V5 Windowsupdate Error 0x80244021 with authenticating proxy

When our users try to get Windowsupdate from Windows XP, they get "error
0x80244021". It is one of the two errors described in this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;885819

The problem happens because they are going through an authenticating proxy
that lies on a different domain than they reside on.

Version 4 windowsupdate did not have this problem, because at the right
moment it would prompt them for their authentication credentials and they
could enter their username and password for the other domain. Either that, or
it would use their cached credentials for that session and it would all work.

Version 5 windowsupdate has the problem because, when the proxy server
prompts the windowsupdate software for credentials, the windowsupdate
software doesn't prompt the user for their password, and does not use their
cached credentials. Thus, windowsupdate fails.

The corporate overlords that control the proxy server will not allow
anonymous connections. So, at the moment:

MY USERS CANNOT GET WINDOWSUPDATE, HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DO SO FOR MONTHS, AND
CANNOT PROTECT THEIR COMPUTERS AGAINST MICROSOFT SECURITY BUGS NOW.

Microsoft: Please please please please fix windowsupdate to start working
through proxy servers again. Please.

tfabris wrote:

> When our users try to get Windowsupdate from Windows XP, they get "error
> 0x80244021". It is one of the two errors described in this article:
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;885819
>
> The problem happens because they are going through an authenticating proxy
> that lies on a different domain than they reside on.
>
> Version 4 windowsupdate did not have this problem, because at the right
> moment it would prompt them for their authentication credentials and they
> could enter their username and password for the other domain. Either that, or
> it would use their cached credentials for that session and it would all work.
>
> Version 5 windowsupdate has the problem because, when the proxy server
> prompts the windowsupdate software for credentials, the windowsupdate
> software doesn't prompt the user for their password, and does not use their
> cached credentials. Thus, windowsupdate fails.
>
> The corporate overlords that control the proxy server will not allow
> anonymous connections. So, at the moment:
>
> MY USERS CANNOT GET WINDOWSUPDATE, HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DO SO FOR MONTHS, AND
> CANNOT PROTECT THEIR COMPUTERS AGAINST MICROSOFT SECURITY BUGS NOW.
>
> Microsoft: Please please please please fix windowsupdate to start working
> through proxy servers again. Please.
Hi

Have you looked into using SUS (Microsoft Software Update Services)
or other 3rd party update solutions instead?

More here:
http://groups.google.com/groups?


--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

> Have you looked into using SUS (Microsoft Software Update Services)
> or other 3rd party update solutions instead?

I shouldn't have to.

Version 4 of windowsupdate did not have this bug, and version 5 induced this
bug.

It is a bug, Microsoft desperately needs to fix it.

I should not have to resort to third-party tools for Microsoft to fix a bug.

Who do I contact at Microsoft so that I can be heard? Argh.

tfabris wrote:

>>Have you looked into using SUS (Microsoft Software Update Services)
>>or other 3rd party update solutions instead?
>
>
> I shouldn't have to.
>
> Version 4 of windowsupdate did not have this bug, and version 5 induced this
> bug.
>
> It is a bug, Microsoft desperately needs to fix it.
>
> I should not have to resort to third-party tools for Microsoft to fix a bug.
>
> Who do I contact at Microsoft so that I can be heard? Argh.
Hi

US support options for Windows Update:

http://support.microsoft.com/oas/def...x?&gprid=6527&


--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

Argh, no, that's just tech support. They're going to tell me the same thing
that the Knowledge Base pages tell me: That I have to alter the Proxy server
to allow anonymous connections.

I'm trying to REPORT A BUG in version 5 of Windowsupdate that can't be
worked around, and trying to find out WHEN WILL THE BUG BE FIXED?

What I mean is... How to I talk to the people at Microsoft who are in charge
of fixing bugs in Windowsupdate? The tech support people don't fix the bugs,
they just spout the workarounds in the Knowledge Base.

tfabris wrote:

> Argh, no, that's just tech support. They're going to tell me the same thing
> that the Knowledge Base pages tell me: That I have to alter the Proxy server
> to allow anonymous connections.
>
> I'm trying to REPORT A BUG in version 5 of Windowsupdate that can't be
> worked around, and trying to find out WHEN WILL THE BUG BE FIXED?
>
> What I mean is... How to I talk to the people at Microsoft who are in charge
> of fixing bugs in Windowsupdate? The tech support people don't fix the bugs,
> they just spout the workarounds in the Knowledge Base.
Hi

I'm afraid there is no other route. You just have to persuade the person
you talk with that those KB articles are not a solution for you and that
you want to escalate the issue.

Anyway, I doubt you will get Microsoft to say when a bug will be fixed,
they usually don't disclose that type of information (because it is
very easy to miss on this type of "promises").

Also note this one from KB885819 at
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=885819

<quote>
Scenario 2

The root cause of this problem is current being examined. See the
"Workaround" section for an intermediary solution.

</quote>

So it seems to me that Microsoft is looking into this problem, and
that Microsoft looks upon allowing anonymous connections at the proxy
server as only an intermediary solution.



--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

Yeah, good point. I *did* put in the support request, no reply yet.

I just wonder if they realize how many XP users aren't protected against the
latest exploits because V5 Windowsupdate doesn't work for them. You'd think
they'd want to hop on top of this one right away.

Three days, no response from support. I'm in the database, I can log in and
see the support request. No answer though.