Microsoft Windows Update stuck looking for updates. Won't finish. Need help.

[Matt_Stevens]

Okay, so I agreed to fix my sister's 12 year old Dell PP01L, which was basically a brick. I wiped it out, installed Windows XP (it had a valid key), then SP2 and SP3. I also installed IE8 and Office 2003.

Now lots of updates were also installed and this was a two day process. This Dell is slow as slow can be.

But now Windows Update will search for updates and never finish. You can leave it overnight and in the morning it is still searching.

This is a known issue that comes about in different ways. The last time I tackled it I made use of the Microsoft FixIt thing. But this time it won't load because I need to update and install .NET Framework 20!

Well I can't because Windows Update is broken.

Anyone know how to get past this and fix the update? Yes I know XP support is ending. This laptop can barely barely handle XP. Vista would be an impossibility. I have a few days to tackle this and be done with it.

 

[Charlie98]

Last reload of XP was a real pain... just like you are describing.

I think you can't use Windows Update... disable it, and then download the NET stuff manually from MS. I think there was 2 or 3 FixIts I had to drop in to get it there, though.

 

[Drummerdude]

You have to manually install the microsoft update, then manually install the 3.1 installer, and you'll be ok. If not,http://www.yethz.com/windows-7-tips...windows-update-history-log-in-windows-7/1772/
this link will help you.
http://www.yethz.com/windows-7-tips...windows-update-history-log-in-windows-7/1772/

 

[Matt1970]

Tell it to automatically install updates. Then check it every few hours or whatever. For some reason that seems to not hose things up like telling it to search for new updates does. Also, 12 years old without any memory upgrades = a headache. I would pull my heair out trying to anything on an updated XP computer without at least a gig of ram. You are also going to want to put Firefox or Chrome on there that will at least be somewhat current and more safe the IE8.

 

[Dahak]

You should only need to install IE8 and the latest IE8 Cumulative update and then you should be good

 

[RampantAndroid]

Anyone know how to get past this and fix the update? Yes I know XP support is ending. This laptop can barely barely handle XP. Vista would be an impossibility. I have a few days to tackle this and be done with it.

Why would you even mention Vista? Skip it and go to 7; I ran 7 on netbooks with less than a GB of RAM and ran Outlook fine. Often I found 7 to outperform XP, as of 7's release.

 

[piasabird]

If you install something like anti-virus software, then some updates will not want to install unless you temporarily shut it off. I would not try to install all the updates at once. Split it up in chunks. Often the Netware stuff comes with versions numbers and you need to reboot after each version? Installing the newest version of something right away might prevent previous updated from installing properly. Don't try to do this all automatically.

 

[RampantAndroid]

If you install something like anti-virus software, then some updates will not want to install unless you temporarily shut it off. I would not try to install all the updates at once. Split it up in chunks. Often the Netware stuff comes with versions numbers and you need to reboot after each version? Installing the newest version of something right away might prevent previous updated from installing properly. Don't try to do this all automatically.

Windows update is built to handle supersedence of updates. If an update relies on a previous update being installed first, you will only be offered the first update; on the next scan after installing the newly applicable updates will flow down.

Once you get WU scanning, let it do its thing.

 

[PliotronX]

I don't have a reason or concrete confirmation, but the last few times to hasten updates with XP reloads has been to set automatic updates to notify rather than install. It seems like auto updates conflict with Windows Update's web site or something. After doing that, things speed up quite a bit. The Windows Installer is the biggy though. Also hide that KB905474 update, it causes nothing but trouble.