Windows Update on Server 2008...i'm beat! Any ideas?

[ronnoco]

Hi all,

 

I have a server which has been freshly installed with Server 2008 Standard. I was unable to connect to Windows Update, error code 80072f78.

 

I have tried it both joined to the domain and standalone. It is not a DC.

 

Tried downloading and installing SP2, still didn't work.

 

Trawled through usual Microsoft suggestions of installing Windows Management Framework Core package, installed Framework 3.5. Tried setting the proxy using netsh winhttp command. Added every possible Microsoft Update site as in exception in both IE and the netsh settings. I even tried a different proxy server which is on an ADSL which has no filtering or authentication....still doesn't work!

 

The only other thing I can think of is taking the server to our ADSL and plugging it in directly to the router to eliminate the proxy.

 

I think I’m missing something that should be installed but I have Framework 3.5 and the latest version of BITS. What else is needed?

 

The crazy thing is, this server was originally running Server 2003 and I upgarded to 2008 and had this exact problem. Not being able to fix it I thought a fresh install surely would resolve, I was wrong!

 

Does anyone have any ideas whatsoever?....if not I’m getting the trolley jack or making up a 50 metre network cable, lol!

 

Thanks very much in advance for any help that can be offered.

Edited January 28, 2010 by ronnoco

[sted]

only thing you need for wsus on 2008 std that it dosent install itself (assuming you use the add role wizzard) is journal viewer 2008 which to test you dont need but i suggest you install. If you have an 03 box try it on that but id suggest its proxy settings

[Michael]

Are you using a roaming profile for the administrator account or a new local profile each time? Are you applying any policies to the server? Have you tried resetting IE to defaults?

 

How do you update the rest of your network? WSUS is recommended and straight forward to setup.

[ronnoco]

Hi,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

This is (or should I say was) our WSUS server. This was the only role of this server. It needed wiping and I thought why not upgrade to 2008. I'm pretty sure if I install WSUS, it will fetch the updates as it did this last time but it wouldn't update itself and why will it not connect to Windows Update direct?

 

No policies are being applied...it really looks like a proxy issue but it's so odd that when I go through an unfiltered ADSL with no authentication it still doesn't work.

 

Tried resetting IE defaults (good idea) but same error.

 

Thanks for the suggestion again.

[SYNACK]

It is not still pointing to the old WSUS server thanks to group policy is it. I had this on one system where the policy was still applied but the WSUS server that it pointed to was gone and it gave an error just like this.

 

If it is there should be a link just below the check updates button in windows update that says something along the lines of "Check with Microsoft directly for new updates". This should bypass the old WSUS setting just this time and update from MS if this is the issue.

[ronnoco]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

No, it's not pointing to the old WSUS server and even does it when logged on locally pointing to a proxy without authentication or filtering with no GP's applied.

 

Stupid thing...i'm going to install WSUS back on a 2003 box and go back to Server 2008 at a later date!

 

Thanks for your help and advice.

[3s-gtech]

WSUS should update the server itself, if the GPO is pointed at the server. If the Windows Update web site won't work though, that's another problem. I've had a similar issue on Server 2003 (fresh install), that was solved by:

 

MS KB article You cannot install updates from Windows Update, Microsoft Update, or by using Automatic Update after a repair install of Windows XP or after you install Windows XP SP3 immediately after a clean install of Windows XP SP2 . The solution to this did not relate to Server 2003 directly or the install type, but I thought it was worth a shot, and it worked!

 

In short

– stop the wuauserv service with net stop wuauserv at the command prompt

– register the dll with regsvr32 %windir%\system32\wups2.dll

– restart wuauserv with net start wuauserv

[CraigM]

When we set up Server 2008 in December, we had endless issues getting Windows Updates to install correctly. It would go through the whole shebang, reboot, then revert settings. We even re-downloaded all the WSUS updates to make sure it wasn't WSUS corruption, all to no avail.

 

In the end, I ended up installing updates in small batches, hand sorting those that didn't work until they did. Was a painful and tedious procedure. Now the servers apply updates fine though, so I am guessing one of the updates caused the issue.

[ronnoco]

Thanks 3S.... that was a good suggestion but tried it, still no joy.

 

Craig, I think i've got the same problem as you. I'll try updating it directly without a proxy. if that fails, i'm turning it off for now.

 

Cheers guys.

Edited January 29, 2010 by ronnoco