For about the last two weeks when I get online in the morning Windows update starts checking for updates, the yellow lookin sheild appears in the tray as though it's going to download something then after a few minutes it goes away. Is this normal? It's never done this before and has always downloaded an update if the sheild appeared in the tray but maybe it's something new.

You may need to go to the windows update site to check and see if there are any updates. To go there just open up an Internet Explorer browser and click on Tools at the top and then click on Windows Updates. At the updates site choose Custom so you can check and see if you do need some updates.

Or copy and paste the url below to your browser address bar (remember Microsoft specified that you can use only Internet Explorer and nothing else when you visit Windows Update site) http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us i_XpUser

I've been there and done that, no updates are available. It's always checked for updates when first connecting to the net but has never displayed the icon in systray unless it was actually going to download an update. It appends to the log file but I can't really tell if an update is found or not. I could post a partial of it if it would help any.

Download Windows Updates List from this site. Install the utility (it's very small) and you will then see a history of every updates installed since SP2 on your PC. i_XpUser

OK, after two weeks of this it's finally downloading an update/s. My firewall ask for permission for a Service Pack update which I granted. The thing is, I've been to Windows Update manually 4 or 5 times in the past two weeks with nothing to update except some Windows software verifier something or other which I did not update. Has this just been added for update on WU? Security Update for Windows XP (KB905749) That's all I recognize in the log. And anyone know how large this geeeyoker is? Another question, why does windows update download so slow? It's like it goes steady for about 5 seconds then activity stops for about 3 seconds and picks back up.