Windows Update Crashes

I'm running XP Prof SP2, and am trying to do Windows Update, but it crashes everytime after you choose "Express" or "Custom" and it says "To use this latest version of Windows Update, you will need to upgrade some of its components...."
I click Download and Install Now, then IE crashes. It's IE6, by the way.

At the right of the taskbar, there's the yellow coloured shield saying there's updates that can be installed, but when I click it, an error titled wuauclt.exe says "wuauclt.exe has encountered a problem.... etc"

What's the source of the problem?

 

Did you try with IE7? I would recommend getting on IE7 and then see if it works well.

 

What you need to do is unregister and re-register the updater. Darn, where did I put that link? I had the same problem a while back. On both IE6 and IE7...

Have you tried the steps here? http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/troubleshoot/

 

ok.. I'll give it a shot. Can't believe I have to install IE7. :S

 

Your site won't load for me..

 

Weird, I just tried it ...

 

Can you give us the error code or error description? We could find the solution for you and paste it here.

Probably its not loading because of some issues with IE6 or something similar.

 

It's just totally blank. Except for the blue Microsoft Windows Update border at the top, there's nothing. Just pure whiteness.

 

Hmmm let me check.

 

I don't what exactly is your issue. So I am posting some solutions closest to your symptom (among the so many listed there in that page). Please try and let me know.

Solution:

For Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003:
download our controls from http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/cab/x86/unicode/iuctl.cab and save them to your desktop. Extract the .cab file following the steps below:

1. Go to the desktop and right click the iuctl.cab file.
2. Click "Open".
3. Select all the files listed.
4. Right click on them and click "Extract."
5. Point to a known location (like the desktop) and click "OK."
6. Go to the location you selected and right click the iuctl.inf file.
5. Click "Install."

 

Another >> To resolve this issue, upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer. Alternatively, you can upgrade your XML parser to the most recent version (currently available at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/downloads/list/xmlgeneral.asp).

Did u try with IE7?

 

Another >> Problem Description:
This may occur if Service Pack 1 has been removed from the computer either through System
Restore or by reinstalling Windows XP into the same directory. You may see a page that states that the Web page has an unexpected error or cannot display the page that was requested.


Resolutions:
The value for the CSDVersion in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows
needs to be changed to 0. If you are comfortable editing the registry, follow the instructions below.
1. Click "Start," and then click "Run."
2. In the Open box type regedit and click "OK."
3. Browse in the left frame to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows
4. In the right frame you will see the key CSDVersion. Double click this key.
5. Change the value to 0 and click "OK."
6. Restart the computer.

 

Problem Description:
When you try to access the Windows Update site you receive error 0x800A01AD. 0x800a01AD ActiveX component can't create object. The Windows Update.log file will have error entries similar to this:

Error IUENGINE Determining machine configuration (Error 0x80040154: Class not registered)


Resolutions:
Suggestion 1:

Make sure the MSXML files are registered correctly by following the steps below.

NOTE: You may not have the files listed in Steps 2 and 3 installed on your PC but please perform all 3 steps. If you don't have one of the files, when you try to register it you will see a popup window that has this text:

LoadLibrary("filename.dll") failed - The specified file name could not be found.

Just disregard the error and continue to the next step.

Follow these steps:

1. Click on Start, Run and type "REGSVR32 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSXML.DLL" (w/o the quotes). You should see a popup message that this process succeeded.
2. Click on Start, Run and type "REGSVR32 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSXML2.DLL" (w/o the quotes). You should see a popup message that this process succeeded.
3. Click on Start, Run and type "REGSVR32 C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSXML3.DLL" (w/o the quotes). You should see a popup message that this process succeeded.
Now try the Windows Update site and see if you get the same error.

Suggestion 2:

This error can be the result of a file mismatch or corruption of the MSXML.DLL files. Try upgrading your XML parser to the most recent version, which is currently MSXML Parser 3.0 Service Pack 2 Release. You can download the latest parser from this site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/downloads/list/xmlgeneral.asp

 

Problem Description:
When you are using the Windows Update Web site you receive a script error.


Resolutions:
First, check your Internet Explorer settings to make sure that they are configured correctly for the environment.
1. In Internet Explorer click "Tools," and then click "Internet Options."
2. Click "Security."
3. Click "Custom Level."
4. Make sure that "File Download" is enabled.
5. Make sure that "Run Active X controls and plug-ins" is enabled.
6. Make sure that "Active Scripting" is enabled.
7. Set your Java Permissions to "Medium safety."
8. Make sure that "Launching applications and files in an ******" is enabled.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggestion 2
============
Make sure you have disabled any ad removal programs, Web accelerators, and anti-virus programs prior to accessing Windows Update. These can cause script errors.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggestions 3
=============
If the steps above do not resolve this issue you can try the following:
1. Open Internet Explorer, click "Tools," and then click "Internet Options."
2. Click "Connections."
3. Click "LAN Settings."
4. Delete anything in the Automatic Configure text box and clear the "Use automatic configuration script" check box.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggestion 4
============
If none of the above resolves this issue you can attempt to resolve it by registering the
following DLLs using the instructions below:
1. Click "Start," and then click "Run."
2. Type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\vbscript.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
3. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\mshtml.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
4. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\msjava.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
5. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\jscript.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
6. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\msxml.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
7. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\actxprxy.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.
8. Then type "regsvr32 c:\windows\system\shdocvw.dll" (without the quotes). Press Enter.

NOTE: The instructions above assume you are running Windows 98 or Windows ME. For Windows 2000 or Windows NT4, change "windows\system" to "winnt\system32." For Windows XP, if you upgraded from Windows NT 4 or Windows 2000 change "windows\system" to "winnt\system32." Change "windows\system" to "windows\system32" if you installed Windows XP using another method. If your operating system is installed on a drive other than "C," change the drive letter in the instructions above to reference your system drive.

Once you have completed the above procedures, please restart your computer and access the
Windows Update site.

 

By the way, there are lots of suggestions to problems because of administrator rights and firewall settings. they are the normal stuff like you have to be admin to do this or disable firewall or add an exception and things like that.

 

Try using Internet Explorer instead of Firefox, Opera, Safari, or whatever else may be your browser of choice. I got a blank page except for the Windows Update border and Copyright 2004 Microsoft when going there with Opera, but it displayed correctly with IE6.

My Windows Update is also borked, along with IE (possibly a connection?). I can download updates just fine, but they always fail to install. Always. Automatic Updates seems to think it works just fine, as does the Security Center, but it isn't. I copied all the files of the type wu*.* from another XP SP2 computer into my C:\Windows\System32 folder, but to no avail.

IE, meanwhile, works, but does not start when I type iexplore in Run. It gave me an error of iertutil.dll missing, which I replaced from another computer, but now it just doesn't start from Run at all. It works to go to C: (or wherever) and then type a website in the address bar, but isn't ideal. IE7 will start from Run, but its back button doesn't work on my computer (regardless of the number of reinstalls), so I'm avoiding it.

Already running Admin and have the firewall and anti-virus off, so that's not it.

Fortunately manual updates do work. I'll be looking into the above possible fixes, though - hopefully one will work.

 

See if this helps >>>>

http://msmvps.com/blogs/spywaresucks/archive/2006/08/05/106769.aspx

 

I installed IE7, and it was trying to download updates from the servers, but it failed. So they told me to restart, and so I did. And now, *drum roll* it just crashes the moment I boot in. "Windows Explorer has encountered a problem...." And I can't do anything.

I haven't tried fonduekid's plethora of suggestions yet, because I think a reformat is in order. :S

 

Strange.

Sorry mate, I have no idea and without an error code or something, its kinda hard to figure out what to do. Btw, all the suggestions I gave you were from that page linked by someone else, which you could not open.

 

Btw, you said you were using XP with SP2?? Why didn't you install SP3? Or is this why you were trying to do the update??? Anyway, please get the file from below link. Its for SP3, standalone installer file. Download it and run it. See if it fixes the problem then.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...a8-5e76-401f-be08-1e1555d4f3d4&DisplayLang=en

 

Oh, so that's where it is! I was looking all over the place for it and only found SP3 for Office. Thanks, fonduekid. If only Windows had the synaptic updater.. *sigh*

But still, I think I'll have to do a reformat.

 

Well.. try updating to SP3. SP3 does fix many many issues. And with that see if this mess with IE is resolved. I would be a little optimistic and think it would. Good luck. Keep us posted

 

Woot! \o/ I reinstalled Windows, but this time installed SP3 right after I got the Ethernet setup. Everything works brilliantly. Running Windows Update as we speak. Thanks to all who helped. Problem solved.

 

Glad your problem is solved Have fun.

Cheers.

Ps., this is why, most of the time its better to promptly update releases applicable to you, from your OS manufacturer or Laptop manufacturer.. you know never know what happens where and why and how. Anyways, all is well