Vista Windows Update freezing

Two weeks ago I bought a new HP laptop. It came with Windows Vista Home
Premium with Service Pack 1 pre-installed.

My problem is that the Windows Update program freezes when it runs. When it
is launched, an Explorer window appears but it remains blank and the spinning
mouse pointer (hourglass) remains visible. Nothing ever happens, I tried
leaving it running overnight. Also, when I shutdown Vista and the computer, I
get a message that updates are being processed and that I should not turn my
computer off. That screen remains for 30-45 minutes but eventually the
computer shuts down. When I restart, I get a message about an update
happening, step 1 of 3 at 0%. The message disappears within seconds and
before the percentage/step ever changes and then the Welcome screen is shown.
The computer works normally until I shutdown and the whole process starts
again.

Being comfortable with technology (programmer with 20-years experience), I
checked the Knowledgebase and every other source of information that I could
find. I tried the following possible solutions, to no avail:

- Temporarily disabled my ZoneAlarm Firewall and Anti-Virus

- Reset Windows security to the default values

- Added the various Windows Update download URLs to the list of authorized
sites

- (Re-)registered the JScript.dll COM server


Can you help?

"pattste" <> wrote in message
news:928016C8-98A6-4190-9807-...
> Two weeks ago I bought a new HP laptop. It came with Windows Vista Home
> Premium with Service Pack 1 pre-installed.
>
> My problem is that the Windows Update program freezes when it runs. When it
> is launched, an Explorer window appears but it remains blank and the spinning
> mouse pointer (hourglass) remains visible. Nothing ever happens,


Test that assertion by running some kind of monitor,
e.g. Task Manager with full statistics may be enough.


> I tried
> leaving it running overnight. Also, when I shutdown Vista and the computer, I
> get a message that updates are being processed and that I should not turn my
> computer off. That screen remains for 30-45 minutes but eventually the
> computer shuts down.


Then there would be copious amounts of diagnostics available.
Off-hand it looks like it could be a connectivity issue.
E.g. *which* updates are being processed? Is there one which
requires more communication with the server? Why not do them
one at a time and find out if there is only one which is the real source
of the symptoms?


> When I restart, I get a message about an update
> happening, step 1 of 3 at 0%. The message disappears within seconds and
> before the percentage/step ever changes and then the Welcome screen is shown.


Again, you should be checking if there are diagnostics which can confirm
and explain your observations. E.g. if you find a log entry written which
shows that something which would cause that actually happened *after*
your boot it couldn't be explained away by speculating about the screen
just waking up with what it shut down with... ; )


> The computer works normally until I shutdown and the whole process starts
> again.


That symptom would suggest that one or more of the updates was not
finished, or require a reboot by an administrator to finish, or are somehow
being undone after they are completely applied.


>
> Being comfortable with technology (programmer with 20-years experience), I
> checked the Knowledgebase and every other source of information that I could
> find. I tried the following possible solutions, to no avail:
>
> - Temporarily disabled my ZoneAlarm Firewall and Anti-Virus
>
> - Reset Windows security to the default values
>
> - Added the various Windows Update download URLs to the list of authorized
> sites
>
> - (Re-)registered the JScript.dll COM server
>
>
> Can you help?


Unfortunately sometimes you have to do your own diagnosis
and can't take advantage of others' resolutions. ; )


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

First, go ahead and follow the steps from Mothod 3 of this KB:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358
You shouldn't need to boot from a CD or anything because you machine does
boot, just get rid of the file and reg key.
Then reboot.
Does at least the update message go away?
If it does, then try windowsupdate again.
If it still freezes, run my tool:
http://www.codeplex.com/aureset
and let me know if that doesn't fix it

Eddie Bowers
Security Support
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--------------------
From: =<>

Two weeks ago I bought a new HP laptop. It came with Windows Vista Home
Premium with Service Pack 1 pre-installed.

My problem is that the Windows Update program freezes when it runs. When it
is launched, an Explorer window appears but it remains blank and the
spinning
mouse pointer (hourglass) remains visible. Nothing ever happens, I tried
leaving it running overnight. Also, when I shutdown Vista and the computer,
I
get a message that updates are being processed and that I should not turn
my
computer off. That screen remains for 30-45 minutes but eventually the
computer shuts down. When I restart, I get a message about an update
happening, step 1 of 3 at 0%. The message disappears within seconds and
before the percentage/step ever changes and then the Welcome screen is
shown.
The computer works normally until I shutdown and the whole process starts
again.

Being comfortable with technology (programmer with 20-years experience), I
checked the Knowledgebase and every other source of information that I
could
find. I tried the following possible solutions, to no avail:

- Temporarily disabled my ZoneAlarm Firewall and Anti-Virus

- Reset Windows security to the default values

- Added the various Windows Update download URLs to the list of authorized
sites

- (Re-)registered the JScript.dll COM server


Can you help?