Windows update problems

I have Windows XP Media Center SP3. Recently I noticed that my automatic updates is not working. I tried updating manually by going to the Microfoft Update site. Upon entering the site I am prompted to choose between express or custom. I chose express and it searched for latest updates. It then takes me to a page titled "Windows Genuine Validation". This page has 2 options… 1. Yes, help me validate Windows and get all important updates for my computer (Recommended) 2.Just show me updates for other products (Your computer will be more vulnerable to security threats until you update Windows.) I chose option 1 and selected continue. Next it brings me to a page with this message… .. The validation process cannot continue because your web browser is not configured to run the components required by the genuine validation process. The following will help you fix this problem and continue with validation. 1. Right click the Info Bar and select Install ActiveX Control (shown below) 2. When the Internet Explorer Security warning dialog appears, click Install. If the ActiveX Control does not properly install, you may click the Validate Now button below to launch the alternate validation process (optimized for browsers unable to run the original validation script). The information bar never appears to allow me to install the activex component. So I chose the alternate method which runs legitcheck.hta. This file fails with the error "Validation Not Completed: ActiveX Error". I have tried doing all these steps with AVG disabled but it made no difference. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Hello Tymont, Just to check, are you sure you were doing this through Internet Explorer? Cheers, Nahumi

Hello Tymont,

Just to check, are you sure you were doing this through Internet Explorer?


Cheers,
Nahumi

Positive.

Try: Opem IE tools / Internet options / security / custom level / change level to 'medium' / click 'reset' / yes / OK / apply / OK

Some possibilities here: ActiveX error 0x80080296 - ActiveX fails to load.

Especially this MS web site: Genuine Microsoft Software – Diagnostic Site

Try: Opem IE
tools / Internet options / security / custom level / change level to 'medium' / click 'reset' / yes / OK / apply / OK

Just tried this. No luck. Still have the same problem.

Some possibilities here: ActiveX error 0x80080296 - ActiveX fails to load.

Especially this MS web site: Genuine Microsoft Software – Diagnostic Site

Well, I tried all the recommendations on that site to no avail. The only thing I didn't do was open a ticket with MS support. Any other ideas?

Hi Tymont,

Microsoft Genuine Advantage, to validate the operating system.
Read about and download WGA Validation tool here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905474

Cheers,
Lee

Open th ticket with MS then. I believe it's a free service for WGA problems.

Hi Tymont,

Microsoft Genuine Advantage, to validate the operating system.
Read about and download WGA Validation tool here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905474

Cheers,
Lee

Done. It only confirmed what I already know. My copy of Windos is authentic. Go figure.
Still did not resolve the problem. I never thought I'd have a problem this site couldn't help me fix. lol Thanks for trying though.

I never thought I'd have a problem this site couldn't help me fix. lol Thanks for trying though.

For every problem there is no definitive fix. There might be fifty solutions to the same issue presenting itself on different PC's. Fixing a PC problem is as much art as it is science, especially when the PC is not at hand.

I would go with Ztruker's last suggestion.

Cheers,
lee