Windows update died :[

[Dantae]

Hi, I'm running WinXP home and suddenly Windows Update decided not to work. I have messed around with some services, but I just went through them earlier today and made sure that nothing should interfere with Windows Update. This has been happening for awhile, but never really mattered too much to me until the service pack came out today. I really have no idea how to fix it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Dantae]

Any help at all? I suppose it has only been a single night.

 

[reicherb]

Can you give a better desciption of what "Windows Update decided not to work" means. Are you getting error mesages? What are you seeing?

 

[ProviaFan]

When you installed Windows XP, did your product key happen to begin with "FCKGW"? If so, you're screwed. Go buy a legal OS, or use Linux if you want a free OS.

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: jliechty
When you installed Windows XP, did your product key happen to begin with "FCKGW"? If so, you're screwed. Go buy a legal OS, or use Linux if you want a free OS.

Ummm read the post. He said that since the service pack came out he finally cared that Windows Update isn't working. What you posted is irrelevant because he hasn't installed SP1 so even if he had used that key to install it would not be the reason for windows update not working until he installed SP1. Since he wants SP1 that is not the problem.

What I would try is downloading SP1 from one of the links in a many threads on AT. See if that fixes the problem.

Give us a little more to go by.

 

[Mem]

What I would try is downloading SP1 from one of the links in a many threads on AT. See if that fixes the problem

That`s what I did,lots of SP1 download links here .

 

[SolrFlare24]

Yes if you are using an illegal copy of Win XP using one of 2 different cd keys then you are out of luck. Windows Update as well as SP1 no longer work for those two keys. You can try one of the other links to SP1 just in case its just a connection problem. But if you are using an illegal copy, SP1 will not install for you either. Just a heads up in case that is the issue.

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: SolrFlare24
Yes if you are using an illegal copy of Win XP using one of 2 different cd keys then you are out of luck. Windows Update as well as SP1 no longer work for those two keys. You can try one of the other links to SP1 just in case its just a connection problem. But if you are using an illegal copy, SP1 will not install for you either. Just a heads up in case that is the issue.

That number is up to about 80....

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: bjc112

Originally posted by: SolrFlare24
Yes if you are using an illegal copy of Win XP using one of 2 different cd keys then you are out of luck. Windows Update as well as SP1 no longer work for those two keys. You can try one of the other links to SP1 just in case its just a connection problem. But if you are using an illegal copy, SP1 will not install for you either. Just a heads up in case that is the issue.

That number is up to about 80....

Yes, I've seen quite a long list of keys that they're blocking. At the time it was around 50 or so, but I have no doubt that they haven't added more blocked keys to the list by now. And yes, you are correct about Windows Update checking for keys. That's why I asked him what I did.

 

[Dantae]

Fair enough, didn't really give too good a description, I was tired :]. No, it is not a warezed copy, thank you. This computer is a brand new Dell(I got lazy...), a company which I doubt is too into the pirating WinXP business. But I digress. What I mean when I say "doesn't worK" is that it goes from 0% to 100% almost instantaneously(probably just loading page lag). It always reports no updates and the View Installation History page is blank. It had been working for awhile(Sorry, can't give exact dates), but suddenly stopped. I'm going to download sp1 from one of the mirrors, but still, it would be rather nice to have automated updating rather than wading through microsoft's awful knowledge base.

[edit]wow, didn't realize the file was 133mb :[.[/edit]

 

[ProviaFan]

Sorry for jumping on you so harshly, Dantae, about the pirating issue. On Windows 2000, there is a "Windows Update" folder in "\Program Files" (iirc), and going in there and deleting the ActiveX controls that it caches fixed some issues I was having on another computer. It appears that Windows XP does not keep its cached files for Windows Update in the same place. Have you tried clearing your cached files in "Tools > Internet Options > Temporary Internet Files"? Other than that, I'm very sorry, I don't have any suggestions for you.

 

[Dantae]

np :>. ok, so I have my Downloaded Program Files dir in C:/Windows, which is where it was kept in Win ME. I s ee nothing in there. It's possible that I went nazi style on it and deleted the control. also, I have a hidden C:\Program Files\Windowsupdate directory with a bunch of files. Nothing to explain any of it though, and I'm hesitant to push my luck with microsofty stuff so I didn't touch anything. Dunno if that helps at all or not :[.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Dantae
np :>. ok, so I have my Downloaded Program Files dir in C:/Windows, which is where it was kept in Win ME. I s ee nothing in there. It's possible that I went nazi style on it and deleted the control. also, I have a hidden C:\Program Files\Windowsupdate directory with a bunch of files. Nothing to explain any of it though, and I'm hesitant to push my luck with microsofty stuff so I didn't touch anything. Dunno if that helps at all or not :[.

I believe that is the folder (just wasn't seeing it due to hidden files being hidden). Anyway, I would suggest deleting its contents. There's the recycle bin to pull them from if necessary, and then there's always system restore.

 

[Dantae]

Willdo. I believe I Have system restore disabled :>

[edit/update]Ok, I tried. No difference :[. Also, I discovered that prior to my clicking "scan for updates" I can view my installation history fine. I didn't reboot in between deletion of C:\Program Files\WindowsUpdate though.

 

[Jeff7]

Once it checks for updates and finds none, in the address bar, put an 's' after the http to make the address https:// - maybe that'll do it. I had a computer on XP do that recently too; making it go to the secure Windowsupdate site seems to have done it.

 

[Dantae]

Tried it jeff, no go :[.

 

[Dantae]

Still not going :[. (or bump)

 

[bozo1]

In IE, Tools, Internet Options, Languages. Make sure there is a language defined there. People who don't have one for some reason end up with the problem you are describing.

 

[Dantae]

Omg, it works. <3 bozo!! I'm so happy now :]. Such a thorn in my side and all that. Seriously though, awsum :].

 

[bozo1]

Glad to help.