Microsoft KB Archive/836985

= You receive Initialization error 0x80072F78 while the Windows Update Web site is loading =

PSS ID Number: 836985

Article Last Modified on 3/31/2004

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The information in this article applies to:

 Microsoft Windows Update, when used with:  Microsoft Windows XP Professional

 Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

 Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

 Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows 2000 Server</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 4.0</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows NT 4.0</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition</li></ul>

 Microsoft Windows 95</li></ul> </li></ul>

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<div class="symptoms_section">

SYMPTOMS
When you try to use Microsoft Internet Explorer to update the Microsoft Windows operating system from the Windows Update Web site, you may receive an error message that is similar to the following:

Windows Update has encountered an error and cannot display the requested page.

Error 0x80072F78

You receive the error message while the following site is loading:

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

<div class="cause_section">

CAUSE
This error may occur if your computer cannot connect to a component of the Windows Update Web site.

<div class="resolution_section">

RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, use the following methods in the order that they are listed:
 * Method 1 – Verify the Hosts file
 * Method 2 – Check the firewall software, the antivirus software, and other software
 * Method 3 – Add the Windows Update Web sites to the list of trusted sites
 * Method 4 – Add the Windows Update Web sites to the list of exceptions

Method 1 – Verify the Hosts file
The Hosts file is used for host name resolution.

Locate the Hosts file
Depending on your operating system, the Hosts file may be found in the following locations:
 * On Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Microsoft Windows 98, or on Microsoft Windows 95, the Hosts file has a .sam extension, and is in the C:\Windows\ folder.
 * On Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, or on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, the Hosts file is in the C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\ folder.

Edit the Hosts file
To edit the Hosts file, follow these steps:
 * 1) Start a text editor such as Notepad, and then use a drag-and-drop operation to drag and drop the Hosts file into a blank document.
 * 2) Verify that the Hosts file does not contain an incorrect entry or a static IP entry for the Windows Update Web site.

Web accelerator programs, including TweakMasterDNS, have been known to add static IP entries for the Windows Update Web site to the Hosts file. When this behavior occurs, you may receive the error message that is mentioned in the &quot;Symptoms&quot; section.

Method 2 – Check the firewall software, the antivirus software, and other software
A software firewall is a security system that acts as a protective boundary between a network and the outside world. A software firewall can prevent the computer from connecting to the Windows Update server. Look in the notification area (lower right corner of the screen) for an icon that indicates that a firewall is running on the computer. In Windows XP, you may have to show all the icons in the notification area to reveal the firewall icon. To reveal the program that an icon represents, pause the pointer over the icon and wait several seconds until the name of the icon is displayed.

Some common software firewalls include the following: ZoneAlarm, Norton Internet Security, McAfee Security, and BlackIce. CheckPoint Firewall is one product that is known to cause this error.

Disable the firewall software
To determine whether the firewall software is causing the issue, right-click the firewall icon. A menu may appear that permits you to temporarily disable the firewall.

If disabling the firewall resolves the issue, follow these steps:
 * Contact the firewall software manufacturer for directions about how to configure the firewall software to allow you to use Windows Update.
 * Make sure that TCP/IP ports 80 and 443 are open in both directions.
 * Make sure that the firewall software is not blocking scripting functions on Web sites.

Disable other software
To determine whether the antivirus software or the other software is causing the issue, temporarily disable all third-party software. For example, disable the antivirus software before you access the Windows Update Web site. If disabling the software resolves the issue, contact the software manufacturer for directions about how to configure the software to allow you to use Windows Update.

Method 3 – Add the Windows Update Web sites to the list of trusted sites
You may be able to resolve this issue by adding the Windows Update Web sites to the list of trusted sites. To add these Web sites to the list, follow these steps:
 * 1) Start Microsoft Internet Explorer.
 * 2) On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
 * 3) Click the Security tab.
 * 4) Click the Trusted sites icon, and then click Sites.
 * 5) Click to clear the Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone check box.
 * 6) Add the following Web sites:
 * 7) * http://Windowsupdate.microsoft.com
 * 8) * http://V4.Windowsupdate.microsoft.com
 * 9) * http://Download.Windowsupdate.com
 * 10) * https://v4.Windowsupdate.microsoft.com

Note This entry uses the https prefix.
 * 1) Click OK two times, and then visit the Windows Update Web site to determine whether the issue is resolved.

Method 4 - Add the Windows Update Web sites to the list of exceptions
Add the Windows Update Web sites to the list of exceptions for proxy settings. To do this, follow these steps: <ol> Start Microsoft Internet Explorer.</li> On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.</li> <li>Click the Connections tab, and then click LAN Settings.</li> <li>Click Advanced, and then add the following Web sites to the Exceptions list. Instead of listing each URL on a separate line, use semicolons to separate the URLs as follows:

http://Windowsupdate.microsoft.com; http://V4.Windowsupdate.microsoft.com; http://Download.Windowsupdate.com

Note If you are using other proxy software or firewall software, add these Web sites to the list of exceptions for those programs also.</li></ol>

You can expect to successfully use the Windows Update Web site after you have used these methods to resolve the issue.

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

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