Windows update site not working?

Hi all,
wondering if there are more people with problems on the windows update site.
I'm still on windows 98 SE as this system is simply not suitable to transform it to XP.
Now when i look for solving problems i get everywhere on the windows sites win98 (se is no longer supported and one must upgrade.
Until last weekend i was able to go to the update site and get critical updates and security patches.
But now?
Noticed a few annoyanced in windows, which i thought to solve with a repair IE 6.0 install, but that gave other errors and recommendation to go online for a new install; ok, that wasn't working anymore,
did everything the troubleshooting pages recommended and even if the examples mentioned were not my error codes, -- i just get nothing at all, nothing happens, while not really frozen as i can move the mouse normally.
Somehwere in the troublepages was said to get the update software again but no help either with that, i searched for suggested reg keys, nothing helps, i am left with a frozen update site.
At least let's say as one of the millions using win98se i feel very difficult at least said.
Am i the only one and just waisting my time trying to get the page working as it did till recently or is there really something on my system still hidden?
Of course i tried to send a support request online which is not possible i got for the software no longer supported.

What to do next? In fact i hope somebody has (a link to) the recent download for the update identifying software, which might help, and i hope it is better then the one i found after lots of trouble there.....

Thanks for all possible help!

 

Hi Jooske,

I am still running Win98.I have no problem at all with
Windows update sites

I hope it's only a temporary glitch for you

 

If i could only find it!
I think i just need to change/add/delete something and have a new update software -- not sure if it is different for a dutch version.
Imagine: i even closed my firewall to try it, and allowed microsoft everything with cookies and banners and java and the whole lot, added it even to the trusted zone, what more can they want?
Port 443 they want open and as far as i know it was, so to say honestly i'm out if ideas and less confident to find a solution.
Maybe i should have another win98se dutch version user on the phone and compare settings most of all in the registry.
Other options?

 

Hi Jooske,

If you use a proxi like Naviscope and such you have to
disable it temporarly to go to WinUpdate

Just a shoot in the dark

 

Not using proxy on that site.
They are a bit crazy there:
for instance recommending to get the newest Windows Script 5.6 engine; nice, a bit lower they say it has a file which needs to be replaced with one from SP1 which is a year older; fortunately i had that recommended older version, but my problems started when re-installing SP1
so now one wonders............
In some places it tells you to fake some version numbers for files not exiting to be able to get a d/l but to make sure to put it back afterwards, etc.
It's just a big mess with that windows and if i had a big large drive i would copy all on it and start installing all over again with a double bootable system or tripple, not sure what i want XP or 2000 or both.

But all together i still don't have that update side functioning back, even after rebooting and more rebooting etc.

I even looked in the source of that page but i don't see anything for my un-specialist eye for that site for a clue.
If i only at least had got an error message, would have pointed to a clue but this does nothing.


FINALLY! I could really ..grgrg@#$!! those guys!
Why for (x)'s sake they don't say on their site you need to allow reference settings (NOT to block privacy settings in the browser heading!!!)
Your proxy remark made me look another time through all the firewall privacy settings and i always had that reference thing blocked too, maybe a new policy on their site! Next time they'll ask us to allow webbugs too, the only thing still blocked at the moment for their site.
You would really .... !!! anyway, no auto-updates, my system is almost a microsoft highway/station with all this!

So your proxy remark shot in the dark was right! Thanks for shooting, karma cookie for you Claire!
This should be written in HUGE turbo characters on the support site!

 

Hi Jooske,

I don't know if this will help you get past the hitch you are encountering but you might want to visit this page

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.asp

At the very least you should be abel to redownload/apply IE6 but also it has links for other patches (however they may just point to the windowsupdate site that is causing you problems)

Let us know if it did no good for you and we can look for something else

 

Thanks Dan, i was on that page early today and got there the SP1 since when i had the accessability problems, it seemed.
The whole site seems to be rebuilt more or less, and it's harder to find special items we might be looking for.

But since i disabled the header privacy protection in the browser (guess the reference this forum is using too) which i think is madness in their case with persistent cookies and obliged installs to be even able to keep updated there, now i can access the site like before.
Strange enough i had thought i needed to re-install all the security updates since that SP1 of a year ago, but it gave only that 23 august cumulative patch.

All together a very time consuming experience and exactly the thing which did it is not on their trouble shooting pages They should surf our forums here more often to find solutions for their trouble bases!

You know the birthday feeling when something is solved for a moment after so much trouble?
Cookie time! Hope others who get ever into problems there first read this thread! Saves lots of time!
Your update/files page is also very handy!
Since MS stops support for win98 altogether it really is an important thread to know about!

 

Just curious Jooske,

You're using:

http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

for the cking of your system?

And:

I believe there is some sort of prob with people blocking a site called Alkaimai (sp)? Have you heard of this situation?

 

Both answers Yes!
ehhhh the /en/ is /nl/ here for a dutch windows version.

This time i had really unblocked everything except for the webbugs and had never experienced the references (web browser privacy) blocking as a problem before, so it seems MS is paying a bit more attention to security (?) on their own sites and seems to have made some changes. Not too strange after the Blase attack and more to expect.
Think they should put all those necessities to be able to use their site(s) in a readable place immediately at entering that page, so we can see what to change / allow or in case of disagreeing be off in stead of waisting a full day in trying to find out what's wrong.
Akamai is in manyfold blocked in the HOSTS files, can surely cause problems!

They really could have created an organised tour as with digging their sites for answers and solutions i've seen a whole guided tour and if win98se is sooooo good as they say there it's unbelievable they stopped support for it already! Let alone create more problems on their update site.

Could it be with their patches and fixes they gradually disable an older software version so much that we are forced to a new system?

 

Does this mean you got it working or what? Sorry, got lost in your response.

 

See the second half of answer #4 in this thread, starting with "FINALLY", just right after getting it back to work for me.

There are more people in big trouble on that site, so i hope the suggestions posted here help more people.
Most certainly the Akamai blockings in the HOSTS file are overlooked quite often.
The solutions mentioned here are not in their trouble shooting pages. Shame!

Thanks again all, for all future users too!

 

Got Ya! Thanks.

Wanted to add.....maybe you could post exactly what happened at the MS Windows update forum site at:

http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp?icp=windowsupdate

 

Jooske,

I have simular problems with win-update. I would like to try your solution, but unfortunaly I don't understand it. Could you please explain again what settings in which programs you have changed to solve your problem?
You can also explain it in Dutch as I am from Holland also.

Pieter

 

Hi Pieter, (nice name )

This is what did the trick for Jooske:
Why for (x)'s sake they don't say on their site you need to allow reference settings (NOT to block privacy settings in the browser heading!!!)
Other things that might help is check your hosts file for either a wrong IP for WindowsUpdate or a block for Akamai servers.

HTH,

Pieter

 

Hi Pieter²
In the firewall i did, Zapro:
privacy > site list , find www.microsoft.com, >
in the first option under "edited" rightclick and choose "options " > cookies tab , under "3rd party cookies" remove the 3rd option so allow "private header information" > and allow all cookies for the moment > click OK
close the browser to hope the new opened browser has these settings with which you can enter (i hope).
I mailes and phoned on their request the MS support, but it's ....(fill in own thoughts)... they did not take any measures to inform suffering users, nor didn't they add to this thread.... which i mailed MS too.


BTW in other firewalls you'll be able to do something equal.
This board here for instance uses the reference as well for security reasons; maybe the MS people did learn this trick by visiting here after all

In the IE browser you know to add the site to trusted zone?
IE > Tools > Options > Security > click the trusted zone > click the modify >
add the https://www.microsoft.com is you have the "security" under that window checked as well or "http://..." if not checked,> click add > ok

Hope this helps!
Keep us informed how it goes!