Windows Update not working

Hi all,

I hope someone can help as I have been trawling the internet for ages trying to resolve this problem.

We had a server which was a DC running 2003 standard. Upgraded to Server 2008 Enterprise 32bit (upgrade, not a fresh install) I am logged on as domain admin. The first thing I tried was connecting to Windows Update to get the latest updates. Failed with error code 80072EFD. Manually downloaded and installed SP2 hoping this would cure the problem but it didn't.

Tried various suggestions including adding proxy exceptions for all related Microsoft websites, various updates, hot fixes and command line entries as per Technet forum (tried a few, can't remember which ones now, sorry!) Tried connecting through 2 different proxy servers. Windows Firewall is disabled and I have disabled our anti virus.

Tried configuring GP to retrieve updates through WSUS although this server is actually our WSUS server (working fine for the clients) but that also didn't work. Tried some GP suggestions such as disabling Admin Templates/Start Menu and Taskbar/Remove Links and access to Windows Update, disabling the Disable access to Windows Update policy setting.
We have no GP settings in place to update our DC's. I just run a manual update on them every 2 weeks. The firewall is definitely turned off and DNS appears to be working fine. All computers in school have been getting their updates from this WSUS server and I can connect to any machine in the school via name or IP address.

We have a proxy that is supplied by our Local Education Establishment. All other servers can connect to Windows Update using the same proxy so I don't think it can be anything set wrong on this. Our other proxy is a computer running a Linux OS connected to an ADSL. I tried using the netsh winhttp to set the proxy. I followed the instructions, the commands were accepted but on trying to get updates, same problem, same error code.

What I really don't understand is why I am unable to change the update settings under control panel? They are greyed out. It is not being managed by GP, I have checked. This is what the Update log is showing : -

2009-12-11 11:58:08:313 1040 1254 Misc WARNING: SendRequest failed with hr = 80072f78. Proxy List used: <10.103.20.5:8000> Bypass List used : <10.103.20.*;*.fronter;windowsupdate.microsoft.com ;*.windowsupdate.microsoft.com;www.download.window supdate.com;download.windowsupdate.com;> Auth Schemes used : 2009-12-11 11:58:08:313 1040 1254 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestUsingProxy failed for . error 0x80072f78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:314 1040 1254 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation MakeRequest failed. error 0x80072f78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:314 1040 1254 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestToServerForFileInformation failed with 0x80072f78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:314 1040 1254 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: ShouldFileBeDownloaded failed with 0x80072f78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:314 1040 1254 Misc WARNING: DownloadFileInternal failed for http://www.update.microsoft.com/v9/... error 0x80072f78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:314 1040 1254 Setup WARNING: SelfUpdate check failed to download package information, error = 0x80072F78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:314 1040 1254 Setup FATAL: SelfUpdate check failed, err = 0x80072F78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:314 1040 1254 Agent * WARNING: Skipping scan, self-update check returned 0x80072F78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:520 1040 1254 Agent * WARNING: Exit code = 0x80072F78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:520 1040 1254 Agent ********* 2009-12-11 11:58:08:520 1040 1254 Agent ** END ** Agent: Finding updates [CallerId = AutomaticUpdates] 2009-12-11 11:58:08:520 1040 1254 Agent ************* 2009-12-11 11:58:08:520 1040 1254 Agent WARNING: WU client failed Searching for update with error 0x80072f78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:521 1040 1d00 AU >>## RESUMED ## AU: Search for updates [CallId = {9649E990-CE8A-41DE-9CD5-561D936A5A87}] 2009-12-11 11:58:08:521 1040 1d00 AU # WARNING: Search callback failed, result = 0x80072F78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:521 1040 1d00 AU # WARNING: Failed to find updates with error code 80072F78 2009-12-11 11:58:08:521 1040 1d00 AU ######### 2009-12-11 11:58:08:521 1040 1d00 AU ## END ## AU: Search for updates [CallId = {9649E990-CE8A-41DE-9CD5-561D936A5A87}] 2009-12-11 11:58:08:521 1040 1d00 AU ############# 2009-12-11 11:58:13:315 1040 1254 Report REPORT EVENT: {0758E21C-28CF-454D-87A9-39B0858AEC29} 2009-12-11 11:58:08:314-0000 1 148 101 {D67661EB-2423-451D-BF5D-13199E37DF28} 1 80072f78 SelfUpdate Failure Software Synchronization Windows Update Client failed to detect with error 0x80072f78. 2009-12-11 11:58:13:352 1040 1254 Report CWERReporter::HandleEvents - WER report upload completed with status 0x8 2009-12-11 11:58:13:352 1040 1254 Report WER Report sent: 7.4.7600.226 0x80072f78 D67661EB-2423-451D-BF5D-13199E37DF28 Scan 101 Unmanaged 2009-12-11 11:58:13:353 1040 1254 Report CWERReporter finishing event handling. (00000000)

Any help, guidance or advice would be much appreciated.

Kind Regards.

Gary

Initial Suggestion:


Get the latest versions of .NET directly and install them.

Check you time is synced

restart.


EDIT:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=836941

May be useful - but I bet you have already been there.

EDIT: 2

http://www.updatexp.com/0x80072efd.html

Hi,

Thanks very much for your quick reply, much appreciated.

I had .net Framework 3.5 but I uninstalled, re-installed and rebooted. Some of those other suggestions I hadn't tried but I have now flushed the DNS and added the Windows Updates sites I was missing into the trusted list.

Unfortunately, it's still not working. I got the dialog box when accessing the test url. Also, WSUS is working so it must be able to get there. It can't be a proxy issue as we have tried an unfiltered ADSL line...I’m baffled.

The time is also correct on the clock.

Maybe because we upgraded from Server 2003 to Server 2008 a problem has been caused. MS recommend a fresh install but I didn't fancy that option.

Any other suggestions would be greatly received.

Thanks again.

Gary