So far, many times I’ve found this strange error in Windows Update center stating that “Windows could not search for new updates”.
The reason is your pc is configured to access a WSUS Server that, for some reasons, isn’t accessible.
First question is: what is WSUS (Windows Server Update Services)?
WSUS or Windows Server Update Services is a free patch management tool available to Windows Server administrators allowing them to authorize, publish and distribute updates within a network (most of the times inside a domain).
Anyway, second (and most important) question is: how I can solve that error? It’s quite simple, following that procedure:
- Open registry editor (Start menu –> Run –> regedit)
- Find the following path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
- Chage the value of the UseWUServer from 1 to 0 (double click on it, change the value and click OK)
- Restart Windows Update service (Start menu –> Run –> services.msc, find the Windows Update service and click on Restart)
That’s all. Now you can download updates again.
EDIT 28/08/2013: On Windows 8 I’ve also experienced a different solution. From command prompt (as admin) type “netsh winhttp reset proxy” and then re-check for updates.
Tips and tricks around code-world 
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Thanks Massimiliano. That helped me out after a good bit of Googling!
Awesome, Massimiliano! You were the only person who had a solution that works. Well done, friend!
Nice one fella worked a treat
FYI – That Registry entry appears not to be included on Windows 8
Yes, you’re right Peter. I’ve never got this issue on my win8 machine. Have you found it? I suppose you may solve it trough Group Policy….
Your fix worked on my win8 machine. True, the key didn’t appear where you said, but when I searched for UseWUServer, bingo!
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windowsupdate
In the last step, theres no windows update as an option, what could be wrong? thanks
Worked great. Thanks!!!
prodvit,
Mmmm – group policies are not my strong point. Any indicators/pointers in the right direction much appreciated, please.
As you were!
Don’t you just LURVE the self-healing properties of Windows – For no reason (ie: nothing I had done), it just fixed itself.
Spooky!!!!
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weird, tried it in windows 8 and still getting same error code and not allowing update
if anyone could email me tips at jeff.falconer@leftcoastcondos.com , I would GREATLY appreciate it!!!
I upgraded my dell Inspiron M3050 from windows 7 home premium to windows 8 pro and now have windows updates not installing.
I tried troubleshooting and the problem found was ” the location where windows update stores data has changed and must be repaired”.
Followed your steps above and couldn’t find the \WINDOWS UPDATE file in e registry.
really need help.
Thanks!
Worked like a charm. Thanks!
Great worked like a chamr for me.
Cheers,
Thanks a ton! Microsoft’s Fixits did nothing.
Thank you. Worked a treat.
I have been trying to get this fixed for months. Way to go!!
Nice tip!! I’m going to have to create a another .reg to add the 1 back in case employer questions why updates are not being sent via AD.
Hello Massimiliano. I got this popular issue concerning the 8024402c for Windows Update. I run Windows 7 (64-bit) and when I go through the path you have written here I cannot find the “WindowsUpdate” folder in the end. It’s like my path ends like this
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows…
There are other folders of course in …\Windows, but there isn’t the one we need to fix this error up. What would you suggest me to do?
Thanks in advance
Very nice article. I definitely love this site. Keep it up!
I am sure this post has touched all the internet visitors, its really really nice article on building up new website.
Thank you very much, Massiniliano, It was really help.
hi i try to do the same as you have shown but after windows i cannot see the windowsupdate/ AU option please help me
thank you
Try to create it
plz tell me how to create
thank you kind sir!
Excellent!! You’re the best!!
Ofcourse this works… When setting this value to 0 you will be updating fro the internet, because you disable the WSUS service your administrator has build for the company…
So, this is mearly a workaround, not a solution for the problem at hand..
Find the solution, as a lot of people are looking for it, then your the man..
many thanks Massimiliano …
Thanks Buddy.
Googled for the problem, and had the problem solved only this way. Very simple! Congratz!
didn’t work for me ;(
that path doesn’t exist in Win7 64bit
This is correct. Any help for this?
i have win7 64bit and this path exist
worked for me after hours on microsoft site!! Thanks
Thanks – Microsoft support site was useless on this!
This is not a good practice if your computer is in a DOMAIN, you want to be able to manage update that are sent to computer. It save also a lot of bandwidth. You should only do that if the PC is no longer in the domain or the WSUS doesn’t exist anymore…
You can see:
http://www.wsus.info/index.php?showtopic=10517
The solution is at the end and work perfectly for me
remove the /s when you are at “mkdir /s ….”
WORKS! Thanks a lot! 😉
Thanks! Fix worked!
Dear in the following path i am getting WindowUpdate , Please help
Find the following path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
sorry not getting
thanks for your tip i , i tried your error for 8024402c and it failed. I appreciate your help. i am disabled and would like some help,but Microsoft wants $279+ dollars to fix the problem.It all started when i bought there driver update for 3 computers from Microsoft web site. Now they all have the same trouble ,2 computers are brand new ! Thanks for trying. Rod
worked , thanks Windows Server 2008 R2. This error was preventing me from updating SQL
You Rock!!!
Thank You, Worked as you said
WORKED!!!! Awesome! Thanks for the help!
Perfect! Tried countless alternatives before finding your fix. Thanks so much.
Thanks!
hey i just found your solution, but after /windows/ i can’t see the windowsupdate/ AU path, what should i do? thanks btw 🙂
Where is the file WindowsUpdate/AU ???? :S
It is not a file bit a registry key.
There isnt any windows update folder Under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows folder in registry editor! (My computer is Windows 7 64 bit) What should I do?
Thanks worked straight away!!!
sei una bomba Massimo! worked at first
Great stuff. Thanks!!
This didn’t work for me. But I did find out I had both IPV4 and IPV6 on my TCP/IP settings. The IPV4 was set correctly but for IPV6 Ip was set to dynamic but dns was set to manual and it was ::1
Once I set this to automatic it worked for me.
I was missing a default gateway on the virtual switch in WinServer2012
I don’t have the file, WindowsUpdate/. How do i get past this?
You’re the man thank you! I tried tons of of other recommendations and this one finally worked. I truly appreciate it.
After spending many hours trying to resolve this problem I found your webpage and it fixed it in an instant.
Thank you very much.
Thanks this was for me the solution, the tips of MS do not work
Thanks for the fix, will remember this for next time!
Thank You very much… Helped me too.
Hi
I think this is just a work around, basically we are telling windows not to contact the WSUS.
Do you have any other suggestion please. I really like to use the WSUS in my environment. Other servers/windows are getting their updates from the WSUS without any problem even with the registry key “UseWUServer” set to 1
As you said it is a workaround and it is needed to investigate real issue.
In my case the wsus server was dismissed and I needed to force not contact it anymore.
The real problem could be very general…sorry
it works great at first update but it gives same error on next update
Appreciate your help it worked for me! thanks
Thank you
please tell m iam not getting HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Wind
what to do? please sir
Thanks for this posting! Worked for me.
What would cause this to suddenly make Windows Update stop working? Or, why would this registry entry suddenly be set to 1?
when following the path way:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
I do not have the WindowsUpdate\AU available as an option.
Hei muchas gracias.!!!!
Viejo.!!
saludos.
Lifesaver.. Thanks so much.
You Legend !!
Success at last 🙂
I tried just about every single one of the MSoft website updates and slowly drove myself crazy as each did not work – Your technical advice worked – Thank you.
great post. it works perfectly
You are so cool! I don’t think I have read anything like that before.
So good to find another person with a few unique thoughts on this subject matter.
Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the web, someone with a
bit of originality!
I have windows 8.1 (x64) installed in my laptop, will this method work for me also?
If not, please give some suggestions to solve this error.
Thanks in advance 🙂
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Pingback: How To Fix Code 8024402c Errors - Windows Vista, Windows 7 & 8
yup that netsh command did it, FYI previous patches causes this!
thank you, helped me.
I go this same problem with the two 64-bit Win 7 computers.
For some very odd reason Win 7 64-bit started to get Windows updates after I disable IPV6 from my computer’s network adapter’s properties (uchecked the check box) and let Windows to get new network settings. After that I checked IPV6 checkbox.
After that Windows Update tells you that it has found several updates. I didn’t do any changes in regedit.
I have a Windows 7 Home Premium laptop with both 32 & 64bit. I recently had it recovered and installed Windows Ultimate (64bit). This is what caused this problem.
For those it did not work for. Try this:
Run regedit to find: /HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/Windows Update/Auto Update (omit policies). Click on Autoupdate and on the right you will find AUOptions Right click on AUOptions and MODIFY the value to 0.
Restart Windows Update service (Start menu –> Run –> services.msc, find the Windows Update service and click on Restart).
RESTART your computer. When you next check Windows Update it will still show that you will not get any updates. Click on Settings, change to autoupdate then go back to the update window. It will now have changed from red to green and you can update.
This worked for me (thanks very much) however when you check AUOptions you will find it has reverted to 1.
I do not have any updates right now. When I do I may have to do the above all over again.
thanks =) it’s work!
Thanks very much! Been stuck on this for ages.
Awesome Short and Crispy solution.. worked brilliantly on Win2k8 r2
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
Worked like a charm.
Awesome!!!! thank you very much
Thank you. The unique tip that really worked.
Thanks Massimiliano!
Thanx~~
Thank you very much!!
Thanks !!!!!! Worked for me
Great Thanks. Working fine
Gracias!!!! me ayudo el aporte, ya habia hecho de todo, desabilitar firewall de equipo, antivirus. Saludos!!
Thanks. It worked for me
Thank You Massimiliano. It worked for me
OMG it works!!!, after 2 days of searching and trying , this solutions works!!, I’m in a windows 8.1 pro, thank you so much!
Thanks, it worked for me.
Thank you Massimiliano. This solution worked fine for me.
Finally a working solution. Thank you!
Just in case you didn’t have success…I experienced same symptom on a 2012R2 server in a domain. Had dcpromo’d an old backup DC server and removed DNS role . After that, I found that I hadn’t updated the DNS server entry in IPV4 on the 2012R2 server. Once I pointed that DNS entry to new DC/DNS server, problem solved. I realize this was an oversight but did see mention of domain server members having this issue so please double check your DNS entries and be sure they point to the proper DNS server in your domain.
Thanks Massimiliano!!! This fixed an issue with a Win 2012 server that I recently inherited. It had not had updates in over a year and no one noticed because “updates were automated”.
GReat – finally works! thanks!
thank u buddy….smart idea…
Thanks. Finally found your post and it worked!
Thanks Massimiliano!
Thank you so much! Only fix that worked!
Fantastic. Really it worked on Win7.
Ohhh my god ! it’s incredible.. I don’t know why the netsh command can resolve the issues…. but… it’s true!!!! it’s working for me. Many thanks
Perfecto, muchas gracias Massimiliano.
None of these,including the various solutions in the comments seems to work for me on Windows 8.1. Any suggestions?
Thank You! This solved my problem.
Good solution solved the problem 🙂
First solution worked for me too. Thank you.
Thank you, the best solution
Thanks! You da man!
after a day of trying all the other options I found searching this error this one worked, super easy, well done!
Thanks ! Best solution
Thanks! It was the only working solution!
Thanks! works perfect