Windows Update directs to a blank page

Following a recent Automatic Update when I go to "Windows Help & Support" -
"Keep Your Computer Up to Date" with Windows Update I get the message that it
is connecting then the window goes completely blank.

If I go to IE7, Tools, Windows Update I can see that I am trying to connect to
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. However if I search through the MS
website I find the address http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/
takes me to the correct page and when using this site everything works but I
cannot access it any other way other than manually typing the address in.

I have tried the suggestion by pronetworks

You may easily create a new shortcut to
C:\WINDOWS\system32\wupdmgr.exe
If the Shortcut icon is still there right click it and select Properties
then enter
Target: %SystemRoot%\system32\wupdmgr.exe
Start in: %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%

But this still gives me a blank page

Help please

"malcolmv" <> wrote in message
news:AC57E656-F38C-4119-B5BE-...
> Following a recent Automatic Update when I go to "Windows Help & Support" -
> "Keep Your Computer Up to Date" with Windows Update I get the message that it
> is connecting then the window goes completely blank.


Details matter. First of all is your OS XPsp3?

Then let's say you press Win-F1 and click the link you referred
to under Pick a Task on the Help and Support Center window.

Then press Ctrl-Shift-Esc to open Task Manager and find
the corresponding window in its Applications tab. Right-click
Go To Process on it and see what the associated Image name is.
FWIW I see helpctr.exe that way.


>
> If I go to IE7, Tools, Windows Update I can see that I am trying to connect to
> http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. However if I search through the MS
> website I find the address http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/
> takes me to the correct page and when using this site everything works but I
> cannot access it any other way other than manually typing the address in.


In that case the Imagename you would be using would be
iexplore.exe. That's different from the first one.


>
> I have tried the suggestion by pronetworks
>
> You may easily create a new shortcut to
> C:\WINDOWS\system32\wupdmgr.exe


That would be a third application which would be doing
the same thing.


> If the Shortcut icon is still there right click it and select Properties
> then enter
> Target: %SystemRoot%\system32\wupdmgr.exe
> Start in: %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%
>
> But this still gives me a blank page
>
> Help please


I think you are alluding to two separate symptoms:
1. inability to connect using applications other than iexplore.exe
2. possibility that some redirects are not working for you even
when iexplore.exe is used to connect.

Symptom one is often caused by a misconfigured firewall.
I don't think we have a clear enough symptom description
of symptom two to try to explain anything yet.


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
---

Hi - I'm having a very similar problem to malcomv. On a WinXP Home computer
with SP 3, when I go to 'Windows Update' it gives me a blank page. This is
using IE 8 on a unit with all MS updates installed.

malcomv wrote:
>If I go to IE7, Tools, Windows Update I can see that I am trying to connect to
>http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. However if I search through the MS
>website I find the address http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/
>takes me to the correct page and when using this site everything works but I
>cannot access it any other way other than manually typing the address in.

My situation is identical, except that I am using IE 8. As I have
'Automatic Updates' enabled to notify me, but not download, I can get the
updates. I also put a short cut for the (working) update link on the IE menu
bar, so the EU can access the (correct) Win Update site at any time.

But it bugs the $#@! out of me that I cannot find any way to redirect the
URL link to 'Win Update' that appears in the 'Start' button menu. Ditto for
the 'Win Update' option in IE itself.

Is there some way I can fix those two menu options to display the correct
update URL for the EU? Thanks!

To avoid confusion, please begin a new thread about your specific problems.
State your IE version and full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; Vista SP2)
in your first post.

jhecht wrote:
> Hi - I'm having a very similar problem to malcomv. On a WinXP Home
> computer
> with SP 3, when I go to 'Windows Update' it gives me a blank page. This
> is
> using IE 8 on a unit with all MS updates installed...
<snip hijacked thread>

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> To avoid confusion, please begin a new thread about your specific problems.
> State your IE version and full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; Vista SP2)
> in your first post.

Then we'd have two threads about the identical problem. Don't you think
that would simply ADD confusion? I already DID state my IE version AND my XP
version in my first post to the thread. And I just added the info asked for
by Robert Aldwinckle. Please read back and you (hopefully) will all have the
info needed. Please refer my info to Robert Aldwinckle, who seemed to have
no problem working with me in the existing thread...

Also, the 'notify me of replies' function is not working - I get no email,
and have to check back here manually. Please forward that bug to your
webmaster?

"jhecht" <> wrote in message
newsDEE4886-7C7F-424E-9FC4-...
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>
>> To avoid confusion, please begin a new thread about your specific
>> problems.
>> State your IE version and full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; Vista
>> SP2)
>> in your first post.
>
> Then we'd have two threads about the identical problem. Don't you think
> that would simply ADD confusion? I already DID state my IE version AND my
> XP
> version in my first post to the thread. And I just added the info asked
> for
> by Robert Aldwinckle. Please read back and you (hopefully) will all have
> the
> info needed. Please refer my info to Robert Aldwinckle, who seemed to
> have
> no problem working with me in the existing thread...
>
> Also, the 'notify me of replies' function is not working - I get no email,
> and have to check back here manually. Please forward that bug to your
> webmaster?

I'm sure with an attitude like this the VOLUNTEERS here will trip over
themselves trying to help you now. There are no Microsoft employees here.
PA Bear recommends you start a new thread to avoid any confusion. You may
think you're having a similar problem to the OP whose thread you hijacked,
but your problem may not be exactly the same, hurting the OP.
--


"Don't pick a fight with an old man.
If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."

"Michael" wrote:

>I'm sure with an attitude like this the VOLUNTEERS here will trip over
>themselves trying to help you now. There are no Microsoft employees here.

My attitude? Most support boards ask that posts about the same (or similar)
problems be appended to an existing thread, to avoid unnecessary
proliferation and duplication of threads. If this board prefers to multiply
threads on the same topic, I will be happy to post a new thread when time
permits. I admit I had the audacity to report a bug in the 'notify of
reply' function. I guess that means I have a bad 'attitude'...

>PA Bear recommends you start a new thread to avoid any confusion. You may
>think you're having a similar problem to the OP whose thread you hijacked,
>but your problem may not be exactly the same, hurting the OP.

How is adding to an existing thread 'hurting' the OP? Just as I found
useful information in his questions, he (and perhaps others) may find useful
info in my posts and the replies - without having to search through a myriad
of related threads. None of my posts change the OP's query, nor the replies
to it. I DO appreciate any help by the volunteers here, and thank anyone who
will help me (and the many others) who are coping with the bugs in the M'soft
update system. 'Hijacked' seems a wee bit over the top to describe appending
to an existing thread on the same problem...

What Michael said. Why? Because that's how we *volunteers* work here.

jhecht wrote:
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>
>> To avoid confusion, please begin a new thread about your specific
>> problems.
>> State your IE version and full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3; Vista
>> SP2)
>> in your first post.
>
> Then we'd have two threads about the identical problem. Don't you think
> that would simply ADD confusion? I already DID state my IE version AND my
> XP version in my first post to the thread. And I just added the info
> asked
> for by Robert Aldwinckle. Please read back and you (hopefully) will all
> have the info needed. Please refer my info to Robert Aldwinckle, who
> seemed to have no problem working with me in the existing thread...
>
> Also, the 'notify me of replies' function is not working - I get no email,
> and have to check back here manually. Please forward that bug to your
> webmaster?

"jhecht" <> wrote in message
news:00E1E2D9-4AC5-4916-89E2-...
> "Michael" wrote:
>
>>I'm sure with an attitude like this the VOLUNTEERS here will trip over
>>themselves trying to help you now. There are no Microsoft employees here.
>
> My attitude? Most support boards ask that posts about the same (or
> similar)
> problems be appended to an existing thread, to avoid unnecessary
> proliferation and duplication of threads. If this board prefers to
> multiply
> threads on the same topic, I will be happy to post a new thread when time
> permits. I admit I had the audacity to report a bug in the 'notify of
> reply' function. I guess that means I have a bad 'attitude'...

This isn't a "support board." You're posting to a Usenet newsgroup.

>>PA Bear recommends you start a new thread to avoid any confusion. You may
>>think you're having a similar problem to the OP whose thread you hijacked,
>>but your problem may not be exactly the same, hurting the OP.
>
> How is adding to an existing thread 'hurting' the OP?

Because the people here that are trying to help can't answer 200 questions
from 200 people in the same thread.

> Just as I found
> useful information in his questions, he (and perhaps others) may find
> useful
> info in my posts and the replies - without having to search through a
> myriad
> of related threads. None of my posts change the OP's query, nor the
> replies
> to it. I DO appreciate any help by the volunteers here, and thank anyone
> who
> will help me (and the many others) who are coping with the bugs in the
> M'soft
> update system. 'Hijacked' seems a wee bit over the top to describe
> appending
> to an existing thread on the same problem...

In Usenet it's called hijacking. Deal with it!


--


"Don't pick a fight with an old man.
If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you."