Windows UPDATE "We couldn't connect to the update service. We'll try again later, or you can check now. If it still doesn't work, make sure you're connected to the Internet."

What were the steps? I just updated THREE computers and NONE of them are able to connect to Windows Update. I did an "in-place upgrade" on one of them and it did not resolve the problem. 

MESSAGE: "We couldn't connect to the update service. We'll try again later, or you can check now. If it still doesn't work, make sure you're connected to the Internet."

UPDATE is KB4476976 (OS Build 17763.292)

And, yes, I am connected to the internet. This is very annoying. If it is an issue/bug (and it must be) how does MS plan on rolling out a fix if users cannot connect to Windows Update? I have tried all the known fixes out there (stop/start services related to WU, run various commands in an elevated command prompt, perform an in-place upgrade, you name it. Nothing works).

Thanks.

William Hill

This solution worked for me. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=NgxMaNVr-\_o

Hi

I have been experiencing this since yesterday in the Philippines. Oh the myriad ways I been trying to do to resolve a problem I thought was attributable to my computer. I should have consulted this site first. 

Why could Microsoft not advise us of these matters so as to prevent us from doing our systems harm in case we do some stupid "solutions". 

Charlie

Hi Charlie, 

I am from Manila as well. Id like to know if you were able to solve yours as of today. Currently, I am still unable to get mine working.

Thanks!

I'd suggest a 'live chat' with BT ( access through your account ). That's how I first found out BT had an issue. The rep I was in contact with was able to contact MS 'direct'. It was a couple of days ago that the rep said he'd been told it could be up to a week to fix it. I raised a point on the 'Community' that if we couldn't access the Update Service', how would we get the fix? Not seen a reply to that!

I also found this on the web.

Microsoft has now confirmed that the cause of last week's Windows Update failure was a global outage at an unnamed external DNS service provider on January 29.

That outage left some Windows users in the US and UK unable to get security, software, and operating system updates from Microsoft's update service.    

The issue affected Microsoft's update service for Windows users in the US on Comcast, as well as UK customers on BT Broadband. Some users were able to get updates working by changing their computer's DNS settings to Google's Public DNS. 

Microsoft's explanation fills in some gaps about why users couldn't connect to Windows Update for several days after January 29.

Microsoft on late Monday said although the outage at an external DNS provider was fixed on the same day it occurred, "a few customers" continued to struggle to connect to Windows Update. The delay is because it takes a while for other downstream DNS servers to be updated with the corrected DNS entries for Windows Update.   

"The Windows Update service was impacted by a data corruption issue in an external DNS service provider global outage on January 29, 2019," said Microsoft. 

"The issue was resolved on the same day and Windows Update is now operating normally, but a few customers have continued to report issues connecting to the Windows Update service. We expect these issues will go away as downstream DNS servers are updated with the corrected Windows Update DNS entries."

That would help explain why users on BT's forum continued reporting problems connecting to Windows Update over the weekend, while Comcast users reported the issue being resolved by Friday. Some customers at British ISP TalkTalk also reported problems connecting to Windows Update.     

Microsoft is relying on Windows Update to resolve a long-running block on some Intel display drivers. That block was first imposed in November, shortly after Microsoft resumed the Windows 10 1809 update after suspending it due to a data-destroying bug. 

The buggy drivers broke audio playback from monitors connected to a PC. Microsoft says Intel has now released updated drivers to PC OEMs, but these OEMs must make the new drivers available through Windows Update.

Assuming you're running Windows 10, the details are below.

To change the DNS settings on your Windows 10 device using Control Panel, do the following:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click on Network and Internet.
3. Click on Network and Sharing Center.
4. On the left pane, click on Change adapter settings.
5. Right-click the network interface connected to the internet, and select Properties.

You then need to highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), then left click properties.

Then go to the second box and check 'Use the following DNS server addresses.

In the 2 DNS server boxes, put 8.8.8.8 in the first and 8.8.4.4 in the second.

Select OK, and it's probably better to restart your PC. Hopefully, it should then be OK.

Keep these instructions so you can go back to the default when it's all fixed ( hopefully!! )

it did not work for me at all.