trouble downloading MS Windows Updates since installing sp2

My Husband and I are both running Windows XP. We have Adaware, Spyware Guard, Spyware Blaster, Spybot Search & Destroy and McAfee Internet Suite on our computers. His is a Dell, mine is an HP. We have both downloaded the sp2 update from the CD. My computer is running without problems. The problem is with my husband's computer. He is not receiving the automatic window's updates. The settings are exactly the same on both computers. When we click onto the MS automatic update website the site comes up with the heading "Checking for the latest version of Windows Update software....." Nothing else happens. It hangs. We cannot even click onto the "View installation history". Please help.

 

Thank you for the quick reply. We are both running the McAfee Internet Security Suite. The firewall is the McAfee Personal Firewall and it is configured to allow Microsoft Windows Updates full access to the internet. The screens do not match the example displayed in your response. We are still stuck.

 

We just tried the address you suggested and https://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com, the site that we go to when we click on automatic update, on the Tools, Internet Options, Trusted Sites, Sites, Add. Still no change. The screen just hangs there, at the Checking for latest version...... page. It goes no further.

 

The last url that you provided is the one we get directed to when we try to access the windows update site. We tried to add the address to the allowed sites list under the pop-up blocker settings. The address didn't show up in the box after clicking add. There is one address there: v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com

I clicked onto the update site while composing this reply. Again nothing happened there but a popup did appear, the yellow shield, saying "updates have been downloaded and are ready to install". Another popup said the update was successful and we restarted. After the restart we went back to the update page. Stuck again. We still don't have the option to view any installation history. If we only knew for sure that we are getting all of the critical updates that we need.....

Thank you again for your assistance.

 

Thank you for the tips. We will try the links and I'll let you know our results. Thanks again for your diligence.

 

Hi, in the meantime you can get the updates here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en

 

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsahome.mspx
I advise to install this tool to at least know which updates are missing

 

We installed the MS Baseline Security Analyzer on both computers. What a great tool! That allowed us to access the downloads for my husband's computer. It also revealed some security weakness in my computer, although the Windows update page was telling me that I was up-to-date.
Thank you everyone for all your efforts.

 

I had this exact problem, hence the reason I found this post and kept checking back for updated resolutions to the problem. I have also downloaded MSBSA, but still wanted to get my Windows Update working on the website.. I found this solution, and it worked for me. It doesn't freeze up at the "Checking for updates....etc..." screen. These are the instructions I followed if you're still having the same problem, Hope it helps!!

Click Start, select Run and type (pressing enter after each one and wait for the
success message):

net.exe stop wuauserv
Press Ok

Repeat for the following:
regsvr32 wuapi.dll
regsvr32 wups.dll
regsvr32 wuaueng.dll
regsvr32 wucltui.dll
regsvr32 msxml3.dll
net.exe start wuauserv

Press enter after each one and wait for the success message

 

Tried it Sunshine, no luck. Still freezing up on the "Checking for the latest version......" screen. Very puzzling.

 

This is most often just a closed port on a firewall ... windows update requires port 443 be opened to allow the scan

I'm a support tech for xp and i got 2 of those calls since the release ... same issue same resolution ... open the port 443

 

Thanks for your response Chopsaw.
I opened port 443 as you suggested and tried the Windows update site again. No luck. I restarted the computer and tried again without success. I then opened ports 445 and 1433, rebooted and logged onto the update site, same results. Nothing, it just freezes there.
My husband and I both run McAfee Security Center. My firewall shows all of the ports as closed yet I have no difficulty accessing the website. I receive automatic updates but I am able to view the Installation History when I click onto that site.
I'm open to more advice. Something has to work.

 

Finally found the source of the problem with the help of Chopsaw. The McAfee Security Center contains a Privacy Service which was blocking access. All we have to do now is log out of the privacy service and we can access the Windows Update page and view the installation history.
I want to thank everyone for their suggestions.