XP Help&Support: Task "Windows Update" never connects to update se

[Basilisk Pie]

I'm repairing a friend's XP box -- 'had multiple viruses, and has woefully
outdated H/W, but it's what she's stuck with until she can get re-employed!
I now have all viri purged and XP and Ofc completely updated, BUT...

In repairing XP, I'm accustomed to using
Help & Support Center -> Task: Windows Update
to pull down updates. On this box each time I try that it whites-out the
H&SC lower window but fails to go further -- to present the choice of Custom
or Automatic update. I'm guessing this means it's confused about how/where
to link to the update service.

If I browse (IE7) to MS directly, I can go to the update page and everything
works, so it's not a connectivity issue. I've used this to bring everything
up-to-date on XP/Ofc.

I'm hesitant to return this to my friend without fixing this: I don't know
whether or not XP will even do -automatic- updates if it can't do manual ones
through H&SC! As I'm clueless about the Registry entries (or whatever) that
control this, I need some direction. I'm quite confortable making registry
changes, and have another XP box nearby if the answer's just to
export->import a registry branch.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide!

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

You may have (much) more work to do. If everything's OK, there should be a
link to either Windows Update or Microsoft Update in the Start menu.

Unexplained computer behavior may be caused by deceptive software
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827315

It might be best to format & reinstall Windows. Good luck.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

[Basilisk Pie]

I've no reason to think any s/w threat remains: AVG, SpybotSD, & AdAware find
nothing amiss, and I find nothing out of place in HiJackThis, the Program
File directories, and in the MSCONFIG startups.

WUPDMGR.exe fails: when invoked on its own, it just shows a blank browser
window after it requests windowsupdate.microsoft.com; when invoked [I
presume] from Start -> Help&Supp -> Task Windows Update, the Help sub-window
clears, flashes two msgs (last == "Connecting") and then never shows the
first display of the MS page (Express vs Custom update). I don't see any
Event entries noting an error.

Comparing the troubled XP system to an adjacent untroubled one, I notice the
healthy one has LOCATOR.exe running: I don't understand WHY it's running, but
it brings to question whether there's some required service that isn't
enabled. The SVCHOST.exe entries might mask some different services running
-- I wish they'd have their individual service displayed by the Task Mgr!

I understand that there may be NO SOLUTION to this other than a full reload,
but that seems improbable. It seems very likely there's just some Registry
tweak or Services change that would reenable windows updates. If anyone can
come up with an approach short of reloading, I'd appreciate it.

Parenthetically: the whole Update process has its problems even on healthy
machines. I help several friends, and time after time I've seen machines get
into a state where some updates won't install successfully. Currently,
KB892130 -- the latest Validation s/w -- is failing to install on this
computer (which is decidely "Genuine"). Sigh.

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

> I've no reason to think any s/w threat remains...

I would not assume that until an expert in such matters has reviewed your
HijackThis log, etc., and had confirmed that the machine's clean.

Or you could format and do a clean install. Your choice.