Knowledge Base

Troubleshooting Windows Update Connection and Download Problems

PSS ID Number: 193657

Article Last Modified on 2/5/2003

The information in this article applies to:

This article was previously published under Q193657

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to connect to the Microsoft Windows Update site, you may experience any of the following symptoms:
  • You see only a blank Web page.
  • You receive a scripting error message.
  • You receive the following error message:
    Error Installing Dependency
  • You receive the following error message:
    An unknown error occurred
  • You receive the following error message:
    You chose not to download the software controls or there was a problem with downloading the controls, in which case much of the Windows Update site will be unavailable to you. If you would like to download the controls now, please click Try Again below.
  • You receive the following error message:
    Your Internet Explorer security settings are set to High. In order to use the Windows Update site, you need to set your security settings at medium. To change your security settings: From the View menu on the toolbar, choose Internet Options. Click the Security tab, and then select Internet zone in the drop-down box. Click Medium.
  • You receive the following error message:
    Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site address. A connection to the server could not be established.
  • Your computer stops responding (hangs) when you attempt to download a file from the Windows Update site.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur for a number of reasons, including a poorly written Java program, a damaged ActiveX control, a damaged cookie, a damaged file in the Temporary Internet Files folder, damaged Microsoft Active Setup or Windows Update files, or a non-registered copy of Windows 98.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, use as many of the following steps as is necessary. If one step does not work, go to the next step until the behavior is resolved.
  1. To use the Windows Update site, you need to set your security settings to Medium. To change your security settings, click Internet Options on the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, click the Security tab, click the Internet zone, click the Medium setting, and then click OK.

    This may also require that the security setting be set to Low.
  2. Verify that your copy of Windows 98 is registered. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Welcome To Windows.
    2. Click Register Now, and then follow the instructions on your screen. If Register Now is not listed, your copy of Windows 98 is already registered.
  3. Try to log on to your Internet service provider (ISP) before you attempt to access the Windows Update site. Some ISPs require you to log on before opening a browser session. When you log on to an ISP, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is loaded and provides connectivity to the Internet. Connecting to the Windows Update site requires an existing TCP/IP session.

    For additional information about connecting to the Internet, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    138789 How to Connect to the Internet in Windows 95 and Windows 98
  4. Use the System File Checker tool to extract a new copy of the Vbscript.dll file from your original Windows 98 CD-ROM or disks to the Windows\System folder.

    NOTE: Be sure to make a back up copy of the Vbscript.dll file when you are prompted to do so.
    For additional information about how to extract files using the System File Checker tool, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    129605 How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files

  5. Register the dynamic-link library (DLL) files that are associated with the Windows Update Web site and clear the cache and history:
    1. Click Start, and then click Run.
    2. Type regsvr32 c:\windows\system\vbscript.dll, and press ENTER.
    3. Type regsvr32 c:\windows\system\mshtml.dll, and press ENTER.
  6. Remove any damaged or poorly written files downloaded from the Internet. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, click Shut Down, click "Restart in MS-DOS mode," and then click OK.
    2. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command, and pressing Y if you are prompted to confirm folder deletion.

      NOTE: Since cookies store information for a particular Web site, you should copy the contents of the Cookies folder to a new folder instead of deleting the Cookies folder. If moving the Cookies folder's contents to another temporary folder does not resolve the issue, you may be able to restore the cookies files systematically after the issue(s) has (have) been resolved so you do not have to re-register and/or provide information the next time you visit the web site.

      To do so, type the following commands at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each command:

      smartdrv.exe
      md <new folder>
      copy c:\windows\cookies\*.* c:\windows\new folder

      Where new folder is the folder to which you want to copy the contents of the Cookies folder.

      NOTE: Smartdrv.exe is not required to delete these files. It is used only to speed the file deletion process.

      Type the following commands:

      cd\windows
      deltree cookies
      deltree history
      deltree tempor~1
      exit

      NOTE: If you do not intend to reinstall the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (VM), do not delete the "Win32 Classes" file in the Downloaded Program Files (Downlo~1) folder. Instead, delete every file but the "Win32 Classes" file.
    3. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders. In the Named box, type downloaded program files, and then click Find Now. Double-click the Downloaded Program Files folder, right-click a file in this folder, and then click Remove. Continue to remove files from this folder in this manner until all files are removed, and then restart your computer.

      WARNING: Do not delete or use the Deltree command on, the Downloaded Program Files folder.
  7. Use the System Configuration Utility to determine if a file or program that is loaded into memory is preventing you from loading the Windows Update site. For additional information about clean-boot troubleshooting using the System Configuration Utility, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    192926 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98
  8. Use System File Checker to replace any changed or damaged system files.

    For information about how to replace altered files using System File Checker, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    129605 How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files
  9. Delete the Internet Explorer 4.0 Setup files if they are on your hard disk. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
    2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
    3. In the list of installed programs, click Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Setup Files. If Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Setup Files is not listed, skip to step 5.
    4. Click Add/Remove, click Yes when you are prompted to remove the files, and then click OK.
    NOTE: If you install Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 in Microsoft Windows 95, save the uninstall information, and then upgrade to Windows 98, the Internet Explorer 4.0 Setup files remain on your hard disk and you have the ability to remove them using the Add/Remove Programs tool. If you are receiving the "Error Installing Dependency" error message, deleting the Internet Explorer 4.0 Setup files may resolve the error message. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    179650 Error Message: Error Installing Dependency
  10. Obtain the latest version of the Microsoft Java VM from the following Microsoft Web site:

    http://www.microsoft.com/java/

    NOTE: Because the Microsoft Web site is regularly updated, the site address may change without notice. If this occurs, link to the Microsoft home page at the following address:

    http://www.microsoft.com/
  11. Remove and then reinstall the Active Setup and Windows Update files. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
    2. Double-click Internet Options.
    3. On the General tab click Settings, click View Objects.
    4. Locate the following file (if it exists) WUV3IS.DLL. Right click the file and then click Delete.
    5. Locate the following files (if they exist). Right-click one of the files, and then click Update.
      • Wusysinfo
      • Wuredirinforb
      • InstallEngineCTL Object
    6. When you are prompted to install Active Setup, click Yes.
    7. Close the Downloaded Program Files window.
    8. Click OK, and then click OK again.
    9. Find and then delete the following files:

      • Asctrls.ocx
      • Inseng.dll
      • Wudetect.dll
      • Wupdatto.dll
      • Wuredirb.dll
      To find a file, click Start, point to Find, click "Files or Folders," type the name of the file you want to find in the Named box, and then click Find Now. To delete a file, right-click it, and then click Delete.
    10. Restart your computer, and then connect to the Windows Update site to see if the problem is resolved.

      NOTE: If you are using Internet Explorer 5, connect to the http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com Web site to download the ActiveX components, and then click Windows Update on the Tools menu.
If the problem persists, download the Microsoft Scripting Engine 5.0 for Internet Explorer from the following Microsoft Web site:

http://microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/corporate.asp

NOTE: This is the same JScript update that is available on the Windows Update site.

For more information about Microsoft Scripting Engines 3.1b, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

191200 Update Available for Window.External JScript Security Issue

If the problem persists, you may want to reinstall Windows 98. To do so, use the following steps:
  1. Start your computer with your Windows 98 Startup Disk. If you do not have one you may be able to create one on any computer that has a CD-ROM drive. For information about how to do so, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    187632 How to Create a Windows 98 Startup Disk that Supports FAT32
  2. Choose "Start computer with CD-ROM support", and then press ENTER.
  3. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:

    c:
    cd progra~1
    ren intern~1 interold
    CD-ROM drive letter:
    setup

    Where CD-ROM drive letter is the drive letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive.

    NOTE: When you start your computer with a Windows 98 Startup Disk and enable CD-ROM support, your CD-ROM drive letter is changed to one letter after the normal letter. For example, if your CD-ROM drive letter is normally D, it is now E.

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