Vista’s Windows Update not working in a domain

If you are using Windows Vista in a domain, you may find that Windows Update doesn’t work (it will say something like “No updates available”).  This is because when a computer is added into a domain, a registry key/policy is automatically added to connect to a WSUS server for updates.

So to resolve the issue, you need to delete the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Policies > Microsoft > Windows > WindowsUpdate

Make sure the subkey named AU is also deleted.  And finally when done, restart your computer and try it out.

Another way to do it is to change the key (below) from 1 to 0:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Policies> Microsoft > Windows > WindowsUpdate > AU > UseWUServer

If all works well, you should get something like this:

image

Go ahead and install the component and watch Windows Update start working, like so:

image

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.