Thanks for the info, Ron. I'm not getting any numerical error... just a message that "Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running"... which is blatantly false, as a simple check in services.msc proves the service is indeed running.
Some peeps get the numerical error like I did, others get the "service not running" error. Not sure if that depends on whether it's Win 7 32- or 64-bit.
It apparently comes down to a date that expired yesterday on a certificate buried somewhere in MS's server system. Some peeps changed their PC's date to 12-2-17 and WU works again which supports an expired certificate.
Others unchecked the box under Microsoft Update on the WU settings screen which normally allows MS to offer updates for other MS software. But think twice about doing this. There's a hidden bug in WU that removes the last 2 options from the settings screen once you uncheck that box. So you can't just go back to the WU settings screen and re-check the box to be offered updates for MS Office etc. after MS fixes this.
Registry hacks are posted on the net to restore those 2 WU settings options, but I didn't find the keys that are supposed to be changed in my registry...
A simple/easy fix -for me- was to uninstall and then re-install MS Silverlight, which took less than ~5 min. On the last Silverlight installation screen, there's a box to allow WU to look for updates. As soon as I checked and accepted that option, the 2 missing update options magically reappeared on the WU settings screen. Not an elegant fix, but it worked.
If you decide to do the SL thingy, I suggest you manually set a System Restore point first, just to be safe.
FWIW, MSE will update correctly if you use its own internal updater rather than WU. I was able to get Definitions 1.257.1374.0 this afternoon even though WU is still throwing that error message.
And I guess you could avoid the whole thing by not looking for updates until MS fixes this mess d'jour.
As is my wont, I delayed getting the MS Nov. updates manually until Dec. 2 on my workhorse Win 7x64 desktop. They installed without any problem. But I now can't access the Windows Update site, and get the error Code 80248015 message.
Meanwhile, on my Win7 Pro x64 laptop, which I hadn't updated since October, I had no trouble at all tonight accessing WU, downloading and installing a Definition Update for Windows Defender (1.257.1202.0), and the Nov. 2017 Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 (KB890830). I decided to not download/install the 2017-11 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB4048957). After restarting my system, that laptop is still able to access the WU site, which continues to offer KB4048957, which I continue to decline.
I conclude that the problem probably lies with the MS Security Nov. "Quality Rollup" (KB4048957). I cannot exclude the possibility that MS Office or Word updates contributed, as they were updated on my affected PC, but not on my laptop.
For the present, I intend to do nothing til MS fixes this.
I guess it could be the Nov quality roll-up, but...
Would the roll-up affect both 32- and 64-bit Win 7, since they must be different?
Why would rolling the PC's date back 2 days be a simple work-around, unless there's something in the roll-up that expired on Dec 2nd?
As long as MSE will update itself by using its own updater manually, I'm not worried. I got a 2nd MSE update manually this afternoon so that seems to be working despite the continuing WU error message.
Just peeved that MS messed up again... :emotion-12:
I've read some reports alleging that Microsoft has fixed the issue, and users don't have to do anything. But I was still getting the error message on (at least) two Win7 systems here.
I set-back the system date (to Dec. 1st), and was able to check for updates. I then reset the system date back to today (Dec. 5th), and was able to check for updates again. Hopefully, I won't have to go through such a contortion again... we'll find out tomorrow.
Note: On one system, CryptoPrevent v7 requested permission to allow the changing of dates... on the other system, CryptoPrevent v8 blocked the changing of date until I disabled its protection.
The problem is solved. MS had a server problem (so they say) - now fixed. At any rate, my Win 7s all updated manually today without any fix attempted by me.
Manually checked for updates this morning with WU too. It searched a lot longer than "normal" before offering an MSE update, which successfully installed.
I bet the search delay was because millionsof other PCs are all trying to get updates today. :emotion-4:
ky331
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December 4th, 2017 15:00
Thanks for the info, Ron. I'm not getting any numerical error... just a message that "Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running"... which is blatantly false, as a simple check in services.msc proves the service is indeed running.
RoHe
12 Elder
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December 4th, 2017 16:00
Some peeps get the numerical error like I did, others get the "service not running" error. Not sure if that depends on whether it's Win 7 32- or 64-bit.
It apparently comes down to a date that expired yesterday on a certificate buried somewhere in MS's server system. Some peeps changed their PC's date to 12-2-17 and WU works again which supports an expired certificate.
Others unchecked the box under Microsoft Update on the WU settings screen which normally allows MS to offer updates for other MS software. But think twice about doing this. There's a hidden bug in WU that removes the last 2 options from the settings screen once you uncheck that box. So you can't just go back to the WU settings screen and re-check the box to be offered updates for MS Office etc. after MS fixes this.
Registry hacks are posted on the net to restore those 2 WU settings options, but I didn't find the keys that are supposed to be changed in my registry...
A simple/easy fix -for me- was to uninstall and then re-install MS Silverlight, which took less than ~5 min. On the last Silverlight installation screen, there's a box to allow WU to look for updates. As soon as I checked and accepted that option, the 2 missing update options magically reappeared on the WU settings screen. Not an elegant fix, but it worked.
If you decide to do the SL thingy, I suggest you manually set a System Restore point first, just to be safe.
FWIW, MSE will update correctly if you use its own internal updater rather than WU. I was able to get Definitions 1.257.1374.0 this afternoon even though WU is still throwing that error message.
And I guess you could avoid the whole thing by not looking for updates until MS fixes this mess d'jour.
Geez... :emotion-41:
joe53
2 Intern
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17.3K Points
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December 4th, 2017 19:00
Well, this is interesting.
As is my wont, I delayed getting the MS Nov. updates manually until Dec. 2 on my workhorse Win 7x64 desktop. They installed without any problem. But I now can't access the Windows Update site, and get the error Code 80248015 message.
Meanwhile, on my Win7 Pro x64 laptop, which I hadn't updated since October, I had no trouble at all tonight accessing WU, downloading and installing a Definition Update for Windows Defender (1.257.1202.0), and the Nov. 2017 Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 (KB890830). I decided to not download/install the 2017-11 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB4048957). After restarting my system, that laptop is still able to access the WU site, which continues to offer KB4048957, which I continue to decline.
I conclude that the problem probably lies with the MS Security Nov. "Quality Rollup" (KB4048957). I cannot exclude the possibility that MS Office or Word updates contributed, as they were updated on my affected PC, but not on my laptop.
For the present, I intend to do nothing til MS fixes this.
RoHe
12 Elder
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45.2K Posts
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172.6K Points
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December 4th, 2017 19:00
I guess it could be the Nov quality roll-up, but...
As long as MSE will update itself by using its own updater manually, I'm not worried. I got a 2nd MSE update manually this afternoon so that seems to be working despite the continuing WU error message.
Just peeved that MS messed up again... :emotion-12:
ky331
5 Journeyman
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15.6K Posts
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45K Points
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December 5th, 2017 06:00
I've read some reports alleging that Microsoft has fixed the issue, and users don't have to do anything. But I was still getting the error message on (at least) two Win7 systems here.
I set-back the system date (to Dec. 1st), and was able to check for updates. I then reset the system date back to today (Dec. 5th), and was able to check for updates again. Hopefully, I won't have to go through such a contortion again... we'll find out tomorrow.
Note: On one system, CryptoPrevent v7 requested permission to allow the changing of dates... on the other system, CryptoPrevent v8 blocked the changing of date until I disabled its protection.
joe53
2 Intern
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5.8K Posts
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17.3K Points
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December 5th, 2017 08:00
The problem is solved. MS had a server problem (so they say) - now fixed. At any rate, my Win 7s all updated manually today without any fix attempted by me.
www.bleepingcomputer.com/.../
RoHe
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172.6K Points
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December 5th, 2017 10:00
Manually checked for updates this morning with WU too. It searched a lot longer than "normal" before offering an MSE update, which successfully installed.
I bet the search delay was because millions of other PCs are all trying to get updates today. :emotion-4: