versions are the ones to use for this):

SuperAntiSpyware
http://www.superantispyware.com/

MalwareBytes
http://www.malwarebytes.com/

After performing a full scan with one and then the other and removing
whatever they both find completely, you may uninstall these products,
if you wish.

Reboot.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemRoot%\system32\net stop wuauserv
--> Click OK.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemRoot%\system32\regsvr32 %SystemRoot%\system32\wups2.dll
--> Click OK.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemRoot%\system32\net start wuauserv
--> Click OK.

Download the latest version of the Windows Update agent from here (x86):
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=91237
.... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root
of the C:\ drive, do the following:

Close all Internet Explorer windows and other applications.

Start button --> RUN and type in:
%SystemDrive%\windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe /WUFORCE
--> Click OK.

(If asked, select "Run.) --> Click on NEXT --> Select "I agree" and click on
NEXT --> When it finishes installing, click on "Finish"...

Reboot.

Download/Install the latest Windows Installer (for your OS):
( Windows XP 32-bit : WindowsXP-KB942288-v3-x86.exe )
http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/d...displaylang=en

Reboot.

Log on as an user with administrative rights and open Internet Explorer and
visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and select to do a CUSTOM scan...
(Every time you are about to click on something while at these web pages -
first press and hold down the CTRL key while you click on it. You can
release the CTRL key after clicking each time.)

Once the scan is done, select just _ONE_ of the high priority updates
(deselect any others) and install it.

Reboot again.

If it did work - try the web page again - selecting no more than 3-5 at a
time.

The Optional Software updates are generally safe - although I recommend
against the "Windows Search" one. I would completely avoid the Optional
Hardware updates.

Come back - let us know if that worked.
.... Really - come back and let everyone know if that worked.

If it seemed to have failed, do this:

Check the staus of these two services:
- Automatic Updates
- Background Intelligent Transfer Service

Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK. In the list of
services, find those two, right click on them one at a time and choose
properties. In the Startup type list, what is each of them set to?

Report that here.

Then:

Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type: %windir%\windowsupdate.log
and then click OK.

Scroll down towards the bottom for the latest entries to locate any error
code(s) or explanation as to why the page cannot be displayed.

You can copy/paste the last 50 or so lines here...

How to read the Windowsupdate.log file:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093

Also give what AntiVirus software you are running, any third party security
software at all actually...

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

"Shenan Stanley" <> wrote in
news::

>
> Click Start, and then click Run.
> In the Open box, type: %windir%\windowsupdate.log
> and then click OK.
>
> Scroll down towards the bottom for the latest entries to locate any
> error code(s) or explanation as to why the page cannot be displayed.
>
> You can copy/paste the last 50 or so lines here...
>
> How to read the Windowsupdate.log file:
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093
>
> Also give what AntiVirus software you are running, any third party
> security software at all actually...
>

Thanks.

Might take a little while, but I'll let you know!

"Shenan Stanley" <> wrote in
news::

>
> Cleanup and update the update system itself...
>
> First...
>
> Start button --> RUN --> type in:
> winver
> --> Click OK.
>
> What does the picture say at the top?
> Quote the entire line below that starting with the word "Version" in
> response to this.
>

Windows XP Professional.

Version 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.090206-1234: Service Pack 3)

You've not given us any information to suggest that AU has been failing to
download/install updates, only that your impatience led you to
download/install them via Windows Update.

Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log, 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
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910340

You can try downloading/installing the updates via Windows/Microsoft Update
(WinXP) or running Windows Update manually (Vista) instead: Understand that
by doing so, you're pushing all the 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).
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002

s_m_b wrote:
> XP pro/SP3
>
> I consistently get this, even allowing time for the normal propagation of
> patches - like waiting several days for the background download.
>
> The progress monitor (yellow shield) sits at 0% for a while and vanishes.
> If I use the website, all the latest patches are detected, no problem, and
> they are queued for download, and this then fails - perhaps 1 in 20 will
> actually work, it has to be said.
> Various issues are reported in the history list, generally stuff about 'no
> internet' (err, right.....)
>
> I then go through the list and manually download and install the lot
> without any problem whatsoever.
>
> So, something is preventing me from doing the auto download, but what?

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in
news::

> You've not given us any information to suggest that AU has been
> failing to download/install updates, only that your impatience led you
> to download/install them via Windows Update.
>

Actually that's exactly what I am saying! I have AU set to download in the
background and often I leave it a couple of weeks after Patch Tuesday
before I bother to check. My PC at home (very similar spec) was updated to
Office 2003 a few days ago, and within 12 hours had downloaded the AU
patches and installed them without problem via install-on-turnoff.


> Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log, 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 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910340
>

NO, I've never seen that, however, I am trying various other possible
solutions.

> You can try downloading/installing the updates via Windows/Microsoft
> Update (WinXP) or running Windows Update manually (Vista) instead:
> Understand that by doing so, you're pushing all the 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).

That's what I'm having to do at the moment. And that's why I'd like the AU
system to work for me!

"s_m_b" <> wrote in
news:Xns9BF45AEAD2E4Esmb2000nshotrmailcom@207.46.2 48.16:

> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in
> news::
>
>> You've not given us any information to suggest that AU has been
>> failing to download/install updates, only that your impatience led
>> you to download/install them via Windows Update.
>>
>
> Actually that's exactly what I am saying! I have AU set to download in
> the background and often I leave it a couple of weeks after Patch
> Tuesday before I bother to check. My PC at home (very similar spec)
> was updated to Office 2003 a few days ago, and within 12 hours had
> downloaded the AU patches and installed them without problem via
> install-on-turnoff.
>
>
>> Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log, 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
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910340
>>
>
> NO, I've never seen that, however, I am trying various other possible
> solutions.
>
>> You can try downloading/installing the updates via Windows/Microsoft
>> Update (WinXP) or running Windows Update manually (Vista) instead:
>> Understand that by doing so, you're pushing all the 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).
>
> That's what I'm having to do at the moment. And that's why I'd like
> the AU system to work for me!
>
I appear to have found the fix. Ran proxycfg and found that normal proxy
settings were not being used. Updated them from IE and on reboot it
updated and installed via AU within a minute.

Thanks for the useful points!

YW & thanks for your feedback. Did windowsupdate.log show any errors?

s_m_b wrote:
> "s_m_b" <> wrote in
> news:Xns9BF45AEAD2E4Esmb2000nshotrmailcom@207.46.2 48.16:
>
>> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in
>> news::
>>
>>> You've not given us any information to suggest that AU has been
>>> failing to download/install updates, only that your impatience led
>>> you to download/install them via Windows Update.
>>>
>>
>> Actually that's exactly what I am saying! I have AU set to download in
>> the background and often I leave it a couple of weeks after Patch
>> Tuesday before I bother to check. My PC at home (very similar spec)
>> was updated to Office 2003 a few days ago, and within 12 hours had
>> downloaded the AU patches and installed them without problem via
>> install-on-turnoff.
>>
>>
>>> Absent any serious numerical Errors in your windowsupdate.log, 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
>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910340
>>>
>>
>> NO, I've never seen that, however, I am trying various other possible
>> solutions.
>>
>>> You can try downloading/installing the updates via Windows/Microsoft
>>> Update (WinXP) or running Windows Update manually (Vista) instead:
>>> Understand that by doing so, you're pushing all the 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).
>>
>> That's what I'm having to do at the moment. And that's why I'd like
>> the AU system to work for me!
>>
> I appear to have found the fix. Ran proxycfg and found that normal proxy
> settings were not being used. Updated them from IE and on reboot it
> updated and installed via AU within a minute.
>
> Thanks for the useful points!