Did windowsupdate for Windows XP close down? Error number 0x80248015

Question

When I visit windows update (http://update.microsoft.com/) the page does not load. It displays

[Error number: 0x80248015]

and the message:

The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you are trying to view.

Is anyone else getting this error on Windows XP? I looked around the Microsoft Community pages for a fix but did not want to try any of the weird things they suggested.

I am guessing that the site no longer works and that Microsoft has shut down this service for Windows XP. Support for Windows XP ended on April 14 of this year. Previously I did not have this problem (within the last few weeks) and I was able to load the page to see all the latest patches where installed and so forth ...

Does a solution to this problem exist?

Solution 1

One user has found a workaround by downgrading muweb.dll to -> 7.6.7600.256.
See this post at MSFN.

Basically, download the .cab file below and extract the .dll and copy to System32 directory.

X86 http://download.windowsupdate.com/v9/1/microsoftupdate/b/selfupdate/WSUS3/x86/Other/muweb.cab

X64 http://download.windowsupdate.com/v9/1/microsoftupdate/b/selfupdate/WSUS3/x64/Other/muweb.cab

I tried out and it seems to work correctly. I was able to immediately connect again to Windows Update site without error.

Solution 2

I manage about a hundred XP boxes, and when I see this I install the latest service packs, SP3 for 32 bit and SP2 for 64 bit. Then I hit the update again and it finds the update site and continues with the few subsequent updates. Dunno where you will find the service packs, I have them on my file server.

Comments

[AFH]

I get the same error. You may like to look at expertreviews.co.uk/software/1306762/… - this describes how to create an XP install disc with every update ever released. The tools for down-loading the updates may still work, even if the main update site has ceased.

[David Marshall]

There are some workarounds for Server 2003 which might work for you in the comments in isc.sans.edu/forums/diary/…

[Saggio]

Didn't Microsoft end support for XP which means there wouldn't be any Windows Updates?

[fixer1234]

Microsoft relented once and released a security update after saying there would be no more updates, but don't count on it again. In practice, an update check will just return that there are no updates available. The error message indicates a problem with the web site.

[Eli B.]

I have been getting this error two days in a row as well, on a vintage laptop running WinXP Home SP3. It seems the site still isn't fixed - I was afraid they closed the point-of-sale loophole.

[Ramhound]

Microsoft has no plan at this time to prevent people from patching their Windows XP installations. All released patches will remain available until Microsoft announces they won't be. Windows XP is still support in various ways ( paid support, other versions, etc. ) so the released patches have to remain available until that no longer is true.