Trouble updating XP

[Tomoko]

I'm trying to update an older Windows XP computer for someone, it's a clean install but Windows Update and even the IE8 installer don't seem to do anything. They don't give any errors, they just site at the checking for updates part forever. I know XP support hasn't ended quite yet so I'm not sure what's going on. I tried with another XP computer just to see if there was a problem on my end and it did the same thing, just sits with the checking for updates progress bar running for hours.

 

I tried installing IE8 also and it just sits at the downloading phase doing nothing. I'm not sure what's going on but are there some offline installers somewhere I could use to update this thing? (Before anyone says it I cannot put 7 or 8 on it, the customer wants XP so it's not my decision.)

 

Thanks

[Bryan R.]

Is your CPU by chance being taken for ransom by svchost.exe?

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

I'm trying to update an older Windows XP computer for someone, it's a clean install but Windows Update and even the IE8 installer don't seem to do anything. They don't give any errors, they just site at the checking for updates part forever. I know XP support hasn't ended quite yet so I'm not sure what's going on. I tried with another XP computer just to see if there was a problem on my end and it did the same thing, just sits with the checking for updates progress bar running for hours.

 

I tried installing IE8 also and it just sits at the downloading phase doing nothing. I'm not sure what's going on but are there some offline installers somewhere I could use to update this thing? (Before anyone says it I cannot put 7 or 8 on it, the customer wants XP so it's not my decision.)

 

Thanks

Try http://download.wsusoffline.net/ as offline installer.

[Tomoko]

Is your CPU by chance being taken for ransom by svchost.exe?

 

I checked the processes tab and in fact it is, there is an svchost.exe running the CPU at 99%

 

I found this article about it so I'll try and see if stopping automatic updates will cure the issue.

 

Thanks for the tip :)

 

 

Try http://download.wsusoffline.net/ as offline installer.

 

Thanks, I'll try that also if the automatic updates fix doesn't work.

[DConnell Member]

I've encountered this problem on every XP system I'm refurbished for work this week. For Internet Explorer, I install without updates just to get IE8 on the system.

 

For Windows/Microsoft Update I use the website, but I also have Automatic Updates on. 9/10 times the AU icon in the taskbar shows that the updates are ready before the website even finishes the scan. I just close IE and install the updates using AU in that case. I've found that for the last week or two, Automatic Updates is a more reliable way of updating a fresh install than the MU website. Annoying, but it gets the job done. Thankfully these systems are just emergency spares.

[Bryan R.]

 

I checked the processes tab and in fact it is, there is an svchost.exe running the CPU at 99%

 

I found this article about it so I'll try and see if stopping automatic updates will cure the issue.

 

Thanks for the tip :)

 

 

 

Thanks, I'll try that also if the automatic updates fix doesn't work.

 

That article is from 2007. There are many people having this issue now and there are other threads here for it. It's something that Microsoft has done to have effected so many people and for fresh, clean installs. I haven't found a true solution yet.

[DConnell Member]

Strangely, a laptop from 2004 that I'm refurbishing for a friend had "checking for updates" work far faster than the 2007 era machines at work. Took forever for the updates to install, but getting the list took a reasonable amount of time.

[Tomoko]

For Internet Explorer, I install without updates just to get IE8 on the system.

That worked for me. IE8 installed ok, now if I can get the updates to work. 

 

 

That article is from 2007. There are many people having this issue now and there are other threads here for it. It's something that Microsoft has done to have effected so many people and for fresh, clean installs. I haven't found a true solution yet.

Yeah, after I tried some of the fixes it said I already have SP3 installed so I don't need them. I guess it is something they've broken as you say.

 

I'll try that offline installer and see if I can get it updated. I can't wait until everyone drops XP, it's such a pain these days.

[+Warwagon MVC]

 

I checked the processes tab and in fact it is, there is an svchost.exe running the CPU at 99%

 

I found this article about it so I'll try and see if stopping automatic updates will cure the issue.

 

Thanks for the tip :)

 

 

 

Thanks, I'll try that also if the automatic updates fix doesn't work.

 

 

 

Within the last 6 months Microsoft did something to the code on the Windows update website. Before that you would go to the website and check for updates and within 15 seconds it would tell you there are 3 updates to install. it would then intsall those, you would click continue and it would show you the remaining 90+ updates.

 

Now you check for updates and svchost rapes your cpu at 100% for 5 mins, then it continues to rape the CPU as it thinks about installing those 3 updates. Then once done it still sits at 100% to show you the rest.

 

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1176387-xp-windows-automatic-updates-svchostexe-100-cpu-ms-did-something/page-5

[Tomoko]

The automatic updater icon in the system tray finally decided to come to life. As DConnell mentioned it seems to be installing them ok.

 

I'm downloading all the WSUS Offline updates too, I'm sure I"ll need them in the future. Thanks again for all the help everyone.

[PeRTeX]

Might be a little late but you can also check this Microsoft Website:

 

Information for network administrators about how to obtain the latest Windows Update Agent

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946928

 

If ever you'll be doing a new install of Windows XP Service Pack 3, install Windows Media Player 11, install Internet Explorer 8, and install Windows Update Agent [and all other programs that you need, of course]. It's up to you whether or not to use Automatic Updates. I don't enable Automatic Updates because I just choose which update to install. I have done this several times because I am still using Windows XP on a Windows 8/8.1 machine.

[manroweb]

WSUS Offline is my tool of choice for all new system installs I do on XP, Vista and 7 machines

[sc302 Veteran]

The issue is that you need a few updates for Windows update to work...

.Net framework and the latest windows update installer is needed. The best way to do this is with wsus offline then you can run the rest of your updates after that is complete, wsus offline is nice but it doesn't give you all of the updates.

[manroweb]

The issue is that you need a few updates for Windows update to work...

.Net framework and the latest windows update installer is needed. The best way to do this is with wsus offline then you can run the rest of your updates after that is complete, wsus offline is nice but it doesn't give you all of the updates.

 

Agree it does not get you everything, but it is a very fast way of getting most system's updated to a reasonable level, especially in environments with slow internet connections.

 

I keep wsusoffline updated monthly, and then use it to patch new builds, before letting windows update finish up.

[PeRTeX]

Do you know any way to download the monthly ISO updates AND just get the necessary updates specific to your operating system, i.e. Windows XP-specific updates, Windows 7-specific updates, Windows 8-specific updates, Windows 8.1-specific updates, etc.

[sc302 Veteran]

I am not sure if it's been mentioned before in this thread. I think that maybe you should download wsus offline. It might work but I am not sure being that it wasn't mentioned at all. Maybe someone else might state wsus offline so that it could be mentioned in this thread. But if I were you I would go Google wsus offline and download it to see for yourself and then you can mention wsus offline in this thread so that the op can use it for his issue.

[Bryan R.]

I am not sure if it's been mentioned before in this thread. I think that maybe you should download wsus offline. It might work but I am not sure being that it wasn't mentioned at all. Maybe someone else might state wsus offline so that it could be mentioned in this thread. But if I were you I would go Google wsus offline and download it to see for yourself and then you can mention wsus offline in this thread so that the op can use it for his issue.

Oh you...  :shifty:

[sc302 Veteran]

I don't mean to be a jerk but sometimes you have to wonder do people read, if they do read do they look up what they don't know or do they expect a magic snake to jump out of the screen, bite them on the nose, and say hey this is what you were looking for and it has been all over this topic. It is like my son looking for his shoes everywhere in the house but in the middle of the floor out in plain site, nothing covering them, nothing blocking his view... All he would have to do is open his eyes and he would find them.

[PeRTeX]

I'm not sure if this was a reply to me but I prefer downloading the ISOs offered from Microsoft Website because download speed using wsus offline is so slow with my connection.

 

I am not sure if it's been mentioned before in this thread. I think that maybe you should download wsus offline. It might work but I am not sure being that it wasn't mentioned at all. Maybe someone else might state wsus offline so that it could be mentioned in this thread. But if I were you I would go Google wsus offline and download it to see for yourself and then you can mention wsus offline in this thread so that the op can use it for his issue.

[Tomoko]

I'm not sure if this was a reply to me but I prefer downloading the ISOs offered from Microsoft Website because download speed using wsus offline is so slow with my connection.

 

In the latest version of the WSUS offline tool I noticed it had an option to use Aria2 instead of wget. I didn't try it but it says it is faster.

 

Anyway the computer is all updated now. Once the automatic updater installed its first little batch of updates from the system tray I was able to use the normal Windows Update site without any more problems. Hopefully Microsoft will fix whatever is causing this issue but with XP support ending soon they probably won't.

[sc302 Veteran]

Unfortunately wsus offline is slow, however it is something that needs to be done once a month after updates come out. You can let it run over night and unless you are on dial up, it should be done by the morning provided you have the previous months cache. It more has to do with the process of checking the files than the actual download. Even on a 100Mb/s line it still takes a few hours to complete because of this check process.