WindowsUpdate sucks [update: resolved, they still suck]

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CTho9305

Elite Member
Jul 26, 2000
9,214
1
81
It stopped working for me a while ago... when I try to scan for updates:
Windows Update Error


Windows Update has encountered an error and cannot display the requested page.

Select from any of the following pages for information about Windows Update services, or send us your feedback.

Windows Update Home Page
About Windows Update
Support Information



You can also get online support if you are having problems with Windows Update.


Send error number to Microsoft (0x800A138F)
Note This sends error information but does not create a support incident; you may or may not receive a response.
Click to expand...
...so I have to use automatic updates to download them if I don't feel like wading through the whole giant list of them.

edit: Resolved. Somehow IE forgot I use English (United States), and as a result windows update doens't work. You'd think they could automatically pop up the troubleshooter, preset to the error that they report back to me rather than just displaying a stupid hex number...
 
C

CTho9305

Elite Member
Jul 26, 2000
9,214
1
81
Yea, all my MS stuff is legal... I get it through my school so it's cheap enough that it's actually worth paying ;).
 
Kadarin

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
16
81
Gotta love those great Windows error messages that don't ever tell you what the hell went wrong.
 
S

Savij

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
4,233
0
71
Go here, find and download the patches that apply to you, or just download them all, then install them (starting with the earliest to be safe).
 
F

faZZter

Golden Member
Feb 21, 2001
1,202
0
0
"Why is there something like this discovered almost every week? "

Because Windows is used on a gazillion different configurations of hardware/software and tries to be everything in addition to being an operating system. (like movie editor/media player, etc)

 
E

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: Snapster
Originally posted by: TheCorm
Originally posted by: Snapster
Originally posted by: Ameesh
you should use linux, it has no bugs
Click to expand...

Oh boy......
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Are you Doctor Sam Beckett? Can I be Al? :D
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lol, I loved Quantum Leap
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Wow.. I haven't thought of that show in a long time..

It was badass.

What was the name of the little computer? Iggy? LOL!
 
C

CTho9305

Elite Member
Jul 26, 2000
9,214
1
81
Originally posted by: Savij
Go here, find and download the patches that apply to you, or just download them all, then install them (starting with the earliest to be safe).
Click to expand...

That's a pain. The list is giant, and I don't really remember which I've installed (though I've probably installed all the critical updates)
 
M

Mutilator

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2000
3,513
10
81
Originally posted by: CTho9305
Originally posted by: Savij
Go here, find and download the patches that apply to you, or just download them all, then install them (starting with the earliest to be safe).
Click to expand...

That's a pain. The list is giant, and I don't really remember which I've installed (though I've probably installed all the critical updates)
Click to expand...
1st thing you can check is to make sure you have IE6 SP1 (Open IE -> Help -> About IE). If you don't go download that first... then the windowsupdate site should work. I had that problem on a PC at work yesterday. I believe it had IE 5.01 or something outdated like that.
 
T

TuffGuy

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2000
6,478
0
76
Have you edited your hosts file? Are you running Kazaa Lite? The windows update site uses an Akamai server, so if you have those nuked in your hosts file, that could be causing your problem.

Also, check your update log and see what the error was:

C:\Windows\Windows Update.log
 
C

CTho9305

Elite Member
Jul 26, 2000
9,214
1
81
Originally posted by: TuffGuy
Have you edited your hosts file?
Click to expand...
yes
Are you running Kazaa Lite?
Click to expand...
yes

The windows update site uses an Akamai server, so if you have those nuked in your hosts file, that could be causing your problem.
Click to expand...
The only entry with akamai in it was crs.akamai.net

Also, check your update log and see what the error was:

C:\Windows\Windows Update.log
Click to expand...

There are errors like these:

2003-11-12 23:56:23 04:56:23 Error IUENGINE Querying software update catalog from https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp (Error 0x800C0008)

2003-11-12 23:55:42 04:55:42 Error IUENGINE Querying software update catalog from https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp (Error 0x800C0008)

2003-10-15 22:57:43 02:57:43 Error IUENGINE Querying software update catalog from https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp (Error 0x800C0008)


edit:
Resolutions:

This is a generic error number which indicates a problem with the SSL
connection with our server.
Click to expand...
Wow, that's helpful
rolleye.gif
 
M

Mutilator

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2000
3,513
10
81
Originally posted by: Gunbuster
Make sure time and date is set right
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That does it too. I remember now... it was my home PC that did this last night after I flashed the bios and ended up resetting the cmos. The time was set to 12:00:00 Jan 1st 2002 or something... and the windowsupdate site gave me that error. Fixed the time and date and the site started working again.

 
C

CTho9305

Elite Member
Jul 26, 2000
9,214
1
81
Fixed the date and time... that didn't help. Apparently I had no language selected though. Adding English (United States) to the languages fixed the problem. Did I miss some obvious link to the windows update troubleshooting page before? I only came across it through google.
 
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