Kenter <> wrote:
> Yes, this helped. I followed your instructions and was able to
> download the recent updates. Thank you very much.
>
> 1) Am I now supposed to re-enable my third party firewall or leave the
> Windows Firewall on? I have been running Update on my computers for
> over a year. This is the first time this problem has occured. Why?
I don't know enough about the exact circumstances to answer. Maybe, for
instance, the third-party products have recently been updated in a way that
conflicts with Windows Update. WU or MU do not seem to have changed for over
a year. There might be ways in which your third-party products could be
configured to avoid the conflict, but without having them to play with for
an extended period, I can't offer any help with that.
I don't know from your response whether the problem was with the firewall,
or anti-virus components of your security applications.
> 2) Do you work for Microsoft or are you an "outside" genius?"
I do not work for Microsoft.
> 3) I have four computers in my household. Two have the Norton
> Security Center with a firewall, and two have the Earthlink Security
> center with a firewall. (Earthlink is my ISP.) If these products are
> not compatible with Microsoft Update, then should I get rid of them
> and only use Microsoft Firewall and Windows Defender? I was told
> that the Norton and Earthlink products were better.
I try not to get involved in value-judgement disputes, but it is by now an
almost standard first-line response to WU/MU problems to disable third-party
security products, because there has been real evidence that some such
products do obstruct Windows Update in some way or another. A Windows
Update can mess with intimate parts of the operating system in ways that can
appear to be hostile to some security applications. Therefore it is wise to
disable such applications when Windows Update shows signs of trouble.
People who want to continue to use their third-party security applications
in normal use will need to schedule their Windows Updates to occur on
demand, at times when the user can disable other stuff for the duration.
As for your choices, I have never felt the need for a better firewall than
Windows Firewall, though many others will disagree: that's just my take on
the issue. However, be advised that Windows Defender is not an anti-virus
product, and you will need a reputable anti-virus as well as Windows
Defender.
--
Robin Walker [MVP Networking]
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