Windows Update 0x80072F78 error and workaround

[Brian Steele]

After installing the latest version of Window Update on my Windows 2000 DC,
I'm receiving the following error when selecting the "Windows Update" option
from the IE Tools menu:

[Error number: 0x80072F78]
The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you
are trying to view. The options provided below might help you solve the
problem.

None of the MS KB links that deal with this error have been of any
assistance. Note: I do use a proxy server (MSP 2.0).

I have managed to find a workaround:

1. Select the "Use administrator options" from the menu on the left of
the page
2. Select the "Windows Update Catalog" link within the "Update
Multiple Operating Systems" paragraph on the right
3. Select the "Windows Update" link from the menu on the left of the
page.

Alternatively, simply go to
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog/en/default.asp

From here I can then scan for and pick updates to install.

Regards,
Brian Steele

[Una]

Worked for me, Thanks :)

"Brian Steele" <br...@caribsurf.com> wrote in message
news:%23YKRa2b...@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

[pbanks]

I used win update and got the same problem, then uninstalled the updates and
still have the problem. Iam currently updating another 2000 server at present.
But your link worked for me and I have re-updated the first server so I can
now work on finding where things have gone wrong.
--
pbanks

[Andy S]

Same problem here with the v6 site: using terminal server access I got
through as far as the install step but then the download failed with error
0x8024401B. Websearch suggested this was a known problem with terminal
server, so tried at console (WK2 SBS server with ISA etc) which failed at
the first step with an 0x80072F78 error: it always worked before with the MS
workrounds regarding trusted zones but none of the MS suggestions worked
today.

However, the workaround at
http://www.electrosonics.net/technotes/xperror0x8024402C.htm proved
successful and, as an added benefit, allowed one rogue XP client to access
Windows update as well. This laptop client had been unable to update for
several months (v5 and v6 sites) when on the LAN (but OK on dial-up
connection to internet), whereas all the other clients on the LAN (same
spec) had no problems.

In our case, it looks like the interaction between IE6sp1 and ISA is at
fault. Why this interaction should be different between different clients
with seemingly identical configuration I do not know. Why MS have not
documented this approach in the KB is similarly difficult to comprehend.

Hope this link may help others.

Andy

"Brian Steele" <br...@caribsurf.com> wrote in message
news:%23YKRa2b...@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

> After installing the latest version of Window Update on my Windows 2000
> DC, I'm receiving the following error when selecting the "Windows Update"
> option from the IE Tools menu:
>

snip

[Wyatt Wong]

I got the Error Code 0x80072F78 in my Windows 2000 Professional with SP4 when
I access http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us,
I followed some posts to disable the "Automatic Updates" service and then
remove all files from C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution, the next time I
visited http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us, I
was able to scan for update after clicking the 'Express' button. However,
when my Windows 2000 reported that there are no more updates need to apply, I
close IE 6 SP1 and then restart it, then re-visit
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us and I will
got the same Error Code 0x80072F78

What should I do to fix it ?

--
Best Regards,
Wyatt Wong

[Brian Steele]

I did the same thing as well, but got different results. While I was able
to scan for updates after clicking the "Express" button, the updates failed
to download, and when I tried scanning again, the error code 0x80072F78
popped up again.

Frankly, this is the first time I've been really disappointed in Microsoft's
update feature. In the past it worked pretty smoothly for me. It seems
like, with this new V6 version, they've gone and screwed everything up. I
regret having selected the option to upgrade the update feature, and I'll
probably be a bit more wary of doing so the next time!

Brian Steele

"Wyatt Wong" <Wyat...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:265B4C51-0A5F-46CF...@microsoft.com...

[Brian Steele]

I don't know if this helps, but I just ran sysinternal's NT FileMon while
accessing the Windows Update site with IE, and it indicates that IE is
looking for two files that don't exist in "SoftwareDistribution" folder,
i.e.

%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\autest.cab
%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\WuDir\(class ID?)\wuredir.cab

It also tries looking for the following non-existent file:

%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\WuDir\(class ID?)\wuredir.cab.bak

Could this be what's causing the problem?

Example of NT FileMon's log:

8:45:39 AM IEXPLORE.EXE:3928 CREATE C:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution NAME
COLLISION Options: Create Directory Access: All
8:45:39 AM IEXPLORE.EXE:3928 QUERY INFORMATION
C:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\autest.cab NOT FOUND Attributes: Error
8:45:39 AM IEXPLORE.EXE:3928 CREATE C:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution NAME
COLLISION Options: Create Directory Access: All
8:45:39 AM IEXPLORE.EXE:3928 QUERY INFORMATION
C:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\autest.cab NOT FOUND Attributes: Error
8:45:39 AM IEXPLORE.EXE:3928 CREATE C:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution NAME
COLLISION Options: Create Directory Access: All
8:45:39 AM IEXPLORE.EXE:3928 QUERY INFORMATION
C:\WINNT\SoftwareDistribution\autest.cab NOT FOUND Attributes: Error

Brian

"Brian Steele" <br...@caribsurf.com> wrote in message

news:O1Si3fzn...@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

[Jacqui Crabtree]

Very helpful, thanks Brian, it worked. I note that this update route is V4
and Automatic Update is V5 - could this be the problem and is there another
way round it, possibly uninstalling V4 and setting up the link from scratch?