Microsoft KB Archive/836918

Knowledge Base

Scan stops at 66% when you try to update Windows 98 from the Windows Update Web site

PSS ID Number: 836918

Article Last Modified on 4/5/2004

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The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Update, when used with:
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 98

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SYMPTOMS

When you click Scan for updates on the Windows Update Web site, you may find that the scan stops at 66%. You may receive an error message that is similar to the following:

Application error in winspool.drv

CAUSE

This issue may occur if the spoolss.dll file on your computer is damaged or missing. This issue may also occur if your antivirus program is preventing your computer from communicating correctly with the Windows Update Web site.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use the following methods:

• To determine if your antivirus or other software is causing the issue, temporarily disable your antivirus software and any other non-Microsoft software such firewalls before opening the Windows Update Web site. If disabling the software resolves the issue, contact the software manufacturer for directions about how to configure your software to allow you to use Windows Update.
  
  Note This issue is known to occur with certain versions of the McAfee Virus Scan product. Make sure that you are using the current version of the McAfee Virus Scan product, and configure the scanner so that it excludes the following files and folders from the scan:
  • C:\Windows\Spool
  • C:\Windows\System\spoolss.dll

  For information about how to contact McAfee, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K
  
  60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P
  
  60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z

  The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
• Replace the Spoolss.dll file on your computer. To extract the file from the Windows 98 CD-ROM by using the System File Checker tool, follow these steps:
  1. Quit all running programs.
  2. Click Start, and then click Run.
  3. Type sfc, and then click OK.
  4. In System File Checker, click Extract one file from installation disk.
  5. In the Specify the system file you want to restore box, type spoolss.dll, and then click Start.
  6. In the Extract File dialog box, type drive:\Win98 in the Restore from box, where drive is the drive letter of the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive that contains your Windows 98 CD-ROM, and then click OK.
  7. In the Backup File dialog box, click OK. If a The backup folder does not exist. Do you want to create it message appears, click Yes.
  8. When you receive an "Extract File" message, click Yes to restart the computer.

Additional query words: Scan freezes Scan hangs

Keywords: kbprb kberrmsg KB836918
Technology: kbWin98 kbWin98SE kbWin98search kbWin98SEsearch kbWinUpdate kbWinUpdateSearch

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