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

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?

sigma4500

Posted 2014-11-19T23:31:47.353

Reputation: 71

I get the same error. You may like to look at http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/software/1306762/how-to-slipstream-an-xp-disc-with-sp3-and-all-other-updates - 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.

– AFH – 2014-11-19T23:58:59.570

There are some workarounds for Server 2003 which might work for you in the comments in https://isc.sans.edu/forums/diary/Microsoft+November+out-of-cycle+patch+MS14-068/18967

– David Marshall – 2014-11-20T01:21:02.497

Didn't Microsoft end support for XP which means there wouldn't be any Windows Updates? – Saggio – 2014-11-20T17:13:21.923

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. – fixer1234 – 2014-11-20T18:16:17.867

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. – Eli B. – 2014-11-22T01:17:18.123

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. – Ramhound – 2015-03-11T11:27:51.973

Answers

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.

Sanjay Sheth

Posted 2014-11-19T23:31:47.353

Reputation: 734

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.

Timbo

Posted 2014-11-19T23:31:47.353

Reputation: 390

It must be a MS issue - whether accidental or contrived remains to be seen.

I have this problem on 32-bit XP machines of three different architectures (Intel P4, AMD X64, Intel Atom) connected on two different ISPs running through different routers and firewalls and with different/no anti-virus software. All of those machines were fully updated as of last Patch Tuesday (11/11/2014). Two of them had been powered off since that update and showed the 0x80248015 error when attempting to connect to Update servers immediately after power-up.

As a test I installed a cloned back-up drive from 11/2/2013 into the P4 system, and attempted to connect to the Update servers immediately after power-up. Exact same 0x80248015 error.

The MS/Win Update service is the only things all of these systems have in common.

guest

Posted 2014-11-19T23:31:47.353

Reputation: 1