Windows updates on domain not working in Vista.
July 7th, 2009
Posted in: Tech Tips
Well this issue only applies to computers that join a domain. Here at work my laptop is on a domain and I have ran into this issue every time I try to do windows updates. What happens is Windows Server if setup properly downloads windows updates on a regular basis and all the computers on the domain gets the updates from it and not Microsoft’s website. This is handy because the update gets downloaded once late at night instead of several computers downloading it all day long. Also the server can control what updates get deployed so it doesn’t break some software or functions all the client computers use everyday. This feature is called Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
Well here at the office the server is set to be the Windows update server but it is not setup properly to download the updates. Meaning you get an error everytime you do an update and NO updates get sent to your machine. There is an easy fix for this and it took me a while to figure it out. When the computer joins the domain a registry key gets entered to point your windows update to your local server. All you have to do is remove it so your PC will update from Microsoft. Before you proceed please read the info below.
Make sure you speak with your server administrator before performing these steps. The server admin may require updates from the domain server and you may get in trouble.
Also remember editing the registry can cause your PC to stop operating. Make sure you have a current backup and make sure you do not edit anything in the registry you are not sure of. More info on Windows Registry HERE.
I hold NO RESPONSIBILITY or LIABILITY for any information provided here. All information is a use at your own risk with no warranty.
What you want to do is open up the registry editor. Make sure your are logged in as an administrtaor on you local machine.
- Click on Start | Run and type in “regedit” (no quotes)
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\ Windows\WindowsUpdate\
- Remove the keys that point to your domain server (typically all of the entries, mine had 2)
- There is also a subkey called “AU”, remove that as well
- Reboot and then retry the update
After those steps all your updates should be handled by your PC now and not the domain server.
Permalink
