Windows Update fails on Server 2008 R2

I have seen a common issue with Windows 2008 R2 and WSUS where the Windows Update client stops working with the error: Windows Update Client failed to detect with error 0x80070bc9 in the log.

During these times, I notice that Server Manager complains that it cannot be refreshed until the server is restarted. I cannot use Windows Update, add roles, or view the roles in Server Manager. The error I see in Server Manager is Error: cannot display data until computer is restarted.

I haven't tracked down the root cause, but if you restart three times it goes away. I have found that it never happens again on that server, but I may see it again on another Windows 2008 R2 server in the first few months of its service life.

If anyone has figured out the root cause, please post a comment. Until then, I will reboot servers in this state three consectutive times.

Comments

Greg Zook said…
This error seems to be related to an issue with WMI. Repairing WMI on a Windows 2008 R2 server is not hard. In a nutshell, here is how I do it: stop the WMI service, rename the repository folder (%windir%\System32\wbem\repository), restart the WMI service.
April 11, 2011 at 12:19 PM
Talha said…
The error is not related to WMI, as its working just fine, U can check if its working, by going to Server Manager > Configuration > WMI Control, Right click and go to properties, if its connected then WMI is working fine.
I have given the server a restart several times, but this doesent resolve the problem either...
It has something to do with a pending restart on the server with some registry keys i think...... Anybody found a valid reason and solution to the problem, please share?
February 11, 2012 at 12:31 AM
Greg Zook said…
Hello Talha: I have also seen this issue when the Windows Module Installer service is set to start automatically. It should normally be a stopped service set to manual. Verify that this isn't being set by a GPO. Let me know if you have further questions.
February 11, 2012 at 7:17 AM
Talha said…
Hi Greg, thanks for the post, i have tried to put the service to manual, then a restart, even i have tried after disabling WMI service, but still....... the problem is there..... Actually its an Exchange 2010 SP1 server holding HT and CAS roles, and i need to add a feature to upgrade to SP2...... And when i cant access Server Manager, and i cant install the feature with powershell too.... I cant upgrade.
Also, I have deleted the registry key at HKLM/System/CurrentControlSet/Control/SessionManager/
This solved the pending restart problems on some of the other servers, but not this one!
Hmmmm.....
February 11, 2012 at 10:18 AM
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