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Windows Update & Downloads Hang

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by pierrejamme

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Originally XP Pro w/SP2 and No firewall, have reverted to SP1 w/No firewall. Dell Optiplex GX270 w 1GB RAM.
I get error 0x80072F78 at Windows Update, it doesn't even start downloading the required critical updates.

I personally believe it is due to the new windows update software. I opened a case with Microsoft in Novmeber an jumped through hoops for a month, always failing to even download the update much less install them. They finally gave up. Yesterday I set up two brand new Dell
Optiplex GX280s with XP Pro SP2 and neither one could do updates after I installed the "New" windows update software. So I opened a new case.
I cannot believe there are not thousands of people with the same problem??
I also cannot download any files of significant size. If over 100MB they useally hang and i retart again and again. Somethines they
eventually finish others they never finish.

18 replies

by bfilmfan

Can you download files of significant size from a site other than Microsoft?

Or is the issue just with downloads from Microsoft?

Eliminating the firewall on the PC is a godo step. Are there any other firewalls, bastion hosts, etc on your network between the Microsoft site and your system?

Is this a home or corporate environment?

Have you added the following sties to your trusted Internet sites?

? http://Windowsupdate.microsoft.com
? http://V4.Windowsupdate.microsoft.com
? http://Download.Windowsupdate.com
? https://v4.Windowsupdate.microsoft.com

If you have a proxy server, be sure to add those sites to the exception string on the server. If it is an ISA Proxy server, follow the steps documented here:

http://www.electrosonics.net/technotes/xperror0x8024402C.htm

by pierrejamme

BFlimFan:
Adding those sites as Trusted was one of the things Microsoft had me try.
I don't go through a proxy server and have no policy in effect.
Novell is my primary target for downloading large files. I am the admin for a NetWare network so need to download patches and service packs on occassion. we are on a Verizon DSL connection with NAT router
Open for other suggestions as this is getting old.....

by willcomp

Try connecting an XP PC directly to router, bypassing internal network, and see what happens. Need to enable firewall prior to doing so. If all is well, problem is inside network.

I have yet to have a problem with new update software either on stand-alone PCs or small Win2K Server networks.

What it almost certainly is not, is a product key problem. I recently had a Win XP Pro PC using known bogus volume license key come into my shop. Update was working, just couldn't install SP1 or SP2.

Dalton

by willcomp

Saw reference to Google Toolbar. I use it on my PCs (4 total, 2 at shop, 1 home, 1 notebook) and have never had a problem with it blocking Windows updates. Tech support always likes to have as clean an install as possible.

by willcomp

Man, this beats me. Why XP and not Win2K? Not really that much difference between the two. Wonder if it has anything to do with Active-X?

Let us know when you find out problem.

by pierrejamme

willcomp:
Well I finally tried yor idea. Hope i did it correctly. I unplugged my patch panel cable from the switch and plugged into the Internet router. Tried windows update. Same results I am afraid.
What prompted me into action was I purchased four new Dell Optiplex GX280s with XP Pro SP2. Set up the first one and turned off the firewall tried Office 2003 Update and it works great. Then I tried windows Update. It asked me to intall their new software and I did, but after I scanned for updats and selected all it erred oout same as mine.
I don't think eeven a fresh install will help.
Very frustrated now,
Peter

by pierrejamme

Willcomp, I like your idea but will have to come in on a weekend to test it out.
This is IP only network mixed windows, linux and netware 6x, not sure what could be causing it on the network other than IP routing tables. Any ideas welcomed.

by dustyd

Make sure that ActiveX is enabled and at latest version. Disable popup blockers, or add the site to the list of exclusions. In addition, try:
In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
On the Security tab, click Internet zone, and then click Default Level.

With downloads not completing, disable antivirus apps or check options for exclusions to these sites.

Check also your router being used with VerizonDSL. How old is it? Is firmware updated? Check the connection with a known good router if possible. SOHO routers do not last forever.

Good luck.

by pierrejamme

Thanks dustyD. I have changed and gone back to default too many times to count. Added all the sites as truste etc, all at the direction of MS.
Active X is enabled and while I have tothe Google Search BAr, Pops are not blocked for MS. I even uninstalled the virus scan (Mcafee Enterprise 7.0), since that is the only way to disable it. I have also disabled Startup and all non-MS Services, same error 0x80072F78. No progress on the Downloading Progress Bar. There for a while it would move a few percent and then stop.
every time I boot up the windowsupdate trys to download, but never gets past 8% and then it goes away.
Verizon router is new less than three months.

by pierrejamme

Upgraded to SP2 again at the recommendations of Microsoft, same error when attempting to update.

by pierrejamme

No problems doing windows updates with Optiplexes that have W2k installed. Defiitely a XP Pro problem. I am still working with Microsoft, been escalated to number 4 now.

by minidimm

This might not have anything to do with your problem but I was having the same problem with my computer. WinXP-Pro would not finish downloading updates or stop downloading anything I was trying to download.
After several months I finally tried something I read on a forum and it helped. I have not had any problems downloading updates or other downloads since.

I uninstalled the windows driver for my sound card and used the updated version from the soundcard manufactures website.
Sounds like it would have no connection to downloading but since I stopped using the windows driver for my soundcard my updates run fine.

Again I have no idea if this will work for you but you can try it and mark it off the list of things you have tried.

Hope you find the fix.

by pierrejamme

Sorry minidimm, no newer drivers. We purchased the computer in August of 2003 and the latst driver for the integrated sound card at Dell was June 16, 2003. I downloaded and re-installed it anyway but no luck with windows update.

by pierrejamme

Keeping it open to let you guys know what I find out.
I contacted Dell Support since this is also happening on new Dell Optiplexes. Microsoft is suggesting that the Dell OEM XP Pro Cd is the problem. Microsoft is sending me a retail CD to run repairs with and/or re-install. I had tried repair with the OEM CD and it took two weeks to get it working agin decently.
So they may be right, I just tried windowsupdate on a Precision 360. That person hadn't done a WU since I gave it to him ayear ago. The site asked to install the new Windows update software and then choked.

by pierrejamme

I received my Windows XP Pro CD from Microsoft today and ran repairs as directed. Still cannot even beging to download any critical updates.
I will try your idea wilcomp probably next week. Too much going on this week.
I doubt it will help though as new computers cannot update either.
Oh Well, back soon.

by pierrejamme

The following is my comment to Microsoft Tech that tried to help.

Good News we can all use windows Update again.
Well my compatriot figured it out. I thought I should pass it along to you in case someone else has a similar problem.
It is true that I am not on Proxy Server, most of the people on our network are. Here is what he found out yesterday:
After getting my new computer up and running I tried the update with the same results you got. So I installed Ethereal and sniffed the packets. What I found out surprised me. Even though I didn't have the proxy enabled it (Microsoft update) was still trying to use it. Which still should not be a problem except that now after looking at the squid logs I find that it is not authenticating via NTLM which is the authentication we use for normal web browsing. So I made an excepting that doesn't require any authentication when contacting either windowsupdate.com or windowsupdate.microsoft.com and now everything seems to be working. I've download all the critical updates and have them installed on my computer.

Try to do an update when now hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised.

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