Windows Server - Networking

How to fix: Windows could not search for new updates Error Code 80245003

Here is the steps for solving the 80245003 error when you do Windows Update in Vista.

1. Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenence, then (under Windows Update) > Turn automatic updating on or off, then click "never check for updates"

2. Close Control Panel
3. REBOOT
4. Goto My Computer
5. Click on C: (or your Primary Drive)
6. Open the "Windows" folder
7. Rename the Folder called "SoftwareDistribution" to SoftwareDistributionOLD
8. Create a new folder named SoftwareDistribution
9. Close all windows and any running programs.
10. REBOOT
11. Go back to Step 1  (and back to > Turn automatic updating on or off), then turn the Automatic Updates back On.

12. Close all windows and any running programs.
13. REBOOT
14. then click on Start and type in Windows Automatic Updates
15. Click on the "Windows Automatic Updates" folder
16. Run Windows Automatic Updates.

OR

1. Disable the Windows Update Service (Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services). Just stop the service.
2. Navigate to: C:\Windows (or whereever you Windows system is)
3. Find the folder named: “SoftwareDistribution”
4. Rename that folder to something like “SoftwareDistribution.old”
5. Create a new folder called “SoftwareDistribution”
6. Go back to your Services panel and start the Windows Update service
7. Rerun Windows Update