Auto Update on W2k Servers Fails

http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.co...leid=26&ln=enI
have tried just about everything I can find to have my few rermaining W2k
servers update automatically. I started off by maually loading BITS (which
fixed the update problem on workstations). Since then I have run through just
about everything to rectify the problem with no success.

My servers sit behind ISA 2004, each server runs the Proxy Client therefore
proxycfg appears as direct access. I have looged on to the server itself, I
have tried using a remote terminal session, no luck.

I have stopped and started wuauserv, I have ran proxycfg -d, I have checked
over Microsoft knowledge articles
:-http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/showarticle.aspx?articleid=32&ln=en&IsMu=False
http://www.updatexp.com/0x80072ee2.html
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=836941
Just to name a few.
I have tried running windows Update version 4 by going through the
Administrator Option Page, only to find the patches were not up to date.

A Short extract from the WindowsUpdate.log
2006-01-10 08:12:45 2480 1a78 Agent *************
2006-01-10 08:12:45 2480 1a78 Agent ** START ** Agent: Finding updates
[CallerId = MicrosoftUpdate]
2006-01-10 08:12:45 2480 1a78 Agent *********
2006-01-10 08:13:57 2480 1a78 Misc WARNING: Send failed with hr = 80072efd.
2006-01-10 08:13:57 2480 1a78 Misc WARNING: SendRequest failed with hr =
80072efd. Proxy List used: <(null)> Bypass List used : <(null)> Auth Schemes
used : <>
2006-01-10 08:13:57 2480 1a78 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: SendRequestUsingProxy
failed for
<http://download.windowsupdate.com/v6/microsoftupdate/redir/muredir.cab>.
error 0x80072efd
2006-01-10 08:13:57 2480 1a78 Misc WARNING: WinHttp:
SendRequestToServerForFileInformation MakeRequest failed. error 0x80072efd
2006-01-10 08:13:57 2480 1a78 Misc WARNING: WinHttp:
SendRequestToServerForFileInformation failed with 0x80072efd
2006-01-10 08:13:57 2480 1a78 Misc WARNING: WinHttp: ShouldFileBeDownloaded
failed with 0x80072efd
2006-01-10 08:15:05 2480 1a78 Misc WARNING: Send failed with hr = 80072efd.

Has anyone found something definite that causes this, or better yet a way to
fix it?

Have had this problem for several weeks, but this work around seems to work
on our 2k servers and clients:

Windows Update Error Number: 0x80072F78 etc...
Update/Install Win 2k servers/clients on SBS 2k ISA server network problem:
Make sure ISA server is opened for access to http://update.microsoft.com
If needed, manually download and install the 2k SP4 (W2KSP4_EN.EXE)
and latest BITS update and IE 6 SP1 before using http://update.microsoft.com.
Also download Windows2000-KB891861-v2-x86-ENU.EXE (fix only for older PCs?)
Use http://update.microsoft.com to get the most urgent updates.
If/When http://update.microsoft.com fails after restart...
Remove downloaded files:
CMD: net stop WuAuServ
Delete or rename folder: winnt\SoftwareDistribution
Start http://update.microsoft.com - It may start the update:
Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (KB891861)
If this fails, manually install the:
Windows2000-KB891861-v2-x86-ENU.EXE
Restart PC!
If http://update.microsoft.com fails again - remove downloaded files:
CMD: net stop WuAuServ
delete or rename folder: winnt(windows)\SoftwareDistribution
http://update.microsoft.com works and does it's updates!?
Restart PC!
If http://update.microsoft.com fails again?
Remove downloaded files:
CMD: net stop WuAuServ
delete or rename folder: winnt(windows)\SoftwareDistribution
http://update.microsoft.com works fine and all updates are marked OK?
More restarts only gives the same error again & again...
----
A registry problem? Best to wait for a Bug fix from MS?