Windows Updates not working on XP SP2 machine

Hi!

We are seeing this problem on most of our Windows XP SP2 machines. We
go to the Windows Update (v5) site, choose Custom install, and scan the
machines. It gives us whatever updates are needed and we choose to
install them.

It looks ok at first, says "Downloading 64 kb of 512 kb". Then it just
keeps going! If the update we select is only 512 kb, it'll keep
downloading and reporting ever increasing sizes. For example, it'll say
"Downloading 30.80 MB of 32.20 MB". It will do this until we hit
cancel, then it tells us the install is unsuccesful.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Jason

I'm having the exact same problem. It has been happening for a few weeks. Now
I seem to be in a continuous loop with update.exe showing up every few
seconds in the Windows Task Manager <Processes> window using over 90% of CPU.

"Jason Fischer" wrote:

> Hi!
>
> We are seeing this problem on most of our Windows XP SP2 machines. We
> go to the Windows Update (v5) site, choose Custom install, and scan the
> machines. It gives us whatever updates are needed and we choose to
> install them.
>
> It looks ok at first, says "Downloading 64 kb of 512 kb". Then it just
> keeps going! If the update we select is only 512 kb, it'll keep
> downloading and reporting ever increasing sizes. For example, it'll say
> "Downloading 30.80 MB of 32.20 MB". It will do this until we hit
> cancel, then it tells us the install is unsuccesful.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jason
>

We figured it out!

Open MSCONFIG, stop all Network Associates and McAfee services from
starting. Also stop any McAfee or Network Associates programs from
running at start-up.

I've tried to figure out the EXACT reason for the failures, but so far
it eludes me.

Jason

UncleChuck- wrote:
> I'm having the exact same problem. It has been happening for a few weeks. Now
> I seem to be in a continuous loop with update.exe showing up every few
> seconds in the Windows Task Manager <Processes> window using over 90% of CPU.
>
> "Jason Fischer" wrote:
>
>
>>Hi!
>>
>>We are seeing this problem on most of our Windows XP SP2 machines. We
>>go to the Windows Update (v5) site, choose Custom install, and scan the
>>machines. It gives us whatever updates are needed and we choose to
>>install them.
>>
>>It looks ok at first, says "Downloading 64 kb of 512 kb". Then it just
>>keeps going! If the update we select is only 512 kb, it'll keep
>>downloading and reporting ever increasing sizes. For example, it'll say
>>"Downloading 30.80 MB of 32.20 MB". It will do this until we hit
>>cancel, then it tells us the install is unsuccesful.
>>
>>Any ideas?
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>>Jason
>>

Jason, I tried your suggestions, but everything appears to be the same even
though McAfee isn't running.

"Jason Fischer" wrote:

> We figured it out!
>
> Open MSCONFIG, stop all Network Associates and McAfee services from
> starting. Also stop any McAfee or Network Associates programs from
> running at start-up.
>
> I've tried to figure out the EXACT reason for the failures, but so far
> it eludes me.
>
> Jason
>
> UncleChuck- wrote:
> > I'm having the exact same problem. It has been happening for a few weeks. Now
> > I seem to be in a continuous loop with update.exe showing up every few
> > seconds in the Windows Task Manager <Processes> window using over 90% of CPU.
> >
> > "Jason Fischer" wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Hi!
> >>
> >>We are seeing this problem on most of our Windows XP SP2 machines. We
> >>go to the Windows Update (v5) site, choose Custom install, and scan the
> >>machines. It gives us whatever updates are needed and we choose to
> >>install them.
> >>
> >>It looks ok at first, says "Downloading 64 kb of 512 kb". Then it just
> >>keeps going! If the update we select is only 512 kb, it'll keep
> >>downloading and reporting ever increasing sizes. For example, it'll say
> >>"Downloading 30.80 MB of 32.20 MB". It will do this until we hit
> >>cancel, then it tells us the install is unsuccesful.
> >>
> >>Any ideas?
> >>
> >>Thanks.
> >>
> >>Jason
> >>
>

"Jason Fischer" <> wrote in message
news:...
> We figured it out!
>
> Open MSCONFIG, stop all Network Associates and McAfee services from
> starting. Also stop any McAfee or Network Associates programs from
> running at start-up.
>
> I've tried to figure out the EXACT reason for the failures, but so far
> it eludes me.



Jason,


Stopping such programs at least during the update phase
of an update is usually advisable anyway.

Could you please check your windowsupdate.log to see if it
has the same sort of apparent loop in it that I analysed for poster
"mike g" in January:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...e-834b53020f7b

My suggestion then was to see if using a customized install
(e.g. one patch at a time) would let him avoid the problem.
Unfortunately I apparently didn't think of making sure that
external interference such as you are mentioning wasn't a factor.
However, note that if both changes are done at the same time
you aren't able to say for sure which one is necessary.


BTW since making that reply I have discovered a very useful
tool which could make the loop symptom more apparent
than the log does. E.g. before you start the update (or while
its download phase is in progress) open a commad window
and enter:

bitsadmin /wrap /monitor /allusers

FYI bitsadmin is available in the XPsp2 Support Tools update.

<title>KB838079 - Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Tools</title>


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
---

Robert, Thanks for your advice, but before you sent your suggestion I
actually fixed the looping problem by using System Restore, but I still can't
download updates, even if I try only one at a time.

"Robert Aldwinckle" wrote:

> "Jason Fischer" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > We figured it out!
> >
> > Open MSCONFIG, stop all Network Associates and McAfee services from
> > starting. Also stop any McAfee or Network Associates programs from
> > running at start-up.
> >
> > I've tried to figure out the EXACT reason for the failures, but so far
> > it eludes me.
>
>
>
> Jason,
>
>
> Stopping such programs at least during the update phase
> of an update is usually advisable anyway.
>
> Could you please check your windowsupdate.log to see if it
> has the same sort of apparent loop in it that I analysed for poster
> "mike g" in January:
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...e-834b53020f7b
>
> My suggestion then was to see if using a customized install
> (e.g. one patch at a time) would let him avoid the problem.
> Unfortunately I apparently didn't think of making sure that
> external interference such as you are mentioning wasn't a factor.
> However, note that if both changes are done at the same time
> you aren't able to say for sure which one is necessary.
>
>
> BTW since making that reply I have discovered a very useful
> tool which could make the loop symptom more apparent
> than the log does. E.g. before you start the update (or while
> its download phase is in progress) open a commad window
> and enter:
>
> bitsadmin /wrap /monitor /allusers
>
> FYI bitsadmin is available in the XPsp2 Support Tools update.
>
> <title>KB838079 - Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Tools</title>
>
>
> HTH
>
> Robert Aldwinckle
> ---
>
>
>

McAfee has a patch out for the product we used that fixes the problem
permenantly. Search for 'patch 10' on the mcafee website.

Jason

Uncle_Chuck- wrote:
> Robert, Thanks for your advice, but before you sent your suggestion I
> actually fixed the looping problem by using System Restore, but I still can't
> download updates, even if I try only one at a time.
>
> "Robert Aldwinckle" wrote:
>
>
>>"Jason Fischer" <> wrote in message
>>news:...
>>
>>>We figured it out!
>>>
>>>Open MSCONFIG, stop all Network Associates and McAfee services from
>>>starting. Also stop any McAfee or Network Associates programs from
>>>running at start-up.
>>>
>>>I've tried to figure out the EXACT reason for the failures, but so far
>>>it eludes me.
>>
>>
>>
>>Jason,
>>
>>
>>Stopping such programs at least during the update phase
>>of an update is usually advisable anyway.
>>
>>Could you please check your windowsupdate.log to see if it
>>has the same sort of apparent loop in it that I analysed for poster
>>"mike g" in January:
>>
>>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...e-834b53020f7b
>>
>>My suggestion then was to see if using a customized install
>>(e.g. one patch at a time) would let him avoid the problem.
>>Unfortunately I apparently didn't think of making sure that
>>external interference such as you are mentioning wasn't a factor.
>>However, note that if both changes are done at the same time
>>you aren't able to say for sure which one is necessary.
>>
>>
>>BTW since making that reply I have discovered a very useful
>>tool which could make the loop symptom more apparent
>>than the log does. E.g. before you start the update (or while
>>its download phase is in progress) open a commad window
>>and enter:
>>
>> bitsadmin /wrap /monitor /allusers
>>
>>FYI bitsadmin is available in the XPsp2 Support Tools update.
>>
>><title>KB838079 - Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Tools</title>
>>
>>
>>HTH
>>
>>Robert Aldwinckle
>>---
>>
>>
>>