windows update issue...

hello all,

I manually update windows by clicking on windows update in the start menu which takes me to the website. For some reason it will not display the page anymore - it connects and then says 'done' but there is only a blank page on display. I have recently done the following:

installed host file from mvp and so disabled dns resolving
installed SecureIT and HardenIT
installed samurai
installed Pixx preempt

none of these things should ineterfere with windows update but i thought id mention them just in case.

thanks

Simon.

 

Disable your firewall and try Windows Update again. It worked for me ONCE.

 

Read this too:

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=93714

I had a problem recently and the above thread has my resolution.

 

I tried restarting outpost and it didnt work. As for Close_Hauled's link I have no idea what they are talking about.

I would appreciate as much straight forward info on this as possible. Not being able to use windows update is a big problem. Could it have anything to do with VBScript and ScriptingActiveX being disabled in Outpsot?

thanks again for your help.

Simon.

 

Also, the link above seems to be for a differant issue. I do not get nay error messages, its just that the page says its loaded - 'done', but its blank.


S.

 

Read it again

 

ok, i have read the link. Deleting all active x controls seems excessive, especially since i am not sure if the problem is the same - i receive no error messages saying i am missing any components. As for active x needing to be enabled, i switched it back on through outpost and still there is not differance.

Hauled, if you recommend that I follow your steps please tell me why. I am weay of making a bad sittuation horrific by doing the wrong thing.

keep the jelp coming all...

S.

 

I said "DISABLE" or deactivate your firewall, not "restarting".

Disable your firewall, run Windows Update and reboot your computer and your firewall will be activated again.
If that doesn't work you have indeed another problem.

 

Does it simply say 'done'....or does it say Done, but with errors on page

 

Disabling the firewall whilst online...hmm.

Bubba - it says 'done' - no errors at all. Also, I am using XP Pro with SP1.

thanks for the responses.

S

 

Just trying to help.
If you don't want to disable your Outpost, that's ok with me. In that case listen to the advices of other members.
Once I had a Windows Update problem with Norton Internet Security.
I deactivated NIS and Windows Update worked fine.

If you have a problem, you start eliminating the possibilities one by one, including your firewall.

 

I have now tried the following:

I downloaded the parse file - no effect
I disabled the firewall - no effect


What the hell is going on?

please help.

 

Are you certain that your computer is malware-free ?

 

yes. 100% sure.

 

I agree with Erik in regards to not only the Firewall but any of your other above mentioned programs. If you have been diligent up to now with updates you should have no problem feeling warm and fuzzy about letting any and all packets come toward your box. While this Internet is definetly a screwed up mess....it has not come to the point IMHO yet that we have to have a packet filter during the time it takes to disable our Security software just to perform an Microsoft update. Of course if you do get blasterd....you had bigger problems before this.

 

Quite a statement. I would never say that and my computer is working fine and my Windows Update also, but that doesn't mean anything.

Are you familiar with HijackThis and did you run it ?

 

have you checked to see if it's still in your trusted zone?

it could be proxomitron if you have it, or something similar.

have you tried manually clicking the URLs?
http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

 

Iceni60, thanks for the links. Its funny, the first and third links work fine but the second link, the one that windows update in the start menu opens up, just gives the 'done' message with a blank page. At least now i know that i can get to windows update but what doe i do about the link in the start menu, and why does that link refuse to work?

thank you all so much for your help so far. As i type this i am having a hijack this log checked in eric howes forum.

S.

 

Some more findings: I d/l Microsoft's Baseline security advisor and when i go to run it, a warning comes from explorer saying that 'Your current security settings prevent Active X controls on this page' and then its says 'you may experience errors on this page' followed by MBSA telling me i need to d/l MSXML - which i have done! I have gone into internet options and enabled Active X all i can but still there is no differance. I have uninstalled the following just to see if it makes a differance also:

pivx preempt
secureIT
hardenIT
samurai

These are the only security related programs i have left:

outpost pro
ewido security suite nod32
process guard
spyware guard

I am all out of ideas and feeling a bit defeated here as nothing seems to make any sense. If anyone can provide me with some asistance regarding these activex issues and why my parser is ot being recognised etc, it would really help.

thanks again.

S.

 

also, i am kinda sure that this has something to do with hardenIT. That messes with registry values and even though I have uninstalled it i am not sure the changes have been reversed so if any experts on this could give any advice (Notok?) i would appreciate it.

Like i said, i have activex enabled but it seems that something is still preventing it like some kind of registry value changed by hardenIT.

(sorry to keep adding bits that i forget)

S.

 

I had a similar problem with W2K. The problem turned out to be APC's Powerchute software. Once I got the latest Rev (Their older Java client license had expired) it worked fine.

 

SimonCC,

found the following at microsoft - may help resolve issue.

Remove Windows Update entries from the hosts file:

Some programs may modify the hosts file to control DNS name resolution. Sometimes, an entry for the Windows Update Web site may exist in the hosts file. To remove Windows Update entries from the hosts file, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, type notepad %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts, and then click OK.
2. Remove any lines that contain entries for Windows Update. For example, remove the following entry if the entry exists:
http://update.microsoft.com
3. On the File menu, click Save.
4. Quit Notepad.
5. Restart the computer.

Note If you do not want to restart the computer, flush the DNS resolver cache. To do this, follow these steps:a. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
b. At the command prompt, type ipconfig /flushdns, and then press ENTER

worth a try. hope it helps.

 

Ravin,

thank you so much for your suggestion and i really appreciate your going to the dreaded microsoft website to help me out. However my hosts file contains no such entry. BUT, on the positive side, I switched my comp on this morning and tried the windows update again, and guess what, IT WORKS! I do not know what is going on but it seems to have sorted itself out. It had nothing to do with the reinstallation of the programs i mentioned in the above thread eithar as the update was still not functioning post uninstallation and numerous reboots. This is a mystery indeed!

thank you all for your time and patience, it is much appreciated.

If anyone could explain this strange occurance than please do as it might happen again one day.

S.