ActiveX and Windows Update problem
 

I've been given a friend's HP laptop to fix. I think you can already see where this is going...

OS: WinXP Home SP1


I'm having problems with ActiveX controls. I can't get Windows Update to work, nor can I use the Windows Update CD that I had sitting around. Both of them tell me that I need to reset my ActiveX security settings. Well, I thought that should be easy. I lower the settings one level, still doesn't work. Just to expiriment, I told the computer to allow any activeX component to run without prompting, and to do whatever it wanted. Still nothing. Same error message. And ideas/suggestions?

I can't help ya, but thanks for the laugh:

I know what ya mean. :)

-Lasereth

Heh! "friends" laptop, suuureee... :) kust kidding, I know the feeling

Anyway, check this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...2&Product=wupd

might be able to help, mentions adding windowsupdate.com to the system's list of trusted sites...

well, I added windows update to the list of trusted sites. That didnt work but it sent me to an article telling me to clear the cache, delete some files from "/program files/windwos update/v4" and to delete all instances of iuctrl.dll and iuengine.dll. I was directed to run the update again and it would redownload all the software.

Only now, when I run it, I'm informed hat I have to be an administrator to use the software. And I am the administrator. I double checked the account settings just to be sure.

If you have any more ideas, I'm open to them. I'm going to go kick a wall or something for a few minutes.

Are you logged in as the administrator or as a user in the administrators group?

I haven't been able to find anything about user groups... I assumed that it was because this is XP Home. There are only 2 options for new users: "Computer Administrator" and "Limited." I am the former of the two in an account I created just for working on this thing. I can't imagine anything so ridiculous affecting the process, but I named the account root and not administrator... the only other account on the computer is named "Owner" and is also an administrator. I did try all this from that account and I'm getting the same error messages.

[edit]And even with windows update in the trusted site list and literally no security options stoping anything from happening on trusted sites, I am once again (after a reboot) getting dialog boxes saying that I can't run ActiveX controls.[/edit]

How about third party software? I can imagine a firewall or tweaking program hijacking your settings.

I had considered that, but I don't see any evidence of it. I uninstalled a whole bunch of stuff and ran ad-aware and spybot. (I also gave them Firefox & ZoneAlarm) Just the usual stuff. I'm about to just get the CD and reinstall the OS. It would take a lot less time than all this has so far.