Windows Update page blank

Hey all...

I got a problem that I just can't get fixed...Sorry for the long winded blurb below but I want to give the whole story...

I've been working on a friend's puter...Dell Demension running WinXP Home...as they were having all sorts of problems...

- Sometimes can't get on Internet and when they do they get major pop up spam
- Can't open Word
- NAV AV does not work
- Could not install MSN Messenger 6.1
- etc...

The first thing I did was install SpyBot S&D and scanned PC...found over 450 problems of which one was the Klez worm. Go figure with NAV not woriking hehehehe.

Downloaded and ran the Klez repair tool from Symantec. It found a few hundred infected files and repaired them. hmmm...now NAV seems to work. I started NAV up and found that the subscription had expired so I downloaded and installed AVG AV and ran a scan/repair (approx 200 infectedions)...PC is now virus free.

I told my friends about all the spyware SpyBot found and what software was installed (ie Kazaa...). They told me to clean it all up including uninstalling the spyware software. I uninstalled all the software which I knew was spyware, ran SpyBot, and "Fixed" the problems...PC is now spyware free, WOrd opens, I could finish the install of MSN messenger 6.1, and get on the Internet. It seems all the problems that thye had were gone

This is now where my problem comes in...I can't get into Windows Update. The page opens (I'm using IE 6.1 SP1) and the status bar says done but all's I get is a blank page. I tried Hotmail's page but only get the same blank page. I tried other pages and other MS pages and they opened without any problems.

- Ran IE repair but no change
- Tried the "Catroot2" fix but still no change
- Tried "SFC /scannow" but again no change

Anybody got any other suggestions?

 

Oh yeah...forgot to mention that the Windows Search is not working properly.

All's I get when I click on search is a window with a picture of that stupid dog...no text...no boxes to enter search criteria...nothing but that ******* (swear word deleted by poster hehehehe) dog.

I wondering if this is all ActiveX related?

 

dobhar--See this thread, especially first post by DELTREE
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156830&highlight=Windows+Update

 

Since this computer was so corrupted, perhaps a format & reinstall would be a better alternative. With that much trash on the system, it's bound to have, or develop, other problems. The registry is probably such a mess that a reinstall would be faster and more thorough than manually going key by key to fix it. JMO, of course.

Johanna

 

Sorry to take so long to reply back...

Welshjim --> I'm taking a look at the link you provided and once I get back to the PC in question I will try some of the fixes posted. Thanks.

Johanna --> I agree with your suggestion and had already suggested a reinstall before posting to them but they are hesitant.

Anyways I'm going to see if the fixes in the link that Welshjim posted work and if not I'm leaving it alone until they decide to reload.

Thanks for the replies...

 

Not sure if anyone is still having this problem, but I ran into it after cleaning about 40 spyware and over 100,000 infected files off of a computer today. (man I hate xp home restore points)

Anyway, I found the root of my problem to be the Windows Scripting Host. I downloaded the update, ran it, rebooted and everything is back up and running.

I was having the exact syptoms as the original poster. Blank Update page and search box.

Hope this helps others!

 

Hi imtcb...

Thanks to the info...I found the Windows Scripting Host download site and sent the link in an e-mail to my friend with the problem. He is going to download and install it tonight and let me know the results.

I'll post back later...

Thanks again...

 

dobhar--It is definite that you need ActiveX controls to run in order to run Windows Update. That is why I suggested (I think in the earlier thread) that the Windows Update URL be put into your Trusted Sites, which by default (unless changed) allow ActiveX to run. If installing WSH does not do the job, try that.
I cannot remember whether WU requires WSH. Guess your friend can tell us soon.

 

Hi Jim...

I did try adding WU to the trusted site as the link you added in your earlier post suggested but it was unsuccessful.

Hopefully my friend will run the WSH update I asked him to run and also hopefully (fingers crossed...legs also) that did the trick.

I will post back the results...

 

Well...the results are in...woohoo...imtcb's suggestion worked... ... thanks imtcb

All the web pages that we could not get into now work after reinstalling WSH

Thanks to all that posted suggestions...we are done

 

dobhar--Most kind of you to post back. Now we know that Windows Update requires WSH to run. (I think it also needs ActiveX controls to be enabled.)

 

Yeah...it's nice to know that a pc can be recovered if infected with Virii and spyware.

My fiend and hi family learned their lesson and will be making sure their AV is up to date and run Spybot S&D to make sure no nastys got in.

Thanks, again...