Hanging Update Checker on XP

I have a lot of Windows XP SP 2 machine which are hanging at
http://www.update.microsoft.com/micr....aspx?ln=en-us.
The is true with IE 6 or 7.

On one machine, I started the iexplorer process at 1423 and connected to the
Windows Update site. The process has been running now for 1 hour 35 minutes.

AntiVirus is not running
Windows Firewall is shutoff
Very little http traffic although there is an open tcp connection
The WindowsUpdate.log file was updated but has several 8 minute gaps
between entries. (always 8 min)
Process Explorer shows the process in the running state but the Thread
state is Wait:UserRequest
The Thread sitting on top is MSVCR80.dll

It looks as if the code popped up a modal dialog box on a remote machine.
If this is the case, will one of you guys push the button?

Thanks, bob

1. First install the newly released 'standalone' version of Windows Update
Agent 3.0, v7.0.6000.374
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932494

Direct Download links:

x86-based versions of Windows (most users)
http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7...gent30-x86.exe

x64-based versions of Windows
http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7...gent30-x64.exe

Itanium-based versions of Windows
http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7...ent30-ia64.exe

2. Now (re)install this (updated) fix:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927891

NB: Windows Update/Automatic Updates started offering 927891 on 22 May-07.
If "Update for [Windows XP] (KB927891)" is listed in Add/Remove Programs
(make sure Show Updates box is checked), it's already installed. cf.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec...ry/927891.mspx

3. Reboot.

The MS update team believes that this solves all three svchost problems that
folks have been experiencing. See
http://blogs.technet.com/wsus/archiv...follow-up.aspx
and http://blogs.technet.com/wsus/archiv...update-on.aspx

<QP>
It’s important to note that with the MSI fix and the new client installed,
the CPU may still go near 100%, but the system should still be responsive
and not lock up. If another task requires CPU cycles they will be shared,
but if the system is idle, MSI will use the full cycles available. If a
task is running at the same time as MSI, the system may be slightly slower,
but should still be responsive during this time. Key to remember the MSI
fix and the new client address unresponsive or locked systems. CPU spikes
during some scans are expected, machine unresponsiveness is not. If your
watching the process monitor, you will still see 100% CPU during some scans
and this is expected behavior.
</QP>
Source:
http://blogs.technet.com/wsus/archiv...follow-up.aspx
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)
AumHa VSOP & Admin; DTS-L.org

Bob Weiner wrote:
> I have a lot of Windows XP SP 2 machine which are hanging at
> http://www.update.microsoft.com/micr....aspx?ln=en-us.
> The is true with IE 6 or 7.
>
> On one machine, I started the iexplorer process at 1423 and connected to
> the
> Windows Update site. The process has been running now for 1 hour 35
> minutes.
>
> AntiVirus is not running
> Windows Firewall is shutoff
> Very little http traffic although there is an open tcp connection
> The WindowsUpdate.log file was updated but has several 8 minute gaps
> between entries. (always 8 min)
> Process Explorer shows the process in the running state but the Thread
> state is Wait:UserRequest
> The Thread sitting on top is MSVCR80.dll
>
> It looks as if the code popped up a modal dialog box on a remote machine.
> If this is the case, will one of you guys push the button?
>
> Thanks, bob