Windows update does not install

[Bramber]

Dear all,

Recently my PC has stopped installing the windows update. The selected updates download fine then everything hangs at the preparing to install stage. This has now transferred to the installation of new software where the install wzzard shield prepares to install then nothing. I am using WIN XP pro and have two other PC's configured exactly the same which install new software and the updates no problems. Any help much appreciated.

Bram.

[FrankSG]

Do you have any program open while you're trying to install. Possibly something running in the background? Sometimes a virus program or a firewall will give such problems.

[Bramber]

No nothing. I tried it with everything turned off and even trying to install directly after boot up. I do have Norton Internet Security installed and the strange thing is that the updates for this program work just fine, it is new programs and Windows updates that do not install. I'm very reluctant to do a reinstall of Windows which has been sugested to me. I do not remember doing anything specific over the last couple of weeks on the PC that would make it act like this. I have another PC configured exactly the same and this works fine.

Bram

[classicsoftware]

STOP NIS and try again.

[richardg5]

I have also suddenly got this problem. Windows Update scans my systems OK, tells me it have a number of updates available, downloads all available updates successfully, but when it tries to install the progress bar stops at 0% even when left for ages. The cancel button does nothing. I then have to end the program from within task manager.


HELP !!!!


I have Windows XP Pro SP2. Norton IS Pro 2004. Closing Norton does not seem to make any difference.

[Sylvander]

You musn't have Internet Explorer configured to BLOCK ActiveX, since it is [I think] what is used to do the work of installation.

See:
"IE | Tools | Internet Options | Security | Internet | Custom Level"

All ActiveX settings should be either PROMPT or ENABLE.

[Sylvander]

I run Win98.
I used "Wintop.exe" [a Windows toy issued by Microsoft] to study the [additional] programs running as I installed a Windows Update.

When I entered the Windows Update site:
cmiom.exe
wmiexe.exe

During the update installation:
spool32.exe
rundll32.exe

To update IE6:
IEupdate.exe
There was also the specific update executable with a very long name beginning "IE6.osp1-kb889293..."

[ziba-june]

Do you have sp2 already installed? Or do you have any firewall installed? If so disable all the firewalls or internet security program and then try.

[jlreich]

I have had similar problems with windows updates on two machines. Updates would download, but fail to install.

On one machine(a friends), it seems the problem was that XP SP2 was not installed(lucky for me I have the CD). Then it was the new "genuine windows validation". Microsoft makes life harder once again. Once I got the validation code, everything went fine. Note that the code is only needed if the activeX control is not able to validate.

The second machine(a brand new build), it didn't even prompt me for validation. I had to search through the site to find it. Once I found it and validated, it still failed to install the updates. So I downloaded the update manually, and installed it successfully from my desktop.

If you go to the downloads page at Microsoft, look for a download that has a little blue circle with a arrow in it(media player 10 is one). That download is only for validated customers only. It will ask you to validate in order to get the download if you already haven't. Follow the prompts. If successful, go back to windows update and try again.

I hope that might help.

[richardg5]

None of the above makes any difference. It just sits on "Initializing installation".

[Donn]

Well first off--Welcome to The PCGuide.com, and many happy returns.

It is standard procedure for me to get the download, and then, before hitting the 'install' icon, log off the net, and disable the AV. In your case, with NIS or NSW (especially) what I would do ( make that: 'have had to do) is uninstall, not disable, uninstall the NIS--EXCEPT FOR THE AV--and then try it.

However, let me ask--what were you doing just before this problem started? Were you downloading something, visit any game sites, contest sites, Kazaa, anything like that. . . since it seems that it is a recent problem and there was a time when you could download and install with no problems.

Secondly--does someone else have access to this computer that could mess with it without having told you? It sounds like you are in an office. . .? Did you ask around if anyone was using it for . . .gaming, or music downloads etc.,....?

Third, go into task manager and see if there is anything foreign there, anything you do not recognize, also same for Start-up in the System Config Utility.

Perhaps it might be helpful for you to post a HiJackThis log for this PC. If you do not know how to do that, let us know and someone will walk you through it.

Edit: Also, do you use SpyBot, Adaware, A-Squaed or any anti-spyware? Are they updated, and have you run them in safe mode along with your AV?

[richardg5]

Done all of the above. It is my home PC, no-one else uses it etc etc. However Norton Live Update works fine.

[richardg5]

Sorted It. I had previously downloaded the "Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1" critical update from the Windows Update web site.

I re-installed the original version of the .NET Framework and Windows Update is now working.

[Paul Komski]

Thanks richardg5 for posting back about what could be a difficult "bug" to detect and fix. I even wonder if a System Restore would have been able to fix it since the "platform" is such an integrated feature.

By the way - did Windows add a new user called ASP.NET to your logon page after installing/reinstalling the original Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 and/or after installing its more recent SP1 critical update from Windows Update; the one that seems to have been the source of your grief?

[pop pop]

I posted about half a dozen times about the .NET Framework SP issue. It's also all over the Microsoft related forums. The problem has been around for ... well since the SP came out.

My problem (besides not being able to get past that install, was I could not deletethe original .NET Framework. I tried everything that was suggested and posted anywhere. As long as you didn't include that SP, all other updates would work.

I don't remember exactly how I did it but I think I deleted the SDK and all documentation and then the .NET would uninstall. After that I was able to re-update just fine.

[Paul Komski]

pop pop I found an earlier thread by you on these forums and which I had forgotten about.

It is a somewhat thorny issue that MS has made a real dog's dinner of - so it is possibly worth a recap.

There are four main bits of software related to this issue.
1) .NET Framework 1.1 platform
2) .NET Framework 1.1 SDK (which wont install without the platform)
3) WinXP SP2
4) .NET Framework 1.1 SP1 (critical update)

Most ordinary users are likely to have only installed the platform (if at all) and the Software Development Kit (SDK) would normally be installed by software writers and their ilk.

If there is an upgrade to WinXP SP2 then it may well be that one just needs to reinstall the platform (? the SDK as well) prior to installing the Framework's SP1 or else, as with the current poster's case, there may be problems.

Possibly just reinstalling over will do the trick because once the "bug" has set in one may not be able to uninstall the platform (and/or the SDK) which would be the more normal way of proceeding in such circumstances.

Personally I have had no problems with the framework 1.1 SP1 critical update after WinXP SP2 on both pro and home editions and that could be because they were effectively clean installations. Clean in the sense that they were added to a restored image file of a clean installation but with my must have apps added to it.

[pop pop]

The thing that galled me about this issue was M$'s silence. The number of posts on THEIR forums about it was staggering. Their silence was especially puzzling not only with regard to the widespread nature of the issue but also with regard to how they "tout" .NET as the Holy Grail. I guess they have bigger problems--like fixing the screen doors in their flagship submarine.