All recent Windows Updates for a Windows Server 2003R2 fail with error code: 0x80070005. Knowledge Base articles all say to check permissions on various registry keys all appear to be OK but still getting this error. Anyone now how to resolve these errors? The specific updates that won't install are: KB978601 KB974392 KB973687 KB972270 KB979309 KB975560 KB969947

Hi, Have you tried the suggestions in this article? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968003/en-us Hope it helps. Tim Quan - MSFT

Hi Tim, Thank you for your suggestion. I had tried that approach (KB968003) about two months ago but I had run it under my own user account (who is a member of the administrators group) and it hadn't worked. I just tried it again though using the actual "administrator" account but still no luck. The process outlined in the KB document appeared to run fine but when I tried Windows Updates afterwards, I still get the same behavior. I did find the following entries of interest in the C:\WINDOWS\WindowsUpdate.log: 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 DnldMgr ************* 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 DnldMgr ** START ** DnldMgr: Downloading updates [CallerId = MicrosoftUpdate] 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 DnldMgr ********* 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 DnldMgr * Call ID = {6C9BF74E-95FD-4654-8BF7-9CC42279D5E3} 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 DnldMgr * Priority = 3, Interactive = 1, Owner is system = 0, Explicit proxy = 1, Proxy session id = -1, ServiceId = {7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D} 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 DnldMgr * Updates to download = 1 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 Agent * Title = Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB979309) 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 Agent * UpdateId = {47192B4E-C6F4-4C26-B11C-F08E36E8E91A}.101 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 Agent * Bundles 1 updates: 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 Agent * {9C74B56A-054C-422C-847F-7A45976BF103}.101 2010-04-26 08:20:47:216 792 1f20 DnldMgr *********** DnldMgr: New download job [UpdateId = {9C74B56A-054C-422C-847F-7A45976BF103}.101] *********** 2010-04-26 08:20:47:232 792 1f20 DnldMgr * Queueing update for download handler request generation. 2010-04-26 08:20:47:232 792 1f20 DnldMgr Generating download request for update {9C74B56A-054C-422C-847F-7A45976BF103}.101 2010-04-26 08:20:47:232 792 1f20 Misc FATAL: Failed to delete file C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download\7ea8d850d4267939c47b11db2f95f3ef\update\update.url (hr = 80070005) after 0 retries 2010-04-26 08:20:52:388 792 1f20 Misc FATAL: Failed to copy file from C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download\18db74f3b3ae4721268e005439dba0b1\update\update.url to C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download\7ea8d850d4267939c47b11db2f95f3ef\update\update.url (hr = 80070005) after 10 retries 2010-04-26 08:20:52:388 792 1f20 Misc FATAL: Failed to delete file C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download\7ea8d850d4267939c47b11db2f95f3ef\update\update.url (hr = 80070005) after 0 retries 2010-04-26 08:20:52:388 792 1f20 DnldMgr FATAL: DM:CAgentDownloadManager::GenerateAllDownloadRequests: SusCopyDirectoryContents failed with 0x80070005. 2010-04-26 08:20:52:388 792 1f20 DnldMgr FATAL: DM:CAgentDownloadManager::GenerateAllDownloadRequests: GenerateDownloadRequest failed with 0x80070005. 2010-04-26 08:20:52:388 792 1f20 DnldMgr Error 0x80070005 occurred while downloading update; notifying dependent calls. 2010-04-26 08:20:52:919 792 1f20 Agent ********* 2010-04-26 08:20:52:919 792 1f20 Agent ** END ** Agent: Downloading updates [CallerId = MicrosoftUpdate] 2010-04-26 08:20:52:919 792 1f20 Agent ************* I do access this server via Remote Desktop normally; I have tried running the update from the console itself but it doesn't seem to make a difference. These are the updates that repeatedly fail: Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB979309) Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB978601) Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB978338) Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB975560) Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB975713) Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB972270) Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB970430) Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB974318) Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB974392) Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB973687) Security Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB969947)

***A SOLUTION****!!! Apparently the Windows Indexing Service was the culprit! After googling around for "windows update" and "update.url", I came across this page: http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/35393366/failed-windows-update--w.aspx where people were having an identical issue. The last post mentions using ProcessExplorer to determine that cidaemon.exe (the Indexing Service) was locking the update.url file. I downloaded and ran Process Explorer and could see that cidaemon had all kinds of update.url files locked up. I stopped the Indexing Service via the Control Panel and Windows Update ran successfully for the first time in months!

Many thanks qwertyzz !!! I had spent hours and I had gone through scores of useless Internet sites before I came across your solution. My problem was very similar : for me, stopping the Indexing services and running the Windows update was immediately successful! Great thanks again.

Thanks, whilst watching the list of failed to download updates, i stopped the indexing service via services. and "failed" became "done" Excellent hint - thanks.Stuart

Thanks qwertyzzz, this was driving me insane last night at 3:00 AM. I'll finally get some sleep tonight.