jdurand said:
Running Windows 2000 Server with SP4 and Internet Explorer 6 with SP1.
When I run the Windows Update, it pulls up the initial page. However, when I click on "Scan for new updates" I get a Windows
Update Error page (scan jumps from 0% to 100% in about 2 seconds).
The text basically reads: "Windows Update has encountered an error and cannot display the requested page"
What's going on and how do I fix it?
It would help if you gave us the error code. If it's 0x800A138F
then read through the following:
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This post is to archive the info at:
http://www.dylangreene.com/blog.asp?blogID=237 so it'll
be stored permanently in Google's Usenet archive. I spent two months
trying to figure out why Windows Update no longer worked on my
Win2K SP3 system and finally found this, which solved the problem.
There's a shorthand version of this fix, which is to simply visit the
akamai site listed in the "UPDATE WITH MORE HELP" section
below, and install the certificate when prompted.
Also, the article doesn't mention it, but the 0x800A138F error
displayed by Windows Update is not the actual error one is getting.
To find that, search your system for a file called
"Windows Update.log", and look at the bottom few lines of the file.
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Fixing Windows Update Error 0x800A138F
It's been a while since I've posted here so I figured I'd start with a tip.
I like to keep my machines updated by using Windows Update,
Microsoft's free update tool that makes sure you always have the
latest patches installed without letting Microsoft know what you
have installed. With the recent virus outbreaks, you'd think that
people (especially IT Admins) must be avoiding Windows Update
at all cost because Microsoft has had fixes for these issues on
there well before any virus was even written. In the case of this
ramped email virus that flooded everybody's inbox, a fix for
Outlook has been available on Office Update for about two
years.
Anyway, at work I got a new machine, and imagine my surprise
when Windows Update suddenly stopped working and reported
Error 0x800A138F. Searching Google I found that people were
quick to blame Windows 2000 Service Pack 3. It has nothing
to do with Service Pack 3 guys!
I looked at the Windows Update logs on my machine, and what
do you know? Microsoft switched from hosting the updates
locally to using bandwidth company Akamai to host their updates.
Akamai has hundreds if not thousands of servers, many of which
I block because they are known to be used to host ads, and I've
taken the stand that since I've rarely seen a helpful ad that I want
to click on, I might as well prevent them from even loading,
making web pages load faster and be less cluttered with junk.
Well, what do you know... Microsoft's Windows Update has
been moved to an Akamai server that was once (and maybe
still is) known to host ads.
So basically, by blocking that server, I was blocking Windows
Update access to the catalog of updates, and the tool could
not run.
If you are having this problem the akamai.net address to remove
from your HOSTS file is a248.e.akamai.net.
UPDATE WITH MORE HELP: (Sept 2, 2003)
Try visiting:
https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp
right now.
You should see something like:
<catalog>
<provider />
catalog>
If you do not see this, then you are being blocked from
a248.e.akamai.net, the server that Windows Update uses to
store the update list.
If this is the case, then you should look at your HOSTS file.
This file is located here: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc
(Your Windows directory might be called WinNT or something
else, and it might not be on your C drive).
Open the HOSTS file in notepad. It might be a large file and take
some time. Search for a248.e.akamai.net. Remove the whole line,
including the ip address. Save the file. You shouldn't need to
reboot but you should close all IE windows. Now try
https://a248.e.akamai.net/v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp
again.
If it works, then go to
http://WindowsUpdate.Microsoft.com and
get your Updates. If it still does not work then your company or
your ISP may be blocking this hostname.
If you are using Internet Connection Sharing then all computers
use the HOSTS file from the main computer. If you are using
some shareware program for blocking ads then you should check
to see what servers it is blocking. If you are using a illegal
Windows XP key that you got from a friend or off the Internet,
then Microsoft may have blocked you from accessing Windows
Update.
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