Windows XP will not install updates

Hi all,

Minor issue here. Just recently finished re-installing Windows XP on a clients machine and Windows Update will not install anything. It's an older system, a Dell Vostro 1700. I know why not put Windows 7 on it, lol. Well, Dell in their infinite wisdom has decided that that system is to old for Windows 7 drivers (couldn't find them anywhere) and they are not making them, hence Windows XP, gggrrr. I upgraded the laptop with 4GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD (she's blazingly fast now, woohoo).
I've installed Windows SP3 and the first batch of 132 or so updates without a problem. Whats happening now is that Windows Update will run and it does indeed find updates to install. This is where the issue happens. I'll select the updates I want to install and it goes through the motions of downloading then installing and it fails. Every update will fail to install.
I've tried just about every idea I found online to fix this issue and I'm shortly going to take this laptop out to the woodshed and introduce it to my friend Mr. Shotgun, lol.
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in Advance,

Red Shirt

reply to post by RedShirt73


I think Microsoft discontinued to update Windows XP, which I think is sad because it was the best OS they came out with.

reply to post by RedShirt73


I did some googling and found they wont discontinue until 2014, so Im not shure what your problem is.

reply to post by desertguy


Not until April 2014.

reply to post by RedShirt73

What is this "WindowsXP"? Did they just invent that?

reply to post by desertguy


No updates will install from Windows Update and I've tried just about everything to fix it.

1) Shutting down the Automatic update service and 86'ing almost everything in the SoftwareDistribution folder and restarting the Automatic update service.

2) Registering a wide range of DLL's connected to Windows Update.

3) Even third party software designed to reset Windows Update

The thing is I'm not getting any error messages from Windows Update. They just fail to install.

usertwelve
reply to post by RedShirt73

 

What is this "WindowsXP"? Did they just invent that?

Yes just came out yesterday replacing windows 8 LOL.

Even if you succeed updating you are going to come up against problems with applications running under XP. I suggest you go to this website :

www.pclinuxos.com...

And install PcLinuxOS. It's a Linux desktop , it's free, it's still supported, all the applications are free. It has a KDE desktop so you can tweak it to your hearts content and make it look really nice. Mine has see through dark glass effects with a 3D rotating cube desktop so I actually have 4 desktops on one machine

I just upgraded from 32bit to 64bit and it worked fine with all my desktop settings preserved....neat !

yorkshirelad
Even if you succeed updating you are going to come up against problems with applications running under XP. I suggest you go to this website :

www.pclinuxos.com...

And install PcLinuxOS. It's a Linux desktop , it's free, it's still supported, all the applications are free. It has a KDE desktop so you can tweak it to your hearts content and make it look really nice. Mine has see through dark glass effects with a 3D rotating cube desktop so I actually have 4 desktops on one machine

I just upgraded from 32bit to 64bit and it worked fine with all my desktop settings preserved....neat !

The client is about 60 years old and is very computer illiterate. Basically he knows how to open IE and read his email, that's it, lol. He barely knows what a USB thumb drive looks like let alone PcLinuxOS, lol. I had to explain what the RAM in his laptop was used for and what an SSD was, lol.

Here is something that contains things I found and stuff I put together for the XP SP3 OS.

WinUpdateFix Arcihve

After that, you may have to download and manually install SP3 (if it wasn't slipstreamed). I would also get the full installs for the .NET frameworks (1,2,3,3.5,4) and directX. Reboot a few thousand times, and set up a batchfile on either the desktop or in th etask manager to run once a month or once a week.

_______________________
@echo off
REM ======================================================================
REM
REM Batch File -- Created with SAPIEN Technologies PrimalScript 4.1
REM
REM NAME: runCleanDefrag.bat
REM
REM AUTHOR: Skada , Some tech nerd
REM DATE : 2/13/2009
REM
REM COMMENT: if Cleanup manager needs to be ran first; use this CMD syntax
REM cleanmgr /sageset:1
REM Choose your options for what needs to be cleaned and click "OK"
REM afterwhich the below CMD can be ran from the bat.
REM cleanmgr /sagerun:1
REM
REM ======================================================================
REM defrag volume [-a] [-f][-v] [-?]
REM Parameters
REM volume
REM The drive letter or a mount point of the volume to be defragmented
REM
REM -a
REM Analyze only
REM
REM -f
REM Forces defragmentation of the volume regardless of whether it
REM needs to be defragmented or even if free space is low
REM
REM -v
REM Verbose output
REM
REM -?
REM Display the help text
REM
REM
REM
echo..................................................
echo. .
echo. DO NOT CLOSE THIS WINDOW .
echo. Running Cleanup programs .
echo. to speed up this PC .
echo. .
echo..................................................
%SystemRoot%\System32\cleanmgr /sagerun:1
defrag c: -f -v
____________________________________________

reply to post by RedShirt73


It is something to do with the security keys for the update site.
I will look for the actual update that re-enables WU.
My server is off with my XP repositories.

I don't know if anyone has suggested this but...

You have to be pretty exacting about the order in which you install stuff with XP these days.

First go get the .iso for service pack 3.

Then install the XP OS.

Do not install any drivers yet.

Now install Service Pack 3. Let it finish.

Now install your drivers, except for the networking drivers, in some way that makes sense to you. Now listen...

Only install your LAN drivers first, do not install the wireless drivers.

Good. plug in an ethernet cable so you are connected to your modem.

At this point it is up to you as to whether or not you want to put Malware Bytes or some virus protection on your machine.

Good.

Now, leave it connected and do not touch the thing until your PC and the Microsoft server have found one another* and updates are complete.

What you need is patience these days, or you are going to screw it up.

Now install your wireless drivers and whatever else you need to accomplish your nefarious plans.



*This is something that can take a while. I suggest leaving the machine on overnight.

Do not ask the machine to do anything until it is done updating. Even with max RAM and a solid connection you must be patient or your cake will fall, so to speak.

Good Luck!

For some reason windows update on XP can get its panties in a twirl if the latest version of IE isn't installed

Also you can download most updates as a standalone .exe's from MS and perhaps running one of them you have listed might throw up and error in the dos box

reply to post by RedShirt73


Look in the event logs.
See if you have an error.

It's possible you have a service turned off related to win update. I've seen that before.

RedShirt73
reply to post by desertguy

 

No updates will install from Windows Update and I've tried just about everything to fix it.

1) Shutting down the Automatic update service and 86'ing almost everything in the SoftwareDistribution folder and restarting the Automatic update service.

2) Registering a wide range of DLL's connected to Windows Update.

3) Even third party software designed to reset Windows Update

The thing is I'm not getting any error messages from Windows Update. They just fail to install.

edit on 21-11-2013 by RedShirt73 because: (no reason given)

having same problem for days now. looks like they pulled the plug early

hey with win xp I only update upto service pack 2 I find many problems and bugs on later updates, its all you really need, with 4gb of ram win7 will run fast and smooth even win 8 will be fine. win8 fastest by far but weird little bugs nothing major, you can also find service packs on 3rd party sites.

hope that helps

reply to post by CHRIS69za


Thanks everyone for the help. I said enough is enough and put Windows 7 on it. Who cares if he can't plug into a network port, that's what wireless is for and it works perfectly fine, lol. It's not like he's going to be solving the mysteries of the universe on that thing anyways, lol.
But again, Thanks to everyone for the help, much appreciated.

Bybyots
Now install your wireless drivers and whatever else you need to accomplish your nefarious plans.

Damn, Now everyone knows

reply to post by RedShirt73


Microsoft probably finally pulled all the plugs from supporting/ updating that software now as its really old..

I had that problem twice in the past with my own XP. What an adventure... ugh. I wish updates and service packs weren't needed so much... sometimes you just want to turn the computer on and do your thing, you know?
It was perfect in its prime.