Windows Update

[slatt01]

Hi

Windows Update has failed on my machine and only gives me a blank window which is obviously not very usefull!

I seem to remember that this can be caused by a directory being deleted and that preventing the update site from functioning.

Can anybody help as I have looked though the microsoft help system and have failed to fix this.


Thanks in advance.


PS I have windows 98se and it has worked in the past.

 

[michec]

Do you have a folder in C: drive called "Windows Update Setup Files"? That is where Windows Update saves any files you use to update the OS. If you're having problems getting Windows Update to work, go into that folder and double click on "ie5setup.exe". Running this basically re-installs IE, which should solve your problem. After re-installation, you will get the popup about the MS windows update security certificate. Don't be alarmed by how many MBs it says you have to download. Chances are you have most of the files already in that folder.

If you don't have that folder, go to www.windowsupdate.com with a non-MS browser and click on the IE 5.01 link. You will download about 500k and then the installation for IE 5.01 will popup. Choose custom install and select the modules you want installed with IE. Doing this will create the "Windows Update Setup Files" folder in your C: drive.

Alternately, try this link if you don't have a non MS browser:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/ie501sp2.htm

If you have your computer networked with another computer, you can just copy the "Windows Update Setup Files" folder and then run "ie5setup.exe" and that will work, too.

BTW, the "Windows Update Setup Files" folder is a good folder to backup to a CDR. If you ever have to re-install Windows, copying that folder over and running "ie5setup.exe" will save you a lot of time downloading security patches from windowsupdate.