windows XP won't update

Hello all I'm having real problems with my computer, its got really slow and keeps freezing. I'm not sure whether its just so old (10-11 years) its running out of memory or if it has some problem that I can fix and keep it going for while yet. I've done the usual … disc clean and defrag, ran Ad-aware and Virus Scan and all comes up clean, although the defrag doesn't seem to be moving much. I have five windows updates, (the little yellow shield thingy) they have sat on my tool bar for ages, and will not download and update. I've tried searching for a solution to this and all I could find was that Microsoft have stopped support for this as of July 2010?? Anyone know how I can get these to update? Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 Security Update for Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP x86 (KB979909) Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP x86 (KB982168) Update to .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 for the .NET Framework Assistant 1.0 x86 (KB963707) Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP x86 (KB982524) Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2 Security Update for Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (KB974417) Thank you

Hi, and welcome to WTT forums (although I see that you have been a member here 6 months longer than I have!) If your machine is 10 or 11 years old then it is to be expected that it's not quite as powerful as a more modern one. However plenty of older computers are giving good service still. If they are set up right and correctly maintained then its possible for them to go on for a long time…..Having said that however it must be acknowledged that its must be well into its twilight years! Please advise the make and model number of your computer the total amount of RAM (memory) it has installed, the % of your hard drive space that is free, the operating system you are using and the date when it was last serviced,(stripped down, and dust/debris removed from around the CPU, fans, heat sinks and motherboard. Do you have the operating system Installation disc(s) to hand? Post back and we will do our best to help Regards paws

Hello thanks for the reply. I think the date on there is from the old TomCoyote SpywareInfo forum, not really sure. My computer … and I'm reading this from the system properties …. Microsoft Windows XP, Home Edition, Version 2002, Service Pack 2 Microstar Professional Computer Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU 2.66 GHz 2.67 GHz, 512 MB of RAM If I bring up the defrag, it tells me … Volume … File System … Capacity… Free Space … %Free Space BOOT C ……… NTFS … 37.11 GB … 12.54 GB …… 33% BACKUP D ….. NTFS … 33.51 GB … 31.86 GB ……. 95% RECOVER E …. FAT32 … 3.90 GB … 2.45 GB ……. 62% At the moment we are running Avira VS, and occasionally using AdAware. We use Mozilla Firefox, although IE is on here. There are five of us using this computer, and three of them are kids, so it has done some hard work in the time we've had it. It's been quite well looked after with regards keeping it clean from virus' and malware and hasn't really caused us any major problems in the time we've had it. Have to admit its while since it has been physically cleaned out, think it was some time last year. I just wondered why it wouldn't download the Microsoft updates, as some of them are listed as security issues. And did you think it would be worth investing in some more RAM to keep it going for a while or should we let it retire while it still has some dignity and go buy a shiny new one?? thanks

Hi, Thanks for the info.
Yes your total RAM is nowadays considered very small and performance is likely to be improved quite a bit, by the addition of extra RAM (if your machine will take it:)
If you go here:
www.crucial.com
you can get the Crucial scanner to scan your machine..it will tell you exact details of your existing RAM what extra your machine can be fitted with and the price….. (You dont have to buy the RAM from Crucial but they are a good firm of high repute and I have never been disappointed with either their service or their product.
You need to download from Microsoft the Service Pack 3, and if you install this and follow carefully the directions on the Microsoft site then this is likely to be beneficial and may help with downloading other updates from MS
Take a look here for the download:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389
Regards
paws

Hello

thank you for your reply.

I have managed to update to IE8, but it still won't let me update any of the Microsoft updates …. SP3 and the 6 security issues. It says there is some internal error or something being used by another application I think it was run32.dll

Yesterday it was running OK but now it's real slow , I keep getting the error ' script on the page is may be being used by other application or has stopped responding'

Does it need the extra RAM put in before I can update??

TIA

Just tried the update again and it will not update, but I did write down the reason so perhaps someone much more clever than me will know what its trying to tell me

C:\windows\system32\kernel32.dll is open or in use by another application

and then it tells me that

an internal error has occured

I have no idea what this means, but as far as I know nothing else is running on the computer … all suggestions welcome

thank you

Hi, its maybe best for you to perform a repair reinstall of Windows…do you know how to do this? Regards paws

OK thanks for that … not really sure how to do a repair installation, but I'll have a look round the forum and soon find out. Just to add, I've had a look at what was starting up …'msconfig' and there was about 20 things not sure what some of them were but unticked the ones I recognised and the computer is starting up much quicker, ten minutes instead of 40. thanks for your help.

Good directions here to do a Repair Install.