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Windows Troubleshooting: unable to connect to the Automatic Updates

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Issue

Recently, Microsoft has identified a possible issue with WSUS server and Windows update clients.

Error

These issues would occur and reflect in event logs with following event ID:

Event ID: 16

In the WindowsUpdate.log you may see the following entries:

“WARNING: Skipping scan, self-update check returned 0x800B0001”

“WARNING: WU client failed Searching for update with error 0x800b0001”

While going through event logs under Applications and Services Logs >Microsoft > Windows > WindowsUpdateClient >Operational you may find an error event ID: 25 as follows

Details

Log Name: Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient/Operational

Source: Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient

Date: <date>

Event ID: 25

Task Category: Windows Update Agent

Level: Error

Keywords: Failure, Check for Updates

User: SYSTEM

Computer: <computer name>

Description: Windows Update failed to check for updates with error 0x800b0001.

Cause:

This can be due to a version mismatch between the Windows update agent and the WSUS server.

WSUS needs to be at version 3.2.7600.251 or later in order to properly communicate with clients at version 7.6.7600.256 or later.

Resolution:

Meanwhile to resolve this issue, one of the most workable troubleshooting steps listed as follows:

NOTE:

However please make sure that the issue that you try to resolve should have error 0x800b0001 and event ID 25 as shown above.

Troubleshooting steps:

1. Check windowsupdate.log in order to understand what is causing this issue.

2. If you find following entries:

“WARNING: Skipping scan, self-update check returned 0x800B0001”

“WARNING: WU client failed Searching for update with error 0x800b0001”

To understand how to access and read the Windowsupdate.log file please refer to following link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093

Follow the steps:

Do apply following update on the WSUS server machine

Please be sure apply this update to WSUS SERVER MACHINE http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2734608

In case, if the issue does not gets resolved then consider following steps on client machine:

3. Stop the Automatic Update service or run command: “net stop wuauserv”.

4. Open Regedit and browse to the following Registry Key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate.

5. Save a copy of this WindowsUpdate key (File / Export or Right-click / Export).

6. Delete the following registry values:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\PingID.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\AccountDomainSid.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\SusClientId

7. Close Regedit.

8. Start the Automatic Update service or run command: “net start wuauserv”.

9. Force synchronize client machine with the WSUS Server by command: “wuauclt /detectnow”.

10. Now check windows update and click “Check for new updates”.

11. If a message with green bar appears indicates that issue is resolved.

12. If a message with red bar appears indicates that issue is not resolved and proceed with further troubleshooting.

13. In command prompt run the command: “netsh winhttp show proxy” – and check for any proxy configuration. If proxy is not configured proceed as follows.

14. Stop WIN HTTP Proxy service and windows update service and register important DLLs required for the changes to take place.

net stop WinHttpAutoProxySvc

net stop wuauserv

regsvr32 Softpub.dll /s

regsvr32 Wintrust.dll /s

regsvr32 Initpki.dll /s

regsvr32 Mssip32.dll /s.

15. In windows registry, for following Registry Key - take a backup: "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate."

16. Delete the following registry value.

"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\SusClientId”

17. Run iisreset /noforce command in command prompt to restart all IIS related services and start windows update service.

18. On the client, do force synchronization with the WSUS Server by running command: “wuauclt /detectnow”.

19. After conducting the troubleshooting steps, we checked the event logs and found following success event on the client machine under Applications and Services Logs >Microsoft > Windows > WindowsUpdateClient >Operational:

Log Name: Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient/Operational

Source: Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient

Date: <date>

Event ID: 30

Task Category: Windows Update Agent

Level: Information

Keywords: Connection

User: SYSTEM

Computer: <computer name>

Description: Windows Update established connectivity.

Hence this issue is resolved. No further action is required.

20. If this event is not found proceed further with following steps:

21. Open "notepad"

22. Copy the following commands and then paste them into the opened Notepad window:

net stop wuauserv

net stop CryptSvc

ren %windir%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.old

ren %windir%\SoftwareDistribution sold.old

net start CryptSvc

net start wuauserv

pause

23. We are renaming two files by this - catroot2 and SoftwareDistribution.

24. After pasting the above commands, please close the Notepad window.

Choose "Save" when you are prompted to save the file.

Type "rename.bat" as the file name and save it to the Desktop.

25. Return to the Desktop, right click the rename.bat file and choose "Run as administrator".

26. You will see a DOS-like window processing.

Now try Windows Update to see if the issue has been resolved.

27. If your issue is not resolved again then apply following update on the WSUS server machine Please be sure apply this update to WSUS SERVER MACHINE http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2734608

28. Apply this update.

29. You must restart the computer after you apply this update.

30. Start synchronization on WSUS

31. Wait for the synchronization to succeed.

32. On the affected client, open cmd.exe in elevated mode

33. Type the following commands. Make sure that you press Enter after you type each command: Net stop wuauserv Net start wuauserv

34. The issue would be resolved once and for all.

  • · Microsoft has released this update for Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
  • · This update strengthens the WSUS communication channels.
  • · The Windows Update Agent (WUA) on computers that are managed by this WSUS server will be automatically upgraded as needed after you apply this update.
  • · WSUS must be in a known, good working state for this update to work. If WSUS is configured to synchronize updates from Microsoft Update, make sure that WSUS can synchronize updates. And, clients must be able to communicate with the WSUS server.
  • · This update lets servers that are running Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 SP2 provide updates to computers that are running Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012.

Any improvements or feedback on above troubleshooting steps is surely welcome.