Checking if your computer has the latest version.... endless loop

My Win XP Pro laptop does not niormally have any problem with the Windows
update website at update.microsoft.com. However, at present it is stuck in an
endless loop with the update process.

From the Microsoft home page I request Security & updates which gives me a
dialogue box where I select Microsoft Update. This takes me to the screen
that gives the message "Checking if your computer has the latest version of
Windows updating software for use with the website". After a short pause, it
returns to the Microsoft home page, thus completing the loop.

How can I get this thing to work?

Automatic Updates and Windows Update Reset tool
http://www.codeplex.com/aureset


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

"David Anderson" <DavidAnderson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1B4EC27F-8B5B-4E24-9D9F-3DD612C321BA@microsoft.com...
My Win XP Pro laptop does not niormally have any problem with the Windows
update website at update.microsoft.com. However, at present it is stuck in an
endless loop with the update process.

From the Microsoft home page I request Security & updates which gives me a
dialogue box where I select Microsoft Update. This takes me to the screen
that gives the message "Checking if your computer has the latest version of
Windows updating software for use with the website". After a short pause, it
returns to the Microsoft home page, thus completing the loop.

How can I get this thing to work?

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
> Automatic Updates and Windows Update Reset tool
> http://www.codeplex.com/aureset
>
>
This site reports:
> This project is not yet published

David Anderson wrote:
> My Win XP Pro laptop does not niormally have any problem with the
> Windows update website at update.microsoft.com. However, at present
> it is stuck in an endless loop with the update process.
>
> From the Microsoft home page I request Security & updates which
> gives me a dialogue box where I select Microsoft Update. This takes
> me to the screen that gives the message "Checking if your computer
> has the latest version of Windows updating software for use with
> the website". After a short pause, it returns to the Microsoft home
> page, thus completing the loop.
>
> How can I get this thing to work?

As many will tell you - ignore the title and symptoms listed in the article
referred to. Do method 1 and 2 and see if it fixes your issue whether or
not you repaired anything.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144
Try method 1 and try to update*.
If fails - try method 2 and try to update*.

*try to update:
- Visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
- If it asks you to install anything before you see a selection of "Custom"
or "Express" - do so.
- Once you see the "Custom" or "Express" selection, choose "Custom".
- Scan for updates.
- When it lists what it finds - install the critical ones.
- You are generally safe doing the Optional Software Updates. I suggest
avoiding the Optional Hardware Updates completely.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Hi Shenan,
Thanks for the suggestions. Method 1 didn't work for me so I then tried
Method 2. I successfully downloaded the Windows Update Agent and then ran it
with the /wuforce switch. It appeared to execute properly so I tried once
again to run Windows update. However, things are no better.

When I initiate Windows Update, I am taken to a Microsoft web page headed
'Update Windows to work with this website'. I click on the Update Windows
button and then get a brief flash of 'Downloading 13%' on the screen,
followed by a return to the 'Update Windows to work with this website' page.

This is getting very frustrating......

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> David Anderson wrote:
> > My Win XP Pro laptop does not niormally have any problem with the
> > Windows update website at update.microsoft.com. However, at present
> > it is stuck in an endless loop with the update process.
> >
> > From the Microsoft home page I request Security & updates which
> > gives me a dialogue box where I select Microsoft Update. This takes
> > me to the screen that gives the message "Checking if your computer
> > has the latest version of Windows updating software for use with
> > the website". After a short pause, it returns to the Microsoft home
> > page, thus completing the loop.
> >
> > How can I get this thing to work?
>
> As many will tell you - ignore the title and symptoms listed in the article
> referred to. Do method 1 and 2 and see if it fixes your issue whether or
> not you repaired anything.
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144
> Try method 1 and try to update*.
> If fails - try method 2 and try to update*.
>
> *try to update:
> - Visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
> - If it asks you to install anything before you see a selection of "Custom"
> or "Express" - do so.
> - Once you see the "Custom" or "Express" selection, choose "Custom".
> - Scan for updates.
> - When it lists what it finds - install the critical ones.
> - You are generally safe doing the Optional Software Updates. I suggest
> avoiding the Optional Hardware Updates completely.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
>
>

BTW, I forgot to mention that when I now try to initiate Windows Update via
the relevant Microsoft web page, I get the error message: "Microsoft Update
could not be installed on your computer". This message went on to tell me
that if the problem persisted I could still run Windows Update via Control
Panel. That is what I then did - with the results described in my previous
post.

David


"David Anderson" wrote:

> Hi Shenan,
> Thanks for the suggestions. Method 1 didn't work for me so I then tried
> Method 2. I successfully downloaded the Windows Update Agent and then ran it
> with the /wuforce switch. It appeared to execute properly so I tried once
> again to run Windows update. However, things are no better.
>
> When I initiate Windows Update, I am taken to a Microsoft web page headed
> 'Update Windows to work with this website'. I click on the Update Windows
> button and then get a brief flash of 'Downloading 13%' on the screen,
> followed by a return to the 'Update Windows to work with this website' page.
>
> This is getting very frustrating......