Cannot use Windows Update and now IE closes as soon as opened

[jaslyne]

Ok, details - Homemade computer w/Intel mobo, dual core processor, 2.2 ghz, 3.25gb ram, NVidia graph card, SATA hd. Computer blue screened out of the blue the other day. Rebooted, started to load IE, blue screened again. Rebooted, set Avast to boot time scan, blue screen again. On reboot, it did allow the scan, scan found no infections but alot of corrupted files/cabs, etc.
Decided i needed a fresh win install but didn't want to lose my stuff, so installed a new HD. Ran my xp w/sp2 disc (yes, it's real, i have 2 - one from an old computer). About 1/2 way through, install process stopped saying a file was missing from the disc?? srsly? So inserted the other (real) xp w/sp2 disc. Install continued and completed. Downloaded Avast for anti-virus and went to windows update to begin those. Kept getting an error msg saying IE could not open the page. Looked up the error msg on MSKB, it led me through a few links and to a final one that was a download for a 'fix it' program, however the download told me that i could not run it because i needed other software first, Please use Windows Update. Unfortunately, being unable to use windows update is what brought me there... so a vicious cycle that was getting me nowhere. I thought maybe the sp2 didn't fully or correctly install, so went on the hunt for a download of it, found it, downloaded fine, ran it with no errors or issues. Attempted windows update again with the same results. Since the IE with this disc is v.6, thought maybe i could update it and fix this. Attempted to download IE 7 and 8, both with the same result: instant download of a 3kb file which i was promptly told was not a valid win32 application. Duh. Now I have resorted to using Chrome for browser as IE will not even fully load until i get the 'IE has encountered a problem and needs to close, pls tell MS about this' window. Chrome does not seem to have any issues. Anyone have any ideas? I don't know if there's an issue with the win install due to using 2 cds for it (although before IE stopped working, i was able to validate/activate my windows with no problem), but I don't have another original cd to use and hate to spend $100 to find out i have the same issue due to MS no longer supporting anything below sp3, or whatever may be the problem. Please help if you can, any ideas are welcome as i am at a loss at this point. Thank you so much for your time.

[jaslyne]

UPDATE: attempted to download sp3 through Chrome, it downloaded a 10mb file which again said 'this is not a valid win32 app'. Did manage to download IE8 through Chrome, and can now use it, but not much - went to windows update again - still fails saying: The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you are trying to view. The options provided below might help you solve the problem. [Error number: 0x80240036]. this is the same error that told me i needed to use windows update to use the fix. pls help if you can.

[hartbeatmr]

Good afternoon jaslyne and welcome to CH

     XP's SP3 is a lot bigger than 10-20 megs the stand alone install is a little over 300 megs here is the link to download it from http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/windows-xp-service-pack-3.html#.UDfs11IgwqA just scroll down and look on the left for it.

     Then you should be OK. If you have a AMD CPU install the fix before you install SP3 that is here http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/windows-xp-sp3-amd-stop-0x0000007E.html#.UDftqFIgwqA if you do not have a AMD CPU don't worry about installing and just install SP3.

Don't worry about the web site I have used them for years and they are safe. The download really comes from MS.

Please let us know how you make out, Mike

[jaslyne]

same issue as before - download says complete but the file is small and says not a valid win32 app - got 19.5mb this time, guess that's progress from 10mb lol. thank you for trying to help, really appreciate it. and thank you for the welcome as well

[hartbeatmr]

Welcome back

What kind of internet do you have cable,sat or DSL etc ?

When you were downloading it I am assuming you were doing it through chrome?

Do you have a download manager running? (i.e Internet Download Manager etc)

The reason you are getting the "not a valid win32 app" is because the download did not complete

Or is there any browser add-ons / firewall running that is interfering if you just tried to download it through chrome and it still didn't work there has to be a reason.

Did you ever try to run IE in safe mode / without add-ons and in-case you don't know where it is just go to all programs and look for IE safe mode and try running it. Now when IE opens go to tools then internet options then go to the connection tab then click on LAN settings then take all check marks out of all boxes and click OK to all boxes to close them and then restart the PC and see how it works.

      Have you ever used malwarebytes you can get it here http://download.cnet.com/1770-20_4-0.html?query=malwarebytes&platformSelect=Windows&tag=srch%3Ba&searchtype=downloads&filterName=platform%3DWindows&filter=platform%3DWindows I know that you said that you did a scan with avast but just to be safe I would do a scan with it. Avast is good but MWB is really good for a manual scanner. After the download it will want to update just let it if it can if it can't update just do a quick scan if it finds something let it remove everything it finds it is almost never wrong on what it finds. If it does find something just run a couple more quick scans until clean then try to update and scan again.

Please let us know how you make out, Mike

 

[jaslyne]

I have cable internet, and Chrome has it's own download manager, so that was used for the download. I did check the LAN settings as you suggested and none of the boxes are/were checked, so that's ok. I was able to download the malwarebytes. It updated with no problem and ran scans with no problems. Did find one object on the first run, which I let it remove. After finishing with it, I tried windows update again, with the same problem. I just don't get it, it has to be an OS issue as I am able to download seemingly anything non-windows related. I don't know, I'm so lost on this. Thank you again for your input, much appreciated.

[hartbeatmr]

Good evening jaslyne and welcome back

If you want please follow the instructions so we can get you taken care of

Download BlueScreenView:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html
unzip downloaded file and double click on BlueScreenView.exe to run the program.
when scanning is done, go to EDIT - Select All
Go to FILE - SAVE Selected Items, and save the report as BSOD.txt
Open BSOD.txt in Notepad, copy all of the content, and paste it into your next reply

There has to be a reason to your issue even knowing you said you only had one BSOD

Hope to hear from you soon, Mike

[jaslyne]

I haven't had any BSOD on this install, that was on my HD that i have replaced. My issue now is not BSOD but the fact that i cannot update windows, and therefore cannot use programs that won't run with this older sp2, i.e. games, graphics programs, websites that don't display due to whatever this issue is, etc. as well as drivers that won't install and the basic fact that my computer is not up to date with critical and non-critical fixes. I'm sorry for the confusion, but the BSOD on my old HD is what caused me to install a new drive and do this messed up windows installation. Thank you again, Mike, for all your help.

[hartbeatmr]

Hello again jaslyne

Thank you for getting back to me, sorry about the misunderstanding about the BSOD when I read your post I didn't think that you did the installation the new HD but I have a question for you your XP key is that for XP home or XP pro

Mike


If you want to stay with XP I found a new copy of XP Pro for under 40.00 http://www.bmem.net/Microsoft-Windows-XP-Pro-OEM-SP3_p_15.html

Also if you have a thumb drive you can download SP3 from a different PC and then install on your PC that is having the issue


 

[jaslyne]

It is xp home, and thank you for the idea of downloading from another computer - had totally not even thought about that 

[jaslyne]

Hi Mike, and ty so much again for your time today. Just wanted to throw this in there for you, when i attempted the download with no firewall or av running, i DID finally get an error about connection resetting almost immediately, so going to try to download from another computer.

[jaslyne]

I'm so confused    I attempted the download of sp3 on two other computers - one running win7 and one running xp - the win7 one got a file with a size of 19mb, the xp one got 325kb file. neither got the full 300+mb file. What I don't get is, i have downloaded games (as a test) and a couple of the programs that I would normally download for use on my computer, none as large as 300+mb, but some pretty decent sized ones, with no issues like this. It seems to strictly be related to windows downloads.

[hartbeatmr]

Good afternoon jaslyne and welcome back

     If these PC are at your location / home all the PC's that you have tried doing this download with has the issue than the problem is in your network / router or the cable modem. Is the router yours or is it the cable companies? if it is yours try resetting it.

     What model router do you have? You may need to contact your ISP later on but lets finish trying to get this. 

Mike

[jaslyne]

modem is cable company's, routers are mine, i have 3 actually... one main wired one with an extender wired one and another wireless add-on. main one that is direct connected to my modem and shows in http://192.168.1.1 is a linksys NR041... extender is linksys also, wireless is belkin.

[hartbeatmr]

Good afternoon jaslyne and welcome back

If I am reading / interpreting your post correct. You have one router, one switch / hub and a wireless AP.

You may want to look at the back of the Linksys NR041 make sure the the cable modems cat cable is plugged into the "internet" port on the router then skip a port and plug your next cat cable into port.

So it will look like this "Internet" empty - cat cable - cat cable - cat cable (you don't have to use all the ports this is just an example)
                                   Internet      4            3              2              1        (this is the way the back of the router is labeled)

Is the problem PC plugged into the NR041 or is it into the switch / hub if your PC is plugged into the switch / hub disconnect it and plug it into the NR041 and see how it does. The NR041 is the only true router correct? the middle unit is just simple switch?

Hope to hear from you soon,Mike