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Can't access Windows Update from Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, or Windows 2000

Article ID: 2497281 - View products that this article applies to.

Resolution

If you can’t access the Windows Update website

(http://www.update.microsoft.com/)

when you try to scan for Windows updates, try these solutions.

If you don’t have the latest Windows service pack

If you are running one of the following operating systems, make sure that you have the latest service pack installed. If you don't have the latest service pack installed, use one of the following links to install it.

Windows Server 2003: Install Service Pack 2 (SP2) here
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/889100)
.
Windows XP: Install Service Pack 3 (SP3) here
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389)
.
Windows 2000: Install Service Pack 4 (SP4) here.
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/260910)

If you already have the latest Windows service pack

Turn on Automatic Updates

You can do this automatically by clicking here

(http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9787446)

. Or, to do this manually, follow these steps:

Exit all the programs that you have running.
Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then click OK.
On the Automatic Updates tab, click Automatic (Recommended), and then click OK.
Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
Type wuauclt /detectnow, and then press Enter.

After you turn on Automatic Updates, wait an hour, and then scan for updates again.

Download the latest version of the Windows Update Agent

Exit all programs that are running on your computer, and then download the latest Windows Update Agent here

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949104)

. Then, wait an hour and scan for updates again.

If these solutions do not resolve your problem, contact Microsoft Support

(http://support.microsoft.com/contactus)