Windows Update Help Needed

I have a Dell Dimension 8200 running Windows XP Home.

I have had no problems installing Windows Updates in the past. My last update was installed 12/11/02. I always disable Norton Anti-Virus and Norton Personal Firewall before I download and install updates.

When I go to the Windows Update page and start the scan to search for updates, I get to 25%. Then IE locks up, the IE four-color flag in the upper right corner disappears first (yes, I know this sounds strange, but I've done this enough times to try to find out the order all this stuff happens), and then the whole page freezes. I have to go to Task Manager to close it all down.

By the way, I have had NO problems with the Office XP Update site.

I tried posting on the Windows XP forum, with no one able to help me. I found your site during a search, and you folks look to be very helpful, so here I am.

Thanks for all your help!

Betty

 

Not sure this will help much.

This happened to me often in the past---after 3 times of closing IE in Task Manager, I would finally get in. So, keep trying.

Also try shutting off any firewall you have running during the update process. Lower your security settings in Internet Options just for the update process.

Try deleting all your temp internet files, and go to the "Windows\Downloaded Program Files" folder and delete the Update Class ActiveX control.

 

Thanks for your suggestions.

I tried everything. You stated you got in after 3 tries? I've tried it 10 times and I still can't get in.

If anyone has anything else to try, I'm game!

Thanks!

 

Welcome Betty

If you leave please check back in an hour or two, or if that is not convienent then tommorow.

I have visitors here at home but I have some suggestions for you.

I will get them posted later this evening.

Mike

 

When in doubt, dump the Temporary Internet Files folder. Also dump all other temp folders (run disk cleanup).

 

Hi Betty

Zephyr is right.

So here are the steps.

1. Configure CleanMgr to max settings

Go to Start-Run and type

cleanmgr /sageset:1
The above need only be ran once (these settings will be remembered as the default until another sageset is ran).

It will present a menu select all except compress, then

Go to Start-Run and type

cleanmgr /sagerun:1
As long as /sageset above has been ran on this computer from now on the /sagerun:1 is the only thing that needs to run.

3. Cleanup Spy/Adware

D/L and run the below:

Spyware and adware removal

SpyBot http://security.kolla.de/index.php?lang=en&page=download
Run this twice delete all it finds, always run this before AdAware

AdAware http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/
Make sure to configure to Max settings, all files and compressed files.Delete all it finds

BHO Demon http://www.definitivesolutions.com/bhodemon.htm
This program runs stand alone no install is required post me the items it finds

There is more cleanings that can be done but try now!

Mike

 

Hello Betty,

Does this work http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp?corporate=true This is the download only page. There is also a link on this page back to the page your having trouble with.

Regards - Charles

 

Windows Update Results

Mike:

I've been so busy ... didn't even log on yesterday and as I work 10 hour days, I just now got to downloading the programs. So, a belated thanks for your info.

BHO Demon showed the following items:

AcroIEHelper.ocx (couldn't tell what this file is from)
PnEL.dll (this one is an Earthlink file)
NavShExt.dll (Norton SystemWorks dll file)
mnyviewer.dll (Microsoft Money viewer file)

Should I do anything with these?

I'll try to do an update now and report back.

Thanks again for your assistance.

Betty

 

Windows Update Results Part 2

Mike,

Well, it still didn't work. I guess my only option is to try Charles' solution? I did go to my "installed updates" page to print out my past installations and I'm trying not to install what I've installed before, searching for updates that are 2 months old or newer.

It's just a bit of a pain, and I'd like to do it the "easy" way. It's almost 10:30 p.m. my time, and since I get up at 5:00 a.m., I've got to get some sleep. Will try to install this tomorrow night if I don't see a post from you or anyone else with other ideas.

Thanks again for all your help, and again, I AM grateful!

Betty

 

Hi Betty

In BHODemon hit "Details" on each and disable. This can be reversed.

The acro???? is from Acrobat reader is usually OK! But remove anyway.

Take all 4 of these out and reboot. Not sure if the Earthlink thing is really needed to get on the www. If you cannot get on the www after rebooting then go back to BHODemon and allow only this one to run.

Being an Earthlink item loading when your browser loads I highly suspect this to be related to your problem.

I know the others are not nessesary for www.

If this don't work try one of the updates from Charles link to see if the problem exist even here.

Thing is even if does work, then you still have an unknown problem that could cause other issues later. And you may not relate it to this.

Finally if you wish do the below:

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/startuplist.zip
StartupList does nothing but grab all Autoload (startups) and puts them
in a Wordpad file so that you can then copy it and paste it back to us in a
message so that we can advise on a problem here.


Mike

 

Mike and Betty,

Mike: no insult intended, but the people on the Spywareinfo board are a lot more experienced at interperting the results of BHODemon, startuplist, and one not mentioned: Hijackthis.


Betty: perhaps you should post the results at their board as well. Your symptoms do not seem to be of malware in origin, but no harm in checking.

Regards - Charles

 

No offence Charles.

Yes I use Hijackthis and BHOBlaster as well. I was only trying to keep the number of steps for Betty to a minimum at this time. Not do to much at once.

That is where I do check for these things just had so much going last night that didn't have time.

Hi Betty

A BHO (Browser Helper Object) only loads when the browser opens. A good thing ususally. Means they don't have to be loaded all the time even when offline.

Finally today had a chance research the earthlink thing. It is only a popup stopper so it should not hender www access. But very well could be the problem with the updates.

The other is an MsMoney BHO.

You should use BHODemon to turn all these things off then turn off your firewall and virus scanner as you said you did before then try the Win Update.

Additionally one of the BHO's is a norton item so all of norton was not off as you thought by being a browser object it only loaded when the browser opend!

After update be sure to turn these all back on.


Mike

 

Windows Update Results - Again

Mike and Charles,

Charles, I've not tried your solution yet.

Mike, I disabled all the BHO's, the firewall, and the anti-virus system and still cannot update. The same thing happens as I mentioned in my first message. It's as though I (or should I say, "we "?) haven't done anything.

I guess I'll have to follow Charles' suggestion of manually downloading each update that I need.

Thanks for all your help ... if you have any other suggestions, I'm open to them. I hope I've thanked you all enough ... it doesn't seem like I have since you've been offering all these suggestions.

Betty

 

Betty two more things!


Command prompt

type

sfc /scannow

finish this

reboot


then


Command prompt

type

ipconfig /flushdns

try now!

mike

 

Windows Update

Mike,

You answered this evening ... thanks!

Unfortunately, it didn't work.

Also, since running Adware or Spybot, now when my 'puter first boots up, I get "runner error" invalid backweb application 7288971 as a pop-up.

I want to get rid of this, and if you have any other ideas, please advise. It's after 10:30 p.m. ... I'll be on for a few more minutes and that's it for the night.

Thanks again.

Betty

 

Ok Betty maybe we should continue since the updates could be gotten from the direct D/L. Have you tried that yet!

In any case if everything else is working so no real emergency,we can continue this at a slower pace.

You current error is coming from BackWeb which for most is a waste. This can easily be fixed.

But perhaps we have missed something here. If you want to continue do the below. This will allow us to see all autostart startup programs.

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/startuplist.zip
StartupList does nothing but grab all Autoload (startups) and puts them
In a Wordpad file so that you can then copy it and paste it back to us in a
message so that we can advise on a problem here.

After looking at this we can get rid of the Backweb error and may see other things that have a bearing on your update problem.

Mike

 

Betty, to find out more about your "backweb" error, go to http://groups.google.com and do a search on the following:
"runner error" invalid backweb application 7288971

 

With all due respect to everyone, Betty should go to Spywareinfo board. They are far more experienced with these sort of things then we are, and what would take a lot of time here, will take a shorter period there.

Regards - Charles

 

By all means Betty look at spywareinfo.com if you feel you can understand it. It is fairly stright forward.

I feel that since you have ran AdAware 6 and Spybot and BHODemon this problem is not coming from this area. I have already researched spywareinfo for what I was indicated by info from you .

Additionally that is why I requested the Startuplist. It may show other spy/adware but I more suspect it will show some other startup not classified as spy/adware.

Have no concern for the BackWeb I know exactly what this is and it needs to be corrected but I wish to see your startups first!

Mike