INTRODUCTION
This article contains several methods that you can try if you receive the "0x800A138F" error message when you try to install updates from the Windows Update site. The article also contains advanced troubleshooting methods for the more experienced computer user.This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user.You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.
Symptoms
After you scan for updates on the Windows Update Web site, you may receive the following error message:
There are no updates available at this time There are no updates available for your computer. Please check back later.
Additionally, the menu on the left side of the page is shaded, and the Pick Updates to install link is unavailable.You may also be prompted to file an error report that resembles the following error report:
Software Update IncompleteThe Windows Update software did not update successfully. Send error number to Microsoft (0x800A138F)
Finally, the Windows Update.log file may contain a message that resembles the following message:
Error IUENGINE Querying software update catalog from https://v4.update.microsoft.com/getmanifest.asp (Error 0x80072F05)
Cause
This behavior may occur for several reasons. You may experience this problem if one or more of the following conditions are true:
-
Internet Explorer settings may be incorrect.
-
Some third-party applications such as firewalls, Web accelerators, and antivirus programs, are adversely affecting the capability of your computer to connect to the Windows Update Web site.
-
Damaged or incompatible Internet Explorer settings may prevent you from accessing Windows Update.
Steps to resolve the problem
Because this problem can occur for several different reasons, you may have to work through more than one method to resolve the problem. However, we start with the simplest method, and we provide step-by-step instructions to guide you. If you cannot resolve the problem, or you feel that you are too inexperienced to try the advanced methods, we will tell you how to contact Microsoft for more support.Before we get started, you must know which version of Internet Explorer that your computer is running. If you already know which version of Internet Explorer is running, you can go to method 1. Otherwise, follow these steps:
-
Start Internet Explorer.
-
On the Help menu, click About Internet Explorer. The product and version information are displayed in the About Internet Explorer dialog box that appears.
Now that you know which browser version that your computer is running, you are ready to try method 1.
Method 1: Reset Internet Explorer settings
If the problem is caused by damaged or incompatible Internet Explorer settings or add-ons, you can usually resolve the problem by resetting Internet Explorer settings. When you reset Internet Explorer settings, all add-ons and customizations are deleted, and you basically start with a fresh version of Internet Explorer. Resetting Internet Explorer settings restores the default settings of the following features:
-
Home pages
-
Search providers, tabbed browsing settings
-
Browsing history
-
Form data
-
Passwords
-
Colors, languages, fonts, and accessibility settings
-
Toolbars
-
ActiveX controls
Note By resetting Internet Explorer settings, you return Internet Explorer to the state it was in when it was first installed on your computer. Resetting removes any information that is stored in the settings that are listed in this section.To have us reset Internet Explorer settings for you, go to the "Reset Internet Explorer for me" section. To reset Internet Explorer settings yourself, go to the "Let me reset Internet Explorer myself" section.
Reset Internet Explorer for me
To reset Internet Explorer settings automatically, click the Reset Internet Explorer button or link. Click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.
Note This wizard may be in English only; however, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.Note If you are not on the computer that has the problem, you can save the automatic fix to a flash drive or to a CD, and then you can run it on the computer that has the problem. Next, go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.
Let me reset Internet Explorer myself
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
