Problems downloading software updates

[arjay]

I have been trying to download some updates this afternoon to some programmes on my computer, including C Cleaner, Adobe AIRInstaller and Winamp, but they won't download, or progress beyond the starting notification.

I initially identified them and initiated the downloads through UpdateChecker, using Firefox Browser. The display asks me to confirm I want to download and to confirm "Save". The download box then opens (in Firefox) showing the download progress and speed, but the download then just doesn't progress. It sticks at "Starting". I've tried downloading direct from their various websites, and from Filehippo, but they still won't. I've also tried through Opera browser and now Internet Explorer, both with the same result.

I did some Windows updates earlier today, which worked Ok and the upgrade to Firefox 4.0 this afternoon separately direct through Firefox. The latter worked although was very slow. I can browse and access all my normal websites, - its just the download of the updates to the existing programmes.

Does anyone have any ideas? To the best of my knowledge no one has interfered with my Firewall, indeed I tried to initiate the downloads with the Firewall temporarily turned off and they still didn't work.

[BobHelm]

Since you have done the updates that did work, have you turned off your machine & then turned it back on again??
That is about the only thing I can think of..

If you have then maybe try working through this..

This article describes steps to take if you are unable to download or save file using Firefox.

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Una ... ve%20files

[arjay]

Yes Bob, I've done a restart and a shut down since, cleared downloads, and run crap cleaner.

I did note when I tried using IE that it told me that Filehippo wasn't cleared to accept downloads from, but I changed/over-rode that and still came to a halt. It makes me wonder whether any of the Windows updates (Vista) I did this morning blocked anything or told my AV programme (ESET) to do so.

I did have a similar problem once before on my desktop PC (XP) when I had accidentally told the Firewall to deny/block a Firefox change. I overcame that by downloading Firefox into a different folder and installing again from there.

I'll work through the suggestions in the link, e.g. change the download destination folder etc.

Thanks

[arjay]

Well I still haven't succeeded in resolving this. I changed the download folder and then reset a number of defaults as advised by the link Bob gave, all to no avail. I turned off my Firewall and AV programmes and tried again, still no progress. I tried other browsers and other sources for the downloads, but none progress beyond the initial starting phase.

I did note that the Firefox 4.0 download which took ages, did then turn off a couple of add-ons due to compatibility, though I think I had this problem before then. One of those might have been Flash player. I have noted that videos within a website like BBC wont play, though YouTube will. There maybe a clue in there, though I don't know what it might be.

[arjay]

I spotted this in the Firefox Help - Troubleshooting. I don't know if it has anything to do with it:

Direct2D Enabled - Blocked on your graphics card because of unresolved driver issues.

[LannaJeff]

You given it a good virus check yet?

I'd recommend either Ad-Aware (by Lavasoft) or Malwarebytes.

Since it occurs in different browsers, it's probably not your security settings, which would be my first guess.

I'd try giving it some good virus sweeps next.

A System Restore probably won't help.

Good luck.

[arjay]

After a period of time presumably attempting to read/download the updatefiles, I get this message, following on from the name of the file I am trying to download:

"...could not be saved, because the source file could not be read."

I'll try a AV scan too. It makes me think something has either blocked a port or something like that, - i.e. something is stopping certain types of file downloads.

[Jed]

Try using Right Click, Save Target As, and changing your Download Folder. Sounds like a likely scenario.

See: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Unable_to_sav ... load_files

Chok dee.

[arjay]

Tried that already Jed, and just tried it again directing download to a new folder on the Desktop. It still doesn't progress beyond labeling the file (4kbs).

Note it happens with all browsers. I've done an AV scan - no issues.

[BobHelm]

I googled problem...
But as a Vista issue (which I am pretty sure it is) rather than FireFox.
I 'time limited' the query to anything in the last month..
Got 1,640,000 hits!!!! Although they don't seem to be much help.

Among the answers (a couple of times)...

I have had this exact same experience. You are not going insane. I found that avg-free was the problem. I uninstalled it and the problem went away. However, when I reinstalled avg-free, the problem came back.

What updates did you download for Vista? Is there a clue in one of those??

[arjay]

These were the two Windows updates that I installed the day before yesterday. I had a brief look at them and didn't see anything obvious. I'll have a look on the Windows website and see if there are any clues.

Update for Windows Vista (KB2505189)

Installation date: ‎24/‎03/‎2011 09:32

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Recommended

Install this update to resolve issues in Windows. For a complete listing of the issues that are included in this update, see the associated Microsoft Knowledge Base article for more information. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

More information:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2505189

Help and Support:
http://support.microsoft.com

and

Update for Windows Vista (KB2524375)

Installation date: ‎24/‎03/‎2011 09:32

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Important

Install this update to resolve an issue which requires an update to the certificate revocation list on Windows systems and to keep your systems certificate list up to date. After you install this update, you may have to restart your system.

More information:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=214214

Maybe there is a clue in this last one, if it thinks some sites are not certified.

I use ESET Suite = AV, Firewall etc and can see nothing in their logs or banned sites list. Indeed when I turn ESET off I still have the problem.

[Jed]

I'd definitely uninstall them, and try again...

[arjay]

I've uninstalled them both (the Windows Updates) and tried again, - still no change. I used IE this time and also tried Run instead of Save, and still neither progressed.

I suppose it's possible that uninstalling the Windows Updates didn't undo or roll back all the changes, IF of course that is what's causing the problem.

[Jed]

It should if you re-boot.

No other machine in the house to DL stuff on, eh?

Gets old after a while, I know.

Soon you just wanna go have the whole disk reformatted for 200 Baht and be done with it!

[BobHelm]

At a bit of a loss to know what to suggest RJ...
I would suggest that you try to download & install FireFox 3.1.16.
Firefox is pretty happy about having different versions of it installed on the one PC. It does 'go away' & re-configure all your Add-ons if you start a version that is different to the last time you started FireFox, but will not complain about it.
I have 3.1.16. & 4 both installed on my pc, with 2 desktop icons. No issues, it runs whichever version I press the icon for.

The advantage of adding back the old version is two fold.
1. It will absolutely tell you if your problem stemmed from installing 4.
2. If the Vista update did something then possibly the new installation of a browser will undo it, or highlight where it is..

If that does not work then, frankly I would start thinking about installing Windows 7 & dumping Vista - which most people suggest is one of the worst products Microsoft has ever produced...

[arjay]

This is all on my newer laptop machine.

I do have an old desktop with XP, so yes could download them there and then transfer with a memory stick, but that's a lot of hassle every time there's an update to something. CCleaner frequently has updated versions. I also can't view videos within news links and the like.

I don't know that this is a Firefox issue, particularly as I have the same problem using IE or Opera. However, the latest Firefox 4.0 upgrade did disable two add ons, one was a Framework version and the other I'm not sure. Could it be a version of flash player and if so, would that affect things?

I'll uninstall F4.0 and reinstall a previous version and see if that changes anything. I'm never sure if some of the changes still stick or if all changes get reversed.

Re Firefox, I've found and sorted out Foxclocks. Though I seem to have lost the option to "save Tabs" when closing multiple tabs. Currently it only gives me the warning that I'm closing tabs, without any option to save them.

[arjay]

Well I uninstalled Firefox 4.0. It didn't change anything, though now I can't download it again or an earlier version to re-install. So I'm now using Opera. Getting quite P'd off with it all.

Just reinstalling the Windows Updates again, no problem with them!! No problems with websites, YouTubes etc, but cannot download from sites like File Hippo, Piriform etc.

[Frans]

Hello Arjay,

The Windows update's you mention have to do with a SSl attack from 'what Comodo told' a Iraq IP address, And discovered by Jacob Applebaum from the TOR-project. But have nothing to do with downloading programme's like CCleaner, ETC.

"The danger of fake SSL certificates is that internet users cane trap faster in phishing attacks because the certificate of a fake Web site reports that it is the real site (!)".

Firefox, Google Chrome and I.E have released a path fore this problem. Other browser?

Have you checked already Firefox: Extra > Options > Security. AND Firefox: Extra > Options > Advanced. To see iff something blocked there?

I.E: Extra > Internet options > Advanced. And I.E: Security > Privacy policy webpage’s. To see if something blocked there?

Don't know about Google Chrome or other browsers you are using, Because don't have them.

Other security sethings?

Can you check your firewall history?

You write: The advice me to update programmes and drivers. Already done this? Example, Open your 'old' CCleaner and click on the tab 'there is an update available' Instead to go straight to the Filehippo CCleaner website.

In the most worst case: Delete the 2 Windows updates you have done JUST before the problem occurred. Delete Firefox 4.

"After" go to start > Search > Fill in Firefox > Search everywhere > Advanced search > In the location tab, Choice everywhere > Tick the box 'Inclusive Index, Hidden and system > Fill in the name Firefox > Search > Delete everything from Firefox.

Now go to > Start > Search > Fill in 'regedit' > Enter > Give the administrator permission > In the new window go to the tab "Edit" > Search > Fill in Firefox > Tick the 4 boxes > Search > Delete the result.

Repeat these steps from the last “Search to Delete” till you receive the message "Nothing found”.

Restart your computer and re-install the older version from Firefox you used before. And install the 2 Windows updates again.

Free or Trial programme's that can help you with the above are:

http://www.filehippo.com/download_update_checker

http://download.cnet.com/Revo-Uninstall ... 87648.html

http://www.filehippo.com/download_everest_home/

AND I had to translate everything from Dutch because I'm using Dutch software programmes. So sorry if a word is dive rend writing in English as you could see in your tabs. But sure you understand or someone will give you the right translation&mode to follow

By the way, I'm using Vista&AVG free edition. And download yesterday Firefox 4 on my other computer. Everything work's fine. :-"

Frans.

[arjay]

I've just been to my desktop which has Windows XP and set about downloading updates to the same programmes - i.e. to C.Cleaner, AIRAdobe Installer, WinAmp, Skype and Firefox 4.0. Simultaneously I gave Windows the go ahead to do several updates. (I realise I ought to have waited, to be clear/sure). The downloads did NOT progress, same as my laptop. So I stopped the Windows Updates, uninstalled one that had completed, then disabled my ESET AV programme and Firewall and I was then able to download all the above updates, apart from Skype, which would not download.

As the downloads were taking place, I re-enabled the Firewall and AV programme and the downloads continued without problems. This seems to suggest to me that the problem was being caused by one of the Windows updates. If so, I would think a great many people will encounter similar problems.

Tomorrow, I will uninstall the Windows Updates going back say 5 days from my laptop, and then see if updates to the various progs will proceed there. If not, I'll try disabling the Firewall and AV prog, and if I still can't download the updates, I'll copy them across from my desktop PC to my laptop using a memory stick.

[Jed]

Maybe a good time to just plug both machines into your router and connect them via a network (LAN) -- good for backups also.

Maybe try Avast instead of AVG at some point as well. Does sound like some kind of firewall issue to me.

If not, I'd definitely leave Vista behind and have Windows 7 installed.

FYI, IE8 is worse than IE7 and IE9, and you can't install IE9 unless you have WIndows 7, not that I'm especially promoting IE over FF or Chrome, the latter the fastest IMO and a very cool browser; they won me over with their "Paste & Go" feature, when you paste an address into the address bar, and it gives you the option to, yes, GO to that address...uhhh, yes please, that's why I'm entering it in the address field, thank you.

As Bob said, Vista should definitely be consigned to the dustbin of cyber history! Time to move on, I'd say.