This also worked for me. Additionally, the cause of the problem was
installing drivers for an HP ScanJet 4300C. The scanner worked, but the
drivers blocked all my secure websites. HP was little help.

This email string also led me to investigate Norton Firewall, where the
drivers also disabled Norton Auto-Protect. Running Oxon's solution, then
updating Norton on Symantec's website did the trick. Now the scanner works
and so does my https://


"Oxon" wrote:

> Hi
>
> I had the same problem but found this in one of the other messages hope it
> helps:-
>
> "GK wrote:
> Here is how I was able to work around the problem.
> Using command prompt
> 1. proxycfg -d (to clear proxy cache)
> 2. net stop wuauserv (to stop Automatic updates service)
>
> Using Windows Explorer
> 3. Delete all files and folders in
> C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution (your windows folder may vary)
>
> Again using command prompt
> 4. net start wuauserv (to start Automatic updates service)
>
> Try now going back to Windows Update web page."
>
> It worked for me! :-)
>
> Jon G.
>
> "Arjun Lakhtakia" wrote:
>
> > hi,
> > I've been trying to download sp2, but the window just says that the update
> > failed to install... any help would be appreciated.
> > Thanks

I fought this for two days. I tried all the things MS knowledge base
said. I tried everything I could find on the net like additional
sites to add to the trusted list. Nothing worked.

Here is what finally fixed it for me:
I have ZoneAlarm configured to keep certain MS dlls/apps from
accessing the internet. That was not the problem. I would boot up
and disable ZoneAlarm before running WindowsUpdate to let them talk as
they needed. The problem was that once ZoneAlarm has kept these MS
dlls/apps from accessing the internet then even after you disable
ZoneAlarm they will never try again (during that boot up).

They try once on boot up and if they fail, even if you disable
ZoneAlarm, they will never try again like when you go to
WindowsUpdate.

I marked all the MS stuff as allowed to access the internet, rebooted,
and WindowsUpdate worked fine.

I would recommend that you disable outbound "phone home" firewalls and
anti-virus while accessing WindowsUpdate. This was easy for me as my
LAN is well protected from the internet but those with direct
connections to the internet that rely entirely on personal firewalls
must be careful not to expose themselves.

The MS program in question was "Generic Host Process" (or possibly
"Services and Controller app") and it would probably work to just give
this guy full access to the internet for the duration of the
WindowsUpdate.

I understand that there may be a similar issue with Norton (NIS?)
firewalling these MS programs.

Cliff


On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 15:15:04 -0800, Snellville Bill <Snellville
Bill@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>This also worked for me. Additionally, the cause of the problem was
>installing drivers for an HP ScanJet 4300C. The scanner worked, but the
>drivers blocked all my secure websites. HP was little help.
>
>This email string also led me to investigate Norton Firewall, where the
>drivers also disabled Norton Auto-Protect. Running Oxon's solution, then
>updating Norton on Symantec's website did the trick. Now the scanner works
>and so does my https://
>
>
>"Oxon" wrote:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> I had the same problem but found this in one of the other messages hope it
>> helps:-
>>
>> "GK wrote:
>> Here is how I was able to work around the problem.
>> Using command prompt
>> 1. proxycfg -d (to clear proxy cache)
>> 2. net stop wuauserv (to stop Automatic updates service)
>>
>> Using Windows Explorer
>> 3. Delete all files and folders in
>> C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution (your windows folder may vary)
>>
>> Again using command prompt
>> 4. net start wuauserv (to start Automatic updates service)
>>
>> Try now going back to Windows Update web page."
>>
>> It worked for me! :-)
>>
>> Jon G.
>>
>> "Arjun Lakhtakia" wrote:
>>
>> > hi,
>> > I've been trying to download sp2, but the window just says that the update
>> > failed to install... any help would be appreciated.
>> > Thanks