Windows Update hangs my browser.

September 14, 2006 6:40 PM

Windows update problems... I get to windowsupdate >> http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us >> and then my browser hangs. CPU usage hits 100% and prety much stays there. SVChost.exe / or at least one instance of it / takes up most of that ; about 98%.

I have WIN xp SP1 installed on top of an update to Win98. This is a new 4-gB drive installed today, after a complete meltdown of the old hard drive. Admittedly I have just 256mB RAM installed, I guess more would help, but is that the reason why Update isn\t playing nicely? Before the meltdown, the RAM was sufficient for my needs, though I wasn\t trying to do WinUpdates.

Basically, this machine / an IBM T22 ThinkPad / is almost unusable, and as I wanna hand it over as a birthday gift to my daughter today, in a safe state, I\d really appreciate some help.

Cheers in advance.

posted by dash_slot- to computers & internet (10 answers total)

This is a long shot, but I couldn't get Windows Update (the website method) to work last night at all, or this afternoon, at two different locations. Choosing Automatic Updates is an alternative method that should work.
posted by odinsdream at 6:47 PM on September 14, 2006

Ah, OK maybe it\s not our fault. But I just got 2 different messages from the SP2 website / http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx / 1st one said I had got sp2 installed ! which my system properties doesnt agree with, and just a second ago, a message saying I hadnt got it.

I suspect theres something else going on....
posted by dash_slot- at 7:04 PM on September 14, 2006

Im wondering is there a way of making Windows Update see me? As it were... or another route to getting SP2.
posted by dash_slot- at 7:33 PM on September 14, 2006

Well, you can download the actual SP2 file by following the link on the that page, which takes you here.
posted by odinsdream at 7:55 PM on September 14, 2006

Sadly, i cant do that as there is a big message in bold telling me not to if its just for 1 pc.
posted by dash_slot- at 7:57 PM on September 14, 2006

Don't worry about that message. Just download it, burn it to a CD and save it for later. Whenever I've had to reinstall Windows, I don't have to re-download SP2 - I have it on a CD.
posted by phrayzee at 9:23 PM on September 14, 2006

The nightmare has now gotten worse.

I updated the BIOS via an IBM utility, now (whether because of that, I don't know...) absolutely nothing is working. No program will start, the CD spins but doesn't start up, shut down won't work except by a long press on the power button (which is dodgy to the hard drive).

Aaaargh! I can't access the net via that machine, its all a bit of a disaster.
posted by dash_slot- at 10:07 PM on September 14, 2006

I've had this problem when the initial Windows update fails to fully install SP2. The solution is to manually load the service pack as outlined above.

Sometimes though the best thing is to pull your data and start again. You can run the windows upgrade without installing Win98, you just need your install media. I always install fresh, the Win9X->NT upgrade path is a minefield of potential problems.
posted by Mitheral at 8:42 AM on September 15, 2006

It may be a long shot but you can try this alternate windows update site.

It was created for Firefox users, but it conveniently doesn't do the newfangled 'Genuine Advantage" check. As a result it doesn't use their new downloader, it's more like the original windows update.

If you had a problem downloading updates, this may work for you.
posted by MarkLark at 10:10 AM on September 15, 2006 [1 favorite]

Thank you so much for the input!

I have returned the laptop to the shop, as the probs may well be because of the new driver installation.

They are putting the SP2 install files on the desktop for me to install when they have troubleshooted (?) the HD issues. Like why is everything so unresponsive? (I suspect driver issues, but then I always do).

Thanks again.
posted by dash_slot- at 12:33 PM on September 15, 2006