Windows Update

Announcements

• How do I know if I have the Latest Version of the Windows Update Client and how do I get the latest client if it is not?

  Bobby MikkelsonMSFTWednesday, June 03, 2009 12:46 AM

  Having the latest Windows Update client installed is important in helping to keep your computer up-to-date and secure by downloading and installing the latest security and feature updates from Microsoft.

  The Windows Update client is utilized on the following Microsoft Operating Systems:

  Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000

   

  The Windows Update client is usually updated automatically when checking for updates, there may be situations where this may not happen. Some known situations are if you have updates set to manual and you haven’t checked for updates in a while, or if Windows Update is disabled or not running on your computer.

  To find out if you have the latest version of Windows Update you can check the version number of the Windows Update Engine (wuaueng.dll), or just download and install the latest version.

   

  To check the Windows Update version on your computer follow the steps below:

  For Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008:

  1.       Click Start and type wuaueng.dll in the Start Search area.

  2.       Hover your mouse pointer over the wuaueng.dll file listed in the Programs area and view the File version in the File description popup

  3.       Compare the file version with the version listed in KB article 949104
  

  For Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003:

  1.       Click Start, Run and type %windir%\system32 and click Ok

  2.       Hover your mouse pointer over the wuaueng.dll file and view the File version in the File description popup

  3.       Compare the file version with the version listed in KB article 949104

   

  To see what the latest available version is or to download and install the latest version click the link below and scroll about half way down. You’ll see a download option and also the current version number to compare with the version on your system.

  949104 How to obtain the latest version of the Windows Update Agent to help manage updates on a computer

   

  Windows Update FAQs:

  Why should I be using Windows Update?

  Using Windows Update is a great way to keep your computer up-to-date with all the latest updates without the need to download and install those updates manually.  Updates for security, reliability, performance, drivers and feature updates are continuously delivered through Automatic Update and installed automatically.

   

  How do I opt in for Automatic Update and/or Microsoft Update?

  Opting in to Automatic Update and Microsoft Updates is easily done using the Windows Update control panel. To get the steps to turn on Automatic Updates and even switch Microsoft Updates click the link below appropriate for your operating system:

   

  Learn about Windows Update and Microsoft Update in Windows Vista

  Learn about Windows Update and Microsoft Update in Windows XP

   

  What are the differences between Windows Updates, Automatic Updates, and Microsoft Updates?

   

  While Windows Update provides you with updates specifically for Windows, Microsoft Update expands the service to download and install updates for other Microsoft software, such as Microsoft Office and Windows Live. Automatic updating is a feature that allows you to set your PC to automatically download and install updates using either service, making it easy and convenient for you to keep your Windows PC current.

   

  What are the benefits of opting in to Microsoft Update?

  Opting into Microsoft Update allows for the downloading and installing of Microsoft Office updates as well as other updates for Microsoft programs that would otherwise need to be downloaded manually.

   

  Get answers to other Frequently Asked Questions by clicking the following link:

  Windows Update Frequently Asked Questions

• Automatic Updates may be disabled

  Bobby MikkelsonMSFTWednesday, June 03, 2009 12:50 AM

  Recent issues have been seen where you might get 3 specific errors on different Windows-based computers when trying to download or install updates from Windows update or Microsoft Update. Some of these errors messages are:

   

  On Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows server 2003

  “Windows Update has encountered an error and cannot display the requested page. The necessary service "Automatic Updates" (WUAUSERV) is not started or Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is disabled. “Error 0x8DDD0018

   

  On Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

  “The server cannot find the requested URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)” Error 0x80244019

  -Or-

  “The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.” Error 0x80070422

   

  You might attempt to restart the start the services but they may be disabled again the next time you rebooted the computer. You may simply not be able to start others.

   

  INTRODUCTION

  The error codes above are usually caused because of problems with one or more of the services needed by Windows Update. The services could have been mistakenly stopped or disabled or they could have been disabled by Virus or Malware infections. Some of the scenarios that lead to these errors can include disabling the Automatic Update service, the Windows Update service, the Event Log service, the Software Licensing Service or even the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS). The services can even be in a state where you’re not allowed to enable the service or the service is disabled again each time you reboot.

   

  APPLIES TO

  These issues apply to the following operating systems:

  Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 4

   

  DESCRIPTION/BODY

  To fix the problem you should first scan your computer for viruses and malware infections. Once any infections have been found and removed you should make sure that the services are enabled and started and then you should be able to download and install Updates.

  Here are some options available for doing this:

   

  Download and run the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT):

   MSRT is a Microsoft tool that detects and removes malicious software from your system on a regular basis. You can use the links below to download and run the tool directly:

   

  To download the 32-bit version of Malicious Software Removal Tool, click here.

  To download the 64-bit version of Malicious Software Removal Tool, click here.

   

  For more information on the Malicious Software Removal Tool click the link below to view the article on the Microsoft web site.

  KB890830 The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool helps remove specific, prevalent malicious software from computers that are running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, or Windows 2000

   

  Reboot your computer into Safe Mode and then scan your system for possible Virus or Malware infections:

  If you have an Antivirus application on your computer you should make sure it has the most up to date virus definitions installed (these can usually be updated from within that software), then scan your computer for and remove any viruses. A preferred method would be to scan for viruses after booting into Safe Mode.

   

  If you do not have an antivirus program installed, you can use the free Windows Live safety scanner to perform a scan of your computer. To run the Windows Live safety scanner click the link below to visit the Microsoft web site.
  
  http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm
  
  For more information on how to run the free Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner in Safe Mode view the click the link below to visit the Microsoft web site.
  968091 How to install the free Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner and then scan your computer in Safe Mode
  
  

  Verify that necessary services are configured correctly and running and then attempt to install updates again:

   

  1.       Launch the Services Console

  a.       In Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK

  b.       In Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Click Start, type services.msc in the Start Search text area, and then click services.msc in the programs list.

  2.       Double-click Background Intelligent Transfer Service.

  3.       In the Startup type box, click Manual, and then click Apply.

  4.        On the Log On tab, verify that the service is enabled in every hardware profile that is listed

  5.       On the General tab, click Start.

  6.       Repeat steps 2-5 for the following services only set the Startup Type as Automatic:

  ·         Automatic Update or Windows Update (Depending on your OS)

  ·         Event Log or Windows Event Log (Depending on your OS)

  ·         Software Licensing Service (Windows Vista and Server 2008 only)

  7.       Close the Services window and attempt to install Windows updates again.

   

  RELATED LINKS

  An article is available that gives very detailed steps to troubleshoot these issues:

  959894 Error message: “The necessary service "Automatic Updates" (WUAUSERV) is not started or Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is disabled. Error 0x8DDD0018” or Error codes 0x80244019 or 0x80070422 when attempting to install updates.