Windows Updates "No Updates Installed" - Note

[bcastner]

To avoid possible denial of service (DoS) attacks on the Windows Update site Microsoft has taken some steps that can cause a specific Windows Update problem: You can contact the Windows Update site, but at the end of the process you receive a report "No Updates Installed."

I have had a great deal of success recommending the following approach:

1. Rename the folder: Windows\System32\CatRoot2 folder to CatRoot2OLD

2. Delete the folder(s) C:\WUTemp If you have additional drives, delete all the X:\WUTemp folders.

3. Repair the WU database:
Errors Occur When You Try to Install Updates from the Windows Update Web Site

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;817753>

Now the magic fix:

4. In c:\Windows\system32\etc edit your HOSTS file by adding these two entries with notepad:
[tt]
63.210.47.52 download.windowsupdate.com
208.172.158.234

http://www.download.windowsupdate.com

[/tt]

(Be sure notepad does not add a '.txt' extension to the HOSTS file)

Reboot and try again.

Best,
Bill Castner

 

[bcastner]

Note for non-USA users of this "fix". It might be better to make the HOSTS entry as follows:

[tt]

208.172.158.234 download.windowsupdate.com
208.172.158.234

http://www.download.windowsupdate.com

[/tt]

This of course also works as a general solution for all windows update users.

In two weeks or so, delete the entries and try the update service without this assist from HOSTS. This is not a permanent solution to the "No Updates Installed" issue.

 

[pechenegs]

cheers bill, that worked for me here in Europa. I wasn't affected by the msblast worm, and was using the windows update corpate site, but I couldn't download the new patches!

 

[bcastner]

pechenegs,

Thanks for the report. I have had several people report success with the "magic fix."

 

[hyposmurf]

Didnt work for me though!What is the host the file and whats it used for,can I delete some of the files out of if I want.Has websites,like no credit card.com.Are these bits of data left afetr you visit sites like a cookie to allow accesssing them next time easier?

 

[linney]

hyposmurf.

http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/what_is_hosts.html

 

[rucup2006]

putting that info into hosts file didn't make my windows auto updates work.(by pinging those ip numbers and address I get unreachable result) Any other suggestions? please email alexny20@yahoo.com

 

[bcastner]

You will find little satisfaction from trying to ping any Microsft site at the moment. Including their partnet providers. And in particular for a Windows update site.

The advice above is still good on 11/06/2003, but was never good for a Ping response.

Do you realize the basis of the msblast attack was a DOS Denial of Service that was ping-based? There is no way there will be a Ping response from the sites you need to access.

This website has a fairly extensive list, if my original notes prove insufficient to allow you access to the Windows Update site:

http://www.updatexp.com/0x800A138F.html

But no Pings, please.

Best wishes,
Bill

 

[MCBaltimore]

I recently had this problem on my Windows ME machine, and I tried all 14 tips at the excellent page

http://www.updatexp.com/0x800A138F.html

without success. I have a hosts file that is actively managed by the "DNS accelerator" in Tweakmaster. The solution was to delete all references to windowsupdate in the hosts file. (Apparently the IP address placed there for the URL by Tweakmaster on a previous update was no longer valid.)