Microsoft has released an unscheduled, non-patch day update for Windows to update the Windows Update function itself. However, according to reports from readers, the Windows Update Agent update does not always run smoothly; The H’s associates at heise Security also ran into problems on their test systems.
A staggered dissemination of the update has been taking place over the past three to four days. Users who run Windows Update are confronted with a message which says that an update for Windows Update needs to be installed before the system can check for other updates.
On some computers, clicking the “Install Updates” button results in a failed installation with error code 80070057 or 8007041B. On heise Security’s test Windows 7 computer, repeatedly attempting the update (click on “Check for updates” on the left) did eventually result in the update being successfully applied. Microsoft has provided a “Fix it” tool for more stubborn cases in Knowledge Base Article 949104.
The update in question upgrades the Windows Update Agent from version 7.4.7600.226 to 7.6.7600.256; it is not, as some readers have feared, a virus. After upgrading, the Windows Update Agent is automatically restarted; users do not need to reboot Windows.