I lost Windows Update on Windows Vista Home Premium

I click Start, then Windows Update - nothing, it just locks up as a blank
screen.
It's not listed as a Program on Control Panel
I've tried to download it, but it won't download.
I've searched other sites, nothing helps.
I restored the PC to a about month previous (5/12/2010) - nothing.
I have Comcast and they replaced McAfee with the Norton Suite and that is
what I'm using, not Windows protection software. Could that affect the use of
Windows Update?
What would you recommend?

Al wrote:
> I click Start, then Windows Update - nothing, it just locks up as a
> blank screen.
> It's not listed as a Program on Control Panel
> I've tried to download it, but it won't download.
> I've searched other sites, nothing helps.
> I restored the PC to a about month previous (5/12/2010) - nothing.
> I have Comcast and they replaced McAfee with the Norton Suite and
> that is what I'm using, not Windows protection software. Could that
> affect the use of Windows Update?
> What would you recommend?

Uninstall McAfee and Norton.
Use their cleanup/removal tools (after a proper uninstall through Programs
and Features) for each to ensure they are completely removed.
( McAfee:
http://fileforum.betanews.com/downlo...l/1216829463/1 )
( Norton:
http://fileforum.betanews.com/downlo...a/1169144666/1 )

Install Avira AntiVir (free) for your antivirus.
(
http://www.free-av.de/en/trialpay_do...antivirus.html )

Use the native Windows Firewall for your firewall solution. If you have no
need for exceptions in the firewall, then select to have none!

After you have done all that - reset your update components (*assuming
32-bit Vista.)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058
(I would do Default first - reboot - then later if that did not work -
choose aggressive on the second run.)

Come back - let everyone know the outcome.

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

On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:36:54 -0500, Shenan Stanley wrote:

> Al wrote:
>> I click Start, then Windows Update - nothing, it just locks up as a
>> blank screen.
>> It's not listed as a Program on Control Panel
>> I've tried to download it, but it won't download.
>> I've searched other sites, nothing helps.
>> I restored the PC to a about month previous (5/12/2010) - nothing.
>> I have Comcast and they replaced McAfee with the Norton Suite and
>> that is what I'm using, not Windows protection software. Could that
>> affect the use of Windows Update?
>> What would you recommend?
>
> Uninstall McAfee and Norton.
> Use their cleanup/removal tools (after a proper uninstall through Programs
> and Features) for each to ensure they are completely removed.
> ( McAfee:
> http://fileforum.betanews.com/downlo...l/1216829463/1 )
> ( Norton:
> http://fileforum.betanews.com/downlo...a/1169144666/1 )
>
> Install Avira AntiVir (free) for your antivirus.
> (
> http://www.free-av.de/en/trialpay_do...antivirus.html )
>
> Use the native Windows Firewall for your firewall solution. If you have no
> need for exceptions in the firewall, then select to have none!
>
> After you have done all that - reset your update components (*assuming
> 32-bit Vista.)
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058
> (I would do Default first - reboot - then later if that did not work -
> choose aggressive on the second run.)
>
> Come back - let everyone know the outcome.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP

I help maintain three computers which use or have used Norton Internet
Security, and I have used Norton AV and other Norton products on numerous
computers over the decades.

I've had my share of problems with Norton (big surprise!), but it has never
interfered with Windows Update.

I can't help the OP on this one, but I think he needn't waste time getting
rid of Norton instead of looking for the real problem.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

http://groups.google.com/group/micro...1445852786e5e1

Gene E. Bloch wrote:
> I help maintain three computers which use or have used Norton
> Internet Security, and I have used Norton AV and other Norton
> products on numerous computers over the decades.
>
> I've had my share of problems with Norton (big surprise!), but it
> has never interfered with Windows Update.
>
> I can't help the OP on this one, but I think he needn't waste time
> getting rid of Norton instead of looking for the real problem.

I have seen it's leftovers keep a system from booting at all as well as
corrupting it in ways that prevented one from updating. Same for McAfee.
These are *suites* (as given by the OP) which means their firewall *can* and
*has* in the past stopped people from updating because it would not allow
some update component to do its job. ;-)

If the OP follows the advice given, they will have a better performing
system with less problems and most likely updating from Microsoft's site.
The suites are generally bloated and overkill - even if they have done a
better job and taming the prior resource hungry apps - most users will never
use 1/10th of the features in such a suite and the chances of something
going wrong when it is not understood is pretty high - and the chances of
fixing it when/if it does - pretty low. K.I.S.S. - always good advice.

However - since you have offered some start of advice - what is your
suggestion to the OP on 'looking for the real problem'?

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

On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:16:17 -0500, Shenan Stanley wrote:

> http://groups.google.com/group/micro...1445852786e5e1
>
> Gene E. Bloch wrote:
>> I help maintain three computers which use or have used Norton
>> Internet Security, and I have used Norton AV and other Norton
>> products on numerous computers over the decades.
>>
>> I've had my share of problems with Norton (big surprise!), but it
>> has never interfered with Windows Update.
>>
>> I can't help the OP on this one, but I think he needn't waste time
>> getting rid of Norton instead of looking for the real problem.
>
> I have seen it's leftovers keep a system from booting at all as well as
> corrupting it in ways that prevented one from updating. Same for McAfee.
> These are *suites* (as given by the OP) which means their firewall *can* and
> *has* in the past stopped people from updating because it would not allow
> some update component to do its job. ;-)
>
> If the OP follows the advice given, they will have a better performing
> system with less problems and most likely updating from Microsoft's site.
> The suites are generally bloated and overkill - even if they have done a
> better job and taming the prior resource hungry apps - most users will never
> use 1/10th of the features in such a suite and the chances of something
> going wrong when it is not understood is pretty high - and the chances of
> fixing it when/if it does - pretty low. K.I.S.S. - always good advice.
>
> However - since you have offered some start of advice - what is your
> suggestion to the OP on 'looking for the real problem'?
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP

I will quote from my post:
"I can't help the OP on this one, but I think he needn't waste time getting
rid of Norton instead of looking for the real problem."

As you can see, I had already answered your question in my reply.

He has, in my view, not given enough information to suggest a path to a
solution, since I don't, as I already said, consider Norton a sufficient
reason (or even just "a reason") for his problem.

As for your putting bold marks around "suites": please note that I did
mention above that I have (and do now) run Norton Internet Security, which
*is* a suite, AFAICT. I have run it on a few computers (more than I stated
above, actually) without ever having problems with Windows Update.

Of course, I've also run non-Norton AVs and suites without update problems,
including your recommendation of Avira, plus AVG, AntiVir, MSE, and more
than I can currently recall.

NIS 9 & 10 do interfere with System Restore, but there is a setting to fix
that (turn off its self protection before initiating System Restore). I
usually don't remember to do that until after a System Restore has failed
:-(

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)