Open your HOSTS file (OPEN THE SEARCH PROGRAM IN YOUR
START MENU AND TYPE "HOSTS". A file called HOSTS will
appear in the system32 folder. open it and copy and paste
this entry at the bottom of the info in that HOST file.
Oh yeah, open the hosts file with NOTEPAD to view and
edit it) and add the following entry under
the loopback address, (copy past will work).

I'm fed up waiting for Microsoft to fix this. This DOES
work!

Open your HOSTS (no extension) file and after all that
garbage text at the top, at the very bottom directly
under any other entries, copy and paste THIS entry into
your HOSTS file.

Thanks to Brian R. for posting it! U have a good techie
friend out there!!
ADD THE BELOW ENTRY:

208.172.158.234 download.windowsupdate.com

If that does not work, keep the entry and PING or TRACERT
download.windowsupdate.com in your Command Prompt window.
It then reveal the actual servers address. Add this new
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx entry to your hosts file by using the
same method above.

This works.

I installed a fresh XP Pro system today and aplied ALL
critical and recommended and device driver updates.

Kate,

Although adding the Windows Update IP addresses to the host file is a
workaround, is not a permanent solution. The IP addresses associated with
Windows Update change frequently, therefore when the IP address changes you
will
again encounter errors downloading updates. Please remember to remove the
static entries. This issue may be due to your ISP blocking traffic to
"download.windowsupdate.com"

Please post what ISP you're using to help us narrow down the problem.

--
Thank you,
Lucy Eby [MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


"Kate" <x@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:066201c365d3$9d29e820$a101280a@phx.gbl...

Hello Lucy!

I'm in Ontario, Canada. I am with Bell Sympatico DSL High
Speed. I have also notified Bell Sympatico of the issue.

I hope this helps. Once the Windows Update site is
working for more people without these static host file
entries..... will an official notice be posted on
Microsoft about the issue or on the Windows Update site?
The public is believing it is a problem with thier
PHYSICAL computer, when that is NOT the case.

Sincerely,
Kate

My ISP is cox on the west coast.

I get the failed install notice for all updates on both my
98SE and NT machines.

Please notify me of the solution as soon as it is
discovered, as it is a big concern.

Thank You.

I have Cox also and they just blame MS. I am on east coast. Works fine
with dial-up from same location.


"Richard" <flux21@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:058801c365f5$49555d70$a601280a@phx.gbl...

Lucy,

I just purchased a dell latitude d500 with xp pro and have
been desperately trying to download the critical updates
since last week.

Each and every time, the download progress advances
partially through and hangs before completion. Today I
got excited because it seemed to download 29.3 mb of the
34+- mb but of course it never completed and therefore
nothing every gets installed.

I am desparately trying to protect my computer against all
the holes in microsoft software. CAN YOU HELP - PLEASE!!!

Thanks!
Bella

This worked for me. My ISP is COX in Phoenix AZ
"BB" <mikeandbella@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:25f301c3661a$0a8de4c0$7d02280a@phx.gbl...