How to obtain the latest version of the Windows Update Agent to help manage updates on a computer

This article describes how to obtain the latest Windows Update Agent. The Windows Update Agent lets you manage which updates will be installed on your computer. The Windows Update Agent works together with the Windows Update Web site to provide the latest updates to your computer. The Windows Update Agent also works together with servers that are running Microsoft System Management Server and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) in a corporate environment.

How to automatically obtain the latest Windows Update Agent

To automatically install the latest version of the Windows Update Agent, visit the following Microsoft Web site. When you visit this Web site, the latest version of the Windows Update Agent will automatically be installed.

This article also provides steps to download the latest Windows Update Agent from the Microsoft Download Center.

Note System Management Server and WSUS are frequently used to manage the updates that are installed in the corporate environment. If this is the case for your system, contact your network administrator for information about how to obtain the latest Windows Update Agent.

This article describes how to obtain the latest Windows Update Agent. This article is for people who manage updates on their own computers.

Overview of Windows Update

Windows Update helps keep your computer up-to-date and secure by downloading and installing the latest security and feature updates from Microsoft. Windows Update determines which updates apply to your computer.

Microsoft periodically makes software updates available to users of Windows and other Microsoft software. These updates include updates that improve reliability and performance, updates that provide new protections against malware and other potentially unwanted software, and upgrades to Windows features. To improve the performance or the reliability of hardware components on the computer, Microsoft may also provide updates to device drivers that are supplied by the computer manufacturer.

If you enable Windows Update, some software components that are directly related to Windows Update will have to be updated occasionally on your computer. These updates must be performed before Windows Update can check for required updates or before it can install other updates. These required updates fix errors, provide ongoing improvements, and maintain compatibility with the Microsoft servers that support Windows Update. If you disable Windows Update, you will not receive these updates.

To enable Windows Update, select one of the following settings in the Automatic Updates item in Control Panel:

• Automatic (recommended)
• Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them
• Notify me, but don't automatically download or install them

Windows Update is configured to install updates automatically when you select the recommended option during Windows Out Of Box Experience (OOBE) Setup.

After you enable Windows Update, the required updates to some components of the Windows Update service will be downloaded and installed automatically without additional notice to you. This behavior occurs regardless of which setting you use to enable Windows Update. If you do not want to receive required updates, disable automatic updates in Control Panel.

These updates typically do the following:

• Address feedback from customers
• Improve compatibility, service performance, and reliability
• Enable new service capabilities

When the Windows Update server is updated, a corresponding client update is typically required. During an agent self-update operation, Windows Update Agent files may be added, modified, or replaced. For example, Windows Update Agent files that help display the user experience or that determine whether updates apply to a particular system may be added. This behavior occurs when a system is set up to automatically check for available updates. It does not occur when automatic updates are turned off. For example, the behavior does not occur if you select Never check for updates in Windows Vista or if you select Turn off Automatic Updates in Windows XP.

How to obtain the latest Windows Update Agent

To install the latest version of the Windows Update Agent, we recommend that you visit the following Microsoft Web site: When you visit this Web site, the latest version of the Windows Update Agent will automatically be installed.

Additionally, Microsoft has also made version 7.2.6001.788 of the Windows Update Agent available on the Microsoft Download Center.

How to determine whether you are running a 32-bit or a 64-bit edition of Windows

You must know which kind of processor platform (x86-based, x64-based, or Itanium-based) that you have. Most users have x86-based processors. If you are not sure which kind of processor platform you have, install the x86-based update on the computer.

To learn which version of Windows that you are running, or to learn whether it is a 32-bit version or 64-bit version, open System Information (Msinfo32.exe). Then, review the value that is listed for System Type. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run, or click Start Search.
2. Type msinfo32.exe, and then press ENTER.
3. In System Information, review the value for System Type.
   • For 32-bit editions of Windows, the System Type value is x86-based PC.
   • For 64-bit editions of Windows, the System Type value is x64-based PC.

For more information about how to determine whether you are running a 32-bit or 64-bit edition of Windows, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 4

The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:


For an x86-based computer
Download the windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe package now. (http://download.windowsupdate.com/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/7.2.6001.788/windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe)

For an x64-based computer
Download the windowsupdateagent30-x64.exe package now. (http://download.windowsupdate.com/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/7.2.6001.788/windowsupdateagent30-x64.exe)

For an Itanium-based computer
Download the windowsupdateagent30-ia64.exe package now. (http://download.windowsupdate.com/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/7.2.6001.788/windowsupdateagent30-ia64.exe)

Release Date: Thursday, October 30, 2008

For more information about how to download Microsoft support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

Improvements and issues that are fixed by version 7.2.6001.788 of the Windows Update Agent

This update fixes the following issues that are not previously documented in a Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

• When you try to install 80 or more updates at the same time from the Windows Update Web page or from the Microsoft Update Web page, you may receive the error code 0x80070057.

File Information

The English (United States) version of this security update has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Notes

• Some files may not be updated until you restart the computer.
• The following .dll files may not be updated on computers that are running Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008:
  • Cdm.dll
  • Wuaucpl.cpl
  • Wuweb.dll
  • Wuauserv.dll
  • Wucltui.dll

Windows Update Agent for x86-based versions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 4

Windows Update Agent for x64-based versions of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 4

Windows Update Agent for Itanium-based versions of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000 Service Pack 4

Information for administrators of managed environments

For more information about how network administrators can obtain the latest Windows Update Agent, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Information for developers

For information about the Wuredist.cab files and the stand-alone installer, visit the following Microsoft Web site.

Historical Information

Issues that are fixed by version 7.2.6001.784 of the Windows Update Agent

Version 7.2.6001.784 of the Windows Update Agent fixes the following issues that are not previously documented in a Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

• Improves scan times for Windows Update
• Improves the speed at which signature updates are delivered
• Enables support for Windows Installer reinstallation functionality
• Improves error messaging

Issues that are fixed by version 7.6000.381 of the Windows Update Agent

Version 7.6000.381 of the Windows Update Agent fixes the following issues that are not previously documented in a Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

• The Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) crashes on a Windows Vista-based computer. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  940520   (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940520/ ) An update is available to fix a Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) crash on a Windows Vista-based computer
• A fix is included that reduces the number of restarts that are required for the stand-alone installer when Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI) files are being used.
• User interface elements in the Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese languages are fixed.
• The Windows Vista installation experience is improved.