Cannot get updates

I have been trying to update Windows ME with no success.
When I try, the updates are downloaded, I get the message
displayed in the browser "the installation failed. Please
try to install again" (or something like that). When I try
again, I frequently get the Blue Screen of Death (stop
error) and am forced to restart. Is there anything I can do
to correct this? There are several critical updates I need,
but they won't install.

Have you been running with the Quack?
Are you running Norton System Quack - - errr - Doctor?
If so, then read on......

You may have up to 32,000 empty OEM*.INF files sitting in your
c:\Windows\INF folder, which prevents any program putting a legitimate *.INF
file in there (it also slow your system down to stop, trying to read them
and sort the [non-existent] contents!).
You need to DELETE all 0byte (and ONLY the 0byte) OEM*.INF files.
look here for information on how to do that , and how to prevent it
happening again (i.e. TURN OFF NORTON SYSTEM DOCTOR - unless you are
actively troubleshooting something)

The Symantec site:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...15010309&src=n

also
"Computer Stops Responding (Hangs) During Setup, Installing Updates, or
Adding New Hardware"
(http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q281967)
also
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q301540
(which contains the fix for your problem in the NOTE under the patch
description)
Phone your Local MS office, and tell them your problem quoting Q301540 -
they'll either send you the patch, or give you a one-use password, for the
cost of the call.

Good Luck


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

wrote in message
...
I have been trying to update Windows ME with no success.
When I try, the updates are downloaded, I get the message
displayed in the browser "the installation failed. Please
try to install again" (or something like that). When I try
again, I frequently get the Blue Screen of Death (stop
error) and am forced to restart. Is there anything I can do
to correct this? There are several critical updates I need,
but they won't install.

No, I don't run with "The Quack"; tried that a year or so
back, and ended up formatting and re-installing.
Checked the OEM*.inf files, and found only a few.
Have searched Google for this, and have found little help.
Have uninstalled my firewall and antivirus (Ez-Trust from
the MS website), and still no luck. I have looked for
install logs, and can't find them.
When I attempt to install the critical updates, I get no
real error message, just "the updates failed to install".
When I check the installation history, the last update
that installed correctly was the Automatic
Update "update" for Windows ME (which doesn't seem to be
automatic), all others have failed, four of them, all
critical.
Thankfully I have Windows XP on another drive which I
use, fully updated and with the lates release candidate
of Sp2. Am leary of using ME now, with so many critical
updates that will not install.
Will keep trying...

-----Original Message-----
Have you been running with the Quack?
Are you running Norton System Quack - - errr - Doctor?
If so, then read on......

You may have up to 32,000 empty OEM*.INF files sitting
in your
c:\Windows\INF folder, which prevents any program
putting a legitimate *.INF
file in there (it also slow your system down to stop,
trying to read them
and sort the [non-existent] contents!).
You need to DELETE all 0byte (and ONLY the 0byte)
OEM*.INF files.
look here for information on how to do that , and how to
prevent it
happening again (i.e. TURN OFF NORTON SYSTEM DOCTOR -
unless you are
actively troubleshooting something)

The Symantec site:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...sf/docid/20001
20915010309&src=n

also
"Computer Stops Responding (Hangs) During Setup,
Installing Updates, or
Adding New Hardware"
(http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;Q281967)
also
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;Q301540
(which contains the fix for your problem in the NOTE
under the patch
description)
Phone your Local MS office, and tell them your problem
quoting Q301540 -
they'll either send you the patch, or give you a one-use
password, for the
cost of the call.

Good Luck


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post
messages to NG's

wrote in message
...
I have been trying to update Windows ME with no
success.
When I try, the updates are downloaded, I get the
message
displayed in the browser "the installation failed.
Please
try to install again" (or something like that). When I
try
again, I frequently get the Blue Screen of Death (stop
error) and am forced to restart. Is there anything I
can do
to correct this? There are several critical updates I
need,
but they won't install.


.

You may have a virus/spyware hijack

download the Stinger from here and run it to make sure that A-V-disabling
viruses are not present on your PC
http://download.nai.com/products/mca...rt/stinger.exe

- update your virus scanner and run a full system scan of all files.

Reboot to Safe Mode and run CWShredder - to remove variants of the
CoolWebSearch hijacker.
http://www.merijn.org/cwschronicles.html

Use CWShredder, the removal tool:
http://www.merijn.org/files/cwshredder.zip
http://www.merijn.org/files/CWShredder.exe
http://www.spywareinfo.com/downloads...CWShredder.exe
http://www.zerosrealm.com/downloads/CWShredder.zip

download AdAware from www.lavasoftusa.com, install, update, and run it to
remove spyware, adware,
and other such nasties from your system.


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"Alex" wrote in message
...
No, I don't run with "The Quack"; tried that a year or so
back, and ended up formatting and re-installing.
Checked the OEM*.inf files, and found only a few.
Have searched Google for this, and have found little help.
Have uninstalled my firewall and antivirus (Ez-Trust from
the MS website), and still no luck. I have looked for
install logs, and can't find them.
When I attempt to install the critical updates, I get no
real error message, just "the updates failed to install".
When I check the installation history, the last update
that installed correctly was the Automatic
Update "update" for Windows ME (which doesn't seem to be
automatic), all others have failed, four of them, all
critical.
Thankfully I have Windows XP on another drive which I
use, fully updated and with the lates release candidate
of Sp2. Am leary of using ME now, with so many critical
updates that will not install.
Will keep trying...

-----Original Message-----
Have you been running with the Quack?
Are you running Norton System Quack - - errr - Doctor?
If so, then read on......

You may have up to 32,000 empty OEM*.INF files sitting
in your
c:\Windows\INF folder, which prevents any program
putting a legitimate *.INF
file in there (it also slow your system down to stop,
trying to read them
and sort the [non-existent] contents!).
You need to DELETE all 0byte (and ONLY the 0byte)
OEM*.INF files.
look here for information on how to do that , and how to
prevent it
happening again (i.e. TURN OFF NORTON SYSTEM DOCTOR -
unless you are
actively troubleshooting something)

The Symantec site:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...sf/docid/20001
20915010309&src=n

also
"Computer Stops Responding (Hangs) During Setup,
Installing Updates, or
Adding New Hardware"
(http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;Q281967)
also
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;Q301540
(which contains the fix for your problem in the NOTE
under the patch
description)
Phone your Local MS office, and tell them your problem
quoting Q301540 -
they'll either send you the patch, or give you a one-use
password, for the
cost of the call.

Good Luck


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2004, Win9x)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post
messages to NG's

wrote in message
...
I have been trying to update Windows ME with no
success.
When I try, the updates are downloaded, I get the
message
displayed in the browser "the installation failed.
Please
try to install again" (or something like that). When I
try
again, I frequently get the Blue Screen of Death (stop
error) and am forced to restart. Is there anything I
can do
to correct this? There are several critical updates I
need,
but they won't install.


.

Check the Windows Update.log located in the WINDOWS folder. Open it
with Notepad and scroll down to the bottom for the most recent
entries . See if there are any error codes associated with the
failed attempts to install and then look for them here :
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/troubleshoot/
under the " Problem Downloading/Installing a Software (Non-Driver)
item " heading . Try the suggested resolution(s). If no joy, post
back here with the last 20 or so lines of the log or the sections of
it containing the error code(s).

Also, check the iuhist.xml file located in Program Files\Windows
Update\V4. Look for installation error codes at the end of each
entry. The latest attempts to install will be located at the top of
this file . The error codes appear as this :
installStatus value="FAILED" needsReboot="0" errorCode="-1073741819" /

Post back with any you find, please.

MowGreen [MVP]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


wrote:

I have been trying to update Windows ME with no success.
When I try, the updates are downloaded, I get the message
displayed in the browser "the installation failed. Please
try to install again" (or something like that). When I try
again, I frequently get the Blue Screen of Death (stop
error) and am forced to restart. Is there anything I can do
to correct this? There are several critical updates I need,
but they won't install.