Windows Update page just spinning

I am running Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP2 on a Dell Dimension
2350. Last May I was having trouble downloading Windows XP SP2 from the
Windows Update website. Microsoft support helped me install XP2 by
downloading "WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe" (Windows XP Service Pack 2
Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers) and
installing it in SAFE mode.

I was able to install it that way, but since then when trying to run updates
from http://update.microsoft.com, the IE 7 screen just keeps spinning and
nothing happens (I have to run task manager to end the IE 7 session). I
researched this problem on some forums, and have added that as a trusted site
in IE 7 security options (and unchecked the "Require server verification
(https for all sites in this zone" box), and have disabled my McAfee
firewall and virsus scanner and IE pop-up blocker before accessing
http://update.microsoft.com, but to no avail.

I have tried deleteing the files in the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and
when revisiting the http://update.microsoft.com site, it would try
downloading some install files, but that would hang (never return while
saying it was installing). After stopping the task via task manager, then
going back to http://update.microsoft.com site, it again just spins.

When I look at the WindowsUpdate.log (by running: "%windir%\Windows
Update.log" in the Start -> run window), the last few lines in the file are:

"Files\WindowsUpdate\V4
2004-07-29 14:22:49 18:22:49 Success IUCTL Checking to see if
new version of Windows Update software available
2004-07-29 14:22:49 18:22:49 Success IUENGINE Starting
2004-07-29 14:22:50 18:22:50 Success IUENGINE Determining machine
configuration"

Which is weird as that is over 2 years ago, and it shows v4, and I think it
now uses WindowsUpdate V6.

Also, my computer would hang when shutting down (it used to turn off, after
install of XP2 I had to turn it off manually when got to "Windows is shutting
down" screen). I found in support forums that if I disable the Automatic
Updates service, then it would turn off during shutdown, and it does.

I have AOL installed -- not sure if that makes any difference.

I would really like to get the windows updates working again and would
appreciate any help.

AldoR wrote:
> I am running Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 SP2 on a Dell
> Dimension 2350. Last May I was having trouble downloading Windows
> XP SP2 from the Windows Update website. Microsoft support helped
> me install XP2 by downloading "WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe"
> (Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT
> Professionals and Developers) and installing it in SAFE mode.
>
> I was able to install it that way, but since then when trying to
> run updates from http://update.microsoft.com, the IE 7 screen just
> keeps spinning and nothing happens (I have to run task manager to
> end the IE 7 session). I researched this problem on some forums,
> and have added that as a trusted site in IE 7 security options (and
> unchecked the "Require server verification (https for all sites
> in this zone" box), and have disabled my McAfee firewall and virsus
> scanner and IE pop-up blocker before accessing
> http://update.microsoft.com, but to no avail.
>
> I have tried deleteing the files in the
> C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and when revisiting the
> http://update.microsoft.com site, it would try downloading some
> install files, but that would hang (never return while saying it
> was installing). After stopping the task via task manager, then
> going back to http://update.microsoft.com site, it again just
> spins.
>
> When I look at the WindowsUpdate.log (by running: "%windir%\Windows
> Update.log" in the Start -> run window), the last few lines in the
> file are:
>
> "Files\WindowsUpdate\V4
> 2004-07-29 14:22:49 18:22:49 Success IUCTL Checking
> to see if new version of Windows Update software available
> 2004-07-29 14:22:49 18:22:49 Success IUENGINE Starting
> 2004-07-29 14:22:50 18:22:50 Success IUENGINE
> Determining machine configuration"
>
> Which is weird as that is over 2 years ago, and it shows v4, and I
> think it now uses WindowsUpdate V6.
>
> Also, my computer would hang when shutting down (it used to turn
> off, after install of XP2 I had to turn it off manually when got to
> "Windows is shutting down" screen). I found in support forums
> that if I disable the Automatic Updates service, then it would turn
> off during shutdown, and it does.
>
> I have AOL installed -- not sure if that makes any difference.
>
> I would really like to get the windows updates working again and
> would appreciate any help.

Uninstall IE7 - it will roll back to IE6. Try it again.

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

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:
>
> Uninstall IE7 - it will roll back to IE6. Try it again.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
>
I uninstalled IE 7, rebooted, disabled the virus scan and firewall and
pop-up blocker on IE 6, then went to http://update.microsoft.com, and it is
still spinning...

This started happening before I installed IE 7.

"AldoR" <> wrote in message
news10E54CE-0EA2-493E-B3D3-...
> "Shenan Stanley" wrote:
>>
>> Uninstall IE7 - it will roll back to IE6. Try it again.
>>
>> --
>> Shenan Stanley
>> MS-MVP
>>
> I uninstalled IE 7, rebooted, disabled the virus scan and firewall and
> pop-up blocker on IE 6, then went to http://update.microsoft.com, and it is
> still spinning...
>
> This started happening before I installed IE 7.


A good reason to do your troubleshooting in IE6 and not IE7 then. ; }

BTW it might be a good idea to cross-post your troubleshooting to an AOL
forum. I don't think you will find too much expertise or even knowledge
about it here. For example, one thing that comes to mind as a possibility,
though I don't know anything about how AOL interfaces to the Internet
would be that it acts like a proxy server. In that case, you might be having
the sort of problems that users of MS ISA server have with WU/AU.
For some people it is almost as easy to use AU to get notifications
about critical updates and then use manual downloads to avoid problems
such as anonymous connections through proxy servers which don't allow
that. Etc.

Another tack you could take is inserting FiddlerTool between IE
and whatever is the interface that AOL needs. That way you would
get some clearer symptoms to report than "just spinning". ; }


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

I was able to fix my problem. I re-ran the install of XP2
"WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe" (Windows XP Service Pack 2
Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers) in SAFE
mode, then I un-installed AOL (9.0). After I rebooted I went to the windows
update website and it pulled down 67 critical updates no problem. I then
re-installed AOL and was able to download some non-critical software updates
as well. Not sure why it was confused but now it works fine (and the
shut-down turns off the computer as well). It may have worked with me just
un-installing AOL (without re-installing SP2 first)... not sure.

Thanks!