Error! Unable to check for updates on this computer

[Goddy Fies]

From the office update page the update process proceeds
to 40% whereupon it interupts and moves to a web page
headed with the message in the above subject line. As
the account used during the attempted operation has full
administrator privileges, the page indicates one of three
possible causes for this machine: 1) Detection catalog
used by the update failed to download, 2) Missing '.msp'
files in the hidden Windows\Installer directory or 3) A
version problem with the Windows Installer
('msiexec.exe').

Regards item 1) I don't know ...

Regards item 2) I am indeed missing all of these files
but I have never been into, directly or intentionally
deleted the directory and files inquestion.


Regards item 3) Microsoft Knowledge Base Article '330537'
indicates that my Windows Installer version should be
equal to or later than 2.0.2600.2; my version numbr
(after having maintained updates completely and
faithfully on this installation of Windows XP
professional) is 2.0.2600.1106. and Article '292539' to
which '330537' refers shows no clear means for update to
Windows XP if indeed it should have version 2.0.2600.2.

I have tried:

-- Clean boot for installation,
-- Repairing the Office installation.

I am an MS Universal Subscriber


BOTTOM LINE: How do I bring my system to conformance and
make it capable of using the online Office Update?


Many thanks for any help at all!!!!!!!


gjf

 

[Pat E.]

I am having the same problem described by Goddy Fies and
have not found (to this point) a solution. I too seem to
be "missing" Windows Installer v. 2.0. I can't download
it, because, according the MS, the installer can only be
applied to Windows 2000, NT, 95 or 98. Windows XP already
has it--well, I believe Windows Installer has somehow
become corrupted.

I consciously did nothing to "remove" any office update
files. I believe that PROBABLY one of the Windows updates
I recently applied caused this problem, especially since
others are having the identical problem.

I'm not sure exactly when this problem occurred, because I
didn't notice it until I visited Office Update (which I
hadn't done for a couple of months). I feel it's probably
pretty recent, though.

Perhaps MS will post a fix? I certainly hope so!

 

[Mike]

We all in the same boat here, stopping at 40% with no
solution yet, been going on like this now for aprox 3
weeks now, so when I Microsoft going to fix this???

MIke

 

[Marvin Toll]

On a Windows 2000 box with Word @2000 (9.0.6926 SP-3) I
get the following when selecting the "Check For Updates"

Line: 699
Char: 1
Error: Automation server can't create object
Code: 0
URL:
http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/mainCatalog.aspx

If proceeding ahead I get as far as 53%.

Marvin

 

[John A.]

I am having exactly the same problem you all described. Clean system, regular updates, then Pow, can't do it. I notice that Windows update seems to still work; It is just Office that has the problem. I have lots of .MSP files in WINDOWS/UPDATE, and there are lots of .exe files in there as well. So I don't know how to check the version of Windows Update. MS clearly broke something in one of the recent updates, either to Office or Windows. Hope they read this and fix it.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi John,

The Officeupdate site doesn't use the \Windowsupdate folder
for storage. Installed updates are cached in the \Windows\Installer
folder. You didn't mention the version of Office you're
using. Can you run a detect and repair on the Office app?
Are all 3rd party utilities and software shutdown when you
are running the updates?

========
I am having exactly the same problem you all described. Clean system, regular updates, then Pow, can't do it. I notice that Windows
update seems to still work; It is just Office that has the problem. I have lots of .MSP files in WINDOWS/UPDATE, and there are lots
of .exe files in there as well. So I don't know how to check the version of Windows Update. MS clearly broke something in one of the
recent updates, either to Office or Windows. Hope they read this and fix it. >>