Windows Update Stops Responding

Update stops responding when "Checking for Updates". This happens on custom
or express.

Background: I was reloading my Dell XPS from the restore discs and
everything went well until I started downloading and installing windows
updates (which I let MS take care of). It failed on several and now is
unresponsive.

Failed updates in update history: Security Update for Windows XP (KB920213),
Security Update for Windows XP (KB932168), Security Update for Windows XP
(KB890859), and Update for Windows XP (KB942840).

Any ideas how to jump start this service again?

Thanks,

~serf wrote:
> Update stops responding when "Checking for Updates". This happens
> on custom or express.
>
> Background: I was reloading my Dell XPS from the restore discs and
> everything went well until I started downloading and installing
> windows updates (which I let MS take care of). It failed on
> several and now is unresponsive.
>
> Failed updates in update history: Security Update for Windows XP
> (KB920213), Security Update for Windows XP (KB932168), Security
> Update for Windows XP (KB890859), and Update for Windows XP
> (KB942840).
>
> Any ideas how to jump start this service again?

Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update,
from Microsoft Update, or by using Automatic Updates after
you repair a Windows XP installation
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144
(Try it even if you did a clean, not repair, installation.)
(Try it even if you performed some sort of restore - not repair install.)

Can't figure that out?

Get Dial-a-Fix:
http://wiki.djlizard.net/Dial-a-fix

Use its options to fix:
- Windows Installer
- Windows Update
- All the Registration Center options.

Turn off the "Empty System32\Catroot 2"
Do NOT do "Flush SoftwareDistribution".

Then click "GO" and wait until it is done... Reboot will be needed.

- Download/Install Windows Update v3.

http://download.windowsupdate.com/Wi...gent30-x86.exe
(You *may* need to install it using the command line switch "/wuforce"
right after the reboot - immediately after logging in.)

- Download/Install the 927891 patch.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...9-404327772E5A

- Reboot.

- Visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and scan for/install updates.

- Come back and let us know how things went!

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

This error is most likely caused by one of the following conditions:

1. The Windows Update Temporary folder is corrupted.
2. Windows Update Agent 3.0 is not installed properly.

We can perform the following steps to troubleshoot this issue. After trying
each suggestion, please go to the Windows Update site to check the result.
Thanks for your cooperation.

NOTE: Some third party programs can also affect the Windows Update service.
If you are running any third party applications such as Spyblocker, Internet
or web accelerators (programs designed to boost the speed of the Internet
connection), security or anti-virus programs (Norton, McAfee, etc.), I
recommend we temporarily disable or shut them down and then try accessing the
Windows Update site later. Please be sure to enable them again after
completing the update process.

Suggestion 1: Clean up Windows Update temporary folder
===========================================
1. Click Start, Run, type: cmd and press Enter. Please run the following
command in the open window.

Net stop WuAuServ

2. Click Start, Run, type: %windir% and press Enter.
3. In the open folder, rename the folder SoftwareDistribution to Sdold.
4. Click Start, Run, type: cmd and press Enter. Please run the following
command in the open window.

Net start WuAuServ

Suggestion 2: Reinstall Windows Update Agent 3.0
======================================
1. Visit the following link and download Windows Update Agent 3.0 to the C:\
(Choose Save, click My Computer on left panel, Click C:\, Click Open and
Click Save)

http://download.windowsupdate.com/Wi...gent30-x86.exe

2. Click Start, Click Run and copy the following command to the panel:

C:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce

Note: There is a space between "C:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe" and
"/wuforce".

Best Regards,

Calven

Well, after 3 hours of troubleshooting, restarting and beating my head on the
desk it still does not complete the "checking for updates" step. However it
does finally give up after 5 or so minutes and gives me a 0x80072EFD error.

I tried every step in both of these posts. I even tried the Dial a fix
which I was hesitant to do since it was not a microsoft product but that
didn't seem to help and it produced 2 errors while registering DLLs:
wups.dll and wups2.dll both rcvd an invalid entry in the registry error.

Any other suggestions?

Wayne

"Calven" wrote:

>
> This error is most likely caused by one of the following conditions:
>
> 1. The Windows Update Temporary folder is corrupted.
> 2. Windows Update Agent 3.0 is not installed properly.
>
> We can perform the following steps to troubleshoot this issue. After trying
> each suggestion, please go to the Windows Update site to check the result.
> Thanks for your cooperation.
>
> NOTE: Some third party programs can also affect the Windows Update service.
> If you are running any third party applications such as Spyblocker, Internet
> or web accelerators (programs designed to boost the speed of the Internet
> connection), security or anti-virus programs (Norton, McAfee, etc.), I
> recommend we temporarily disable or shut them down and then try accessing the
> Windows Update site later. Please be sure to enable them again after
> completing the update process.
>
> Suggestion 1: Clean up Windows Update temporary folder
> ===========================================
> 1. Click Start, Run, type: cmd and press Enter. Please run the following
> command in the open window.
>
> Net stop WuAuServ
>
> 2. Click Start, Run, type: %windir% and press Enter.
> 3. In the open folder, rename the folder SoftwareDistribution to Sdold.
> 4. Click Start, Run, type: cmd and press Enter. Please run the following
> command in the open window.
>
> Net start WuAuServ
>
> Suggestion 2: Reinstall Windows Update Agent 3.0
> ======================================
> 1. Visit the following link and download Windows Update Agent 3.0 to the C:\
> (Choose Save, click My Computer on left panel, Click C:\, Click Open and
> Click Save)
>
> http://download.windowsupdate.com/Wi...gent30-x86.exe
>
> 2. Click Start, Click Run and copy the following command to the panel:
>
> C:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce
>
> Note: There is a space between "C:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe" and
> "/wuforce".
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Calven
>
>

Perform a clean boot and disable third party services and startup items
================================================== ===
1. Click Start and Click Run, and in the "Open" line, type in "MSCONFIG"
(without the quotation marks) and then click OK.
2. On the Startup tab, click Disable All.
3. On the Services tab, check the box before "Hide All Microsoft Services"
and then click Disable All
4. Click OK. Choose Yes to restart the computer.
5. Check "Don't show this message or launch the system configuration utility
when Windows starts" if you receive the message after restarting the system.

Then try to update Windows again, check if you still receive the error code.

NOTE: We can check on Normal Startup in the General tab to roll back to
Normal Mode after we get this issue resolved.



"~serf" wrote:

> Well, after 3 hours of troubleshooting, restarting and beating my head on the
> desk it still does not complete the "checking for updates" step. However it
> does finally give up after 5 or so minutes and gives me a 0x80072EFD error.
>
> I tried every step in both of these posts. I even tried the Dial a fix
> which I was hesitant to do since it was not a microsoft product but that
> didn't seem to help and it produced 2 errors while registering DLLs:
> wups.dll and wups2.dll both rcvd an invalid entry in the registry error.
>
> Any other suggestions?
>
> Wayne
>
> "Calven" wrote:
>
> >
> > This error is most likely caused by one of the following conditions:
> >
> > 1. The Windows Update Temporary folder is corrupted.
> > 2. Windows Update Agent 3.0 is not installed properly.
> >
> > We can perform the following steps to troubleshoot this issue. After trying
> > each suggestion, please go to the Windows Update site to check the result.
> > Thanks for your cooperation.
> >
> > NOTE: Some third party programs can also affect the Windows Update service.
> > If you are running any third party applications such as Spyblocker, Internet
> > or web accelerators (programs designed to boost the speed of the Internet
> > connection), security or anti-virus programs (Norton, McAfee, etc.), I
> > recommend we temporarily disable or shut them down and then try accessing the
> > Windows Update site later. Please be sure to enable them again after
> > completing the update process.
> >
> > Suggestion 1: Clean up Windows Update temporary folder
> > ===========================================
> > 1. Click Start, Run, type: cmd and press Enter. Please run the following
> > command in the open window.
> >
> > Net stop WuAuServ
> >
> > 2. Click Start, Run, type: %windir% and press Enter.
> > 3. In the open folder, rename the folder SoftwareDistribution to Sdold.
> > 4. Click Start, Run, type: cmd and press Enter. Please run the following
> > command in the open window.
> >
> > Net start WuAuServ
> >
> > Suggestion 2: Reinstall Windows Update Agent 3.0
> > ======================================
> > 1. Visit the following link and download Windows Update Agent 3.0 to the C:\
> > (Choose Save, click My Computer on left panel, Click C:\, Click Open and
> > Click Save)
> >
> > http://download.windowsupdate.com/Wi...gent30-x86.exe
> >
> > 2. Click Start, Click Run and copy the following command to the panel:
> >
> > C:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce
> >
> > Note: There is a space between "C:\WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe" and
> > "/wuforce".
> >
> > Best Regards,
> >
> > Calven
> >
> >