Tech Line
Windows Update Takes a Break
Is Windows Update not cooperating with your patching plans? Here’s some places that can help get Windows Update back up and running.
Chris:My manager ordered me to update the servers in our control. Trying to update some of the Win2K machines resulted in failure during the updating of the update service, followed by error 0x800705B4 code. MS KB revealed nothing. Any idea? P.S. A+,N+, MCSA certified.
— Yinon
Yinon: I liked the fact that you felt compelled to include your certifications in your e-mail. To me, this means "I have some certs under my belt, so please don’t state the complete obvious to me in your answer!" With that in mind, my first instinct is to ask, "Is your computer plugged in?"
Actually, I understand your position. Many of us have been frustrated by posting serious questions to newsgroups and getting some silly answers, so it’s always good to let everyone know about your current skill level so that you get back information that is on par with what you expect.
I know. This is about the time in the column where I need to shut up and provide an answer or you’re going to hit the delete key, so here goes...
There are plenty of problems that can stop Windows Update in its tracks. When an update fails, the best place to find information about the error is in the WindowsUpdate.log file, which by default resides in the C:\Windows directory. If you open the file in Notepad and scroll down to the end of the file, you should see information about the most recent errors encountered by Windows Update.
For most update problems, Microsoft’s online Windows Update Troubleshooter click here provides some pretty thorough guidance on how to solve them (74 problems and solutions are listed). Most errors displayed in the WindowsUpdate.log file are explained on this site. If you want to view the troubleshooter, you’ll need to use IE to see the page content.
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Naturally, Yinon’s 0x800705B4 error is not listed here, but don’t let that discourage you from using the site since nearly all other problems are listed. Another great repository for Windows Update errors codes can be found at Microsoft MVP Sandi Hardmeier’s Internet Explorer site
click here. This site does not list as thorough solutions as the Windows Update Troubleshooter, but does provide general descriptions of nearly all possible errors.
The 0x800705B4 error is related to a session timeout. With this error, the most likely cause is a configuration error with either a firewall or proxy server. So first you should ensure that access to the windowsupdate.microsoft.com is not being blocked. This can be confirmed by running Windows Update from another system attached to the same network segment as the servers having the update problems. Another possibility is that the site is not listed as a trusted zone in Internet Explorer. Microsoft addresses this problem and the Internet Explorer settings required to solve it in KB article 836967, "You receive an "Internet Timeout" error message when you try to load the Windows Update Web site in Windows XP."
The bottom line with Windows Update is that many problems can get in its way. If you have found solutions for Windows Update problems that are not mentioned in this column, please post them as comments. Your fellow readers will appreciate your words of wisdom.