Problem with Windows Update

OK, time for another one … I’ve already searched for this (this forum only, which seemed reasonable) but couldn’t find anything on this particular one.

So far I’m still unable to access the July MS updates. I’ve got auto-updates disabled (seemed to check daily, for some weird reason), and have normally done Patch Tuesday (typically the next day, to avoid traffic) via the “Update” tool in IE-8.

Now after a couple of redirects, but before I see the “checking version” screen, I’m Done with an almost blank page showing “<sc” near the top left corner. If I look at the page source, it appears to be javascript and ends with “<sc”.

I don’t understand js, but that sure looks like a truncated unfinished command, similar to when one of us messes up HTTP format coding when posting here by omitting the final “]”.

I’d gotten this once in a while in the past, but always got in properly later by trying again. No luck this time.

Any suggestions, possibly a change to js permissions in Internet Options? I’ve got all MS addys set as trusted sites.

Possibly it would help whoever if I posted a copy of that source data here? If so, please let me know.

Is it your decision or you had problems with Windows Update?
Sorry, I’m on Vista (that does not use IE for updates anymore).

Using a Celeron 2.2ghz with only 256 meg RAM is lucky that it even works then loaded down with Comodo must make it slower than molases in January in Inuvik:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuvik,_Northwest_Territories
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/slow_as_molasses_in_January
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=46737.0

[b]Crucial System Scanner tool[/b] Scan your computer to find out what is already inside your system and get recommended upgrades.
http://www.crucial.com/#

You don’t have to by from them but you can print out the recommended updates and take it to a local PC system shop with your system and they will install the upgrade then test it and provide you with a warranty.

Didn’t I recommend this before ???

I’ll try to answer both of you with one shot. With regard to disabling Win auto-updates, I found that (much like avast.setup, at least for me) it’s a resource hog and, other than in Process Explorer, there’s no indication that it’s running unless and until it actually finds that there’s an upgrade available.

And what the heck, I can see by a glance at the calendar when patch Tuesday is. And if something extra-critical is released off-schedule, there’s always major mention of that here and elsewhere.

As for memory and Comodo, I’ll take the latter first. I dumped Comodo in favor of the PC Tools firewall a week or two ago, after all the bad publicity Comodo got from supporting alleged malware distributors. Obviously I forgot to update my sig here and elsewhere, thanks for pointing that out.

And I’ve never yet had any occasion to feel 256 megs isn’t enough for my purposes. I’m not into streaming media or high-end games, which are usually the two heaviest users of memory, and when downloading large files I can quite happily rely on getting 10-15 MB/minute, maybe even 20 if the site in question is really good. When Win 7 gets finalized and, eventually, XP is no longer supported, that’ll make a difference, of course, but for now I think I’m doing fine. So I’m doubtful that memory shortage is a significant factor.

  • Celeron is a budget processor
  • My old 2.4GHZ P4 XP Home system has 512MB RAM and it is slow so I learned to be patient with it.
    Nobody want to buy it because its too old.
  • The reason why Win auto-updates consumes so much system resource is that it needs more RAM

http://www.buycomputermemory.com/memory-influence-on-performance.html

Even Apple recommend more RAM:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9130445

RAM is the BEST and CHEAPEST performance you can do for your system.

I’ll wait for anyone to dispute this!

[b]Crucial System Scanner tool[/b] Scan your computer to find out what is already inside your system and get recommended upgrades.
+1

Insufficient RAM will cause odd and intermittent problems like this, and you’re likely overworking your hard drive due to virtual memory swapping. 512MB to 1.0GB is the minimum RAM required to enable a XP system to function smoothly.