I’m using avast too, and successfully installed that critical update yesterday without any problems… Have you tried to install it directly using website, not with automatic updates?
Maybe you are tryng to update without Internet Explorer? remember that Microsoft windows update service require 1- Active X control enabled on your browser; 2- Cookies enabled; 3- Java and Java Scripts enabled.
Question - if there are multiple updates for a given Win version, does MS post them more or less simultaneously (or at least over a very short time-span) on “that day”, or are they posted over a longer period, possibly several hours?
I did a manual Win Update check Tuesday afternoon, before I was yet getting a notification icon in the tooltray, and the only thing showing for my XP Home was that monthly malicious-removal thing. Should I have checked again later?
(I’ve got my Auto Update set to notify-only, and there’s still no icon showing, so I’m guessing that’s all there was or is for XP this time around.)
The only notification I got (for XP Pro) this time round was for the monthly update of the malware removal tool (or some such), which I don’t bother with.
Ylap: Yes. When I couldn’t download using windowsupdate, I had done it “your way.” But, thanks, anyhow. I might not have thought of it.
Spyros and P3t3rb0nn: The firewall wasn’t the problem, as far as I know, but Active X and Java settings were. I use Notify instead of Automatic Update. I keep Microsoft in my Trusted Sites security zone, and apparently forgot that I had fiddled with the settings. This was the first time I experienced problems since doing it, though. And, yes, I am aware that Microsoft requires Internet Explorer.
However, sometime during my settings changes, I received an error message from windowsupdate, which prevented me from accessing the Install page. I don’t know for sure what I did to get it working properly, but I eventually got there, and was told that no critical updates were available. Very strange. I hope it doesn’t mean I’ve exacerbated the problem. (I deleted all references to the particular file from my computer, and tried again. Same result: No updates available).
So I won’t know if you folks have resolved my problem until the next update notification.
For now, thanks a lot. If there’s a way I can let you know what happens, I’d be happy to do so. Besides, I may have to holler for help, again.
DavidR: Thanks for your input. That’s the file I’m talking about. You’re probably right; it’s not worth bothering with, but I still have to know why I can’t download from windowsupdate.