Windows was unable to get a list of devices from Windows Update. Try again later

Original title:Windows 7 Printer List cannot be updated
I installed a 32 bit windows 7 OS several weeks ago on my Futitsu-Siemens Work Station and followed the instructions on the HP wizard to try and install the HP Deskjet 990c driver to drive my HP 6122 printer. According to the HP Wizard, the only way to do so is to update the printer list by clicking the "Windows Update" button on the "Add a Printer" dialog window. I have clicked this button several dozen times in the last few weeks and every time I get the message "Windows was unable to get a list of devices from Windows Update. Try again later".

I installed a 32 bit windows 7 OS several months ago on my HP laptop and the printer list updated without a hitch to include many more HP printers than are shown on the Futitsu-Siemens Work Station including the HP 990c.

What should I do?

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Answer

Gearsawe

Here is what I have found my system which is a HP Z210 running windows7 64. I just updated my Bios to v1.35

What I did to get the update to work once and what I have to do every time to add another printer using Window Update.

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del)

2. Click Sevices Tab and then Services Button (Bottom Right)

3. Under Name find "Windows Update"

4. Right click "Windows Update" and select Stop. do not close

5. Open Window Exploper and browse to C:\Windows

6. Delete the Folder "SoftwareDistribution"

7. Go back to Servies, Right click "Windows Update" and select Start

Now the "Windows Update" button should work. For me I have to do this every time I install a printer which requires me to use windows update

Still looking for what casues the error

at the very bottom of a file named WindowUpdate.log located in C:\Windows after I get the message "Windows was unabel to..." I have this text below.

2012-04-30 14:20:18:782 284 5cc Agent *************
2012-04-30 14:20:18:782 284 5cc Agent ** START ** Agent: Finding updates [CallerId = CDM]
2012-04-30 14:20:18:782 284 5cc Agent *********
2012-04-30 14:20:18:782 284 5cc Agent   * Online = Yes; Ignore download priority = No
2012-04-30 14:20:18:782 284 5cc Agent   * Criteria = "Type = 'Driver' and DeploymentAction = 'Installation' and DriverClass = 'Printer' and DriverMatch = 'Catalog'"
2012-04-30 14:20:18:782 284 5cc Agent   * ServiceID = {9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77} Windows Update
2012-04-30 14:20:18:782 284 5cc Agent   * Search Scope = {Machine}
2012-04-30 14:20:19:952 284 5cc Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\muv4wuredir.cab:
2012-04-30 14:20:19:952 284 5cc Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2012-04-30 14:20:20:030 284 5cc Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\muv4wuredir.cab:
2012-04-30 14:20:20:030 284 5cc Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2012-04-30 14:20:20:030 284 5cc PT +++++++++++ PT: Synchronizing server updates +++++++++++
2012-04-30 14:20:20:030 284 5cc PT   + ServiceId = {9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77}, Server URL = https://www.update.microsoft.com/v6/ClientWebService/client.asmx
2012-04-30 14:20:22:183 284 5cc Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\muv4wuredir.cab:
2012-04-30 14:20:22:183 284 5cc Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2012-04-30 14:20:22:214 284 5cc Misc Validating signature for C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\WuRedir\9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77\muv4wuredir.cab:
2012-04-30 14:20:22:214 284 5cc Misc Microsoft signed: Yes
2012-04-30 14:20:22:214 284 5cc PT +++++++++++ PT: Synchronizing applicable printers +++++++++++
2012-04-30 14:20:22:214 284 5cc PT   + ServiceId = {9482F4B4-E343-43B6-B170-9A65BC822C77}, Server URL = https://www.update.microsoft.com/v6/ClientWebService/client.asmx
2012-04-30 14:20:23:072 284 5cc PT WARNING: SyncPrinterCatalog failure, error = 0x8024400D, soap client error = 7, soap error code = 300, HTTP status code = 200
2012-04-30 14:20:23:072 284 5cc PT WARNING: SOAP Fault: 0x00012c
2012-04-30 14:20:23:072 284 5cc PT WARNING:     faultstring:Fault occurred
2012-04-30 14:20:23:072 284 5cc PT WARNING:     ErrorCode:InvalidParameters(7)
2012-04-30 14:20:23:072 284 5cc PT WARNING:     Message:printerUpdateIDs
2012-04-30 14:20:23:072 284 5cc PT WARNING:     Method:"http://www.microsoft.com/SoftwareDistribution/Server/ClientWebService/SyncPrinterCatalog"
2012-04-30 14:20:23:072 284 5cc PT WARNING:     ID:fd5a6897-e20b-4a8f-a118-c9c791da6851
2012-04-30 14:20:23:072 284 5cc PT WARNING: PTError: 0x8024400d
2012-04-30 14:20:23:072 284 5cc PT WARNING: PTError: 0x8024400d
2012-04-30 14:20:23:150 284 72c AU Can not perform non-interactive scan if AU is interactive-only
2012-04-30 14:20:23:150 284 5cc Agent   * Found 0 updates and 17 categories in search; evaluated appl. rules of 193 out of 660 deployed entities
2012-04-30 14:20:23:150 284 5cc Agent *********
2012-04-30 14:20:23:150 284 5cc Agent ** END ** Agent: Finding updates [CallerId = CDM]
2012-04-30 14:20:23:150 284 5cc Agent *************
2012-04-30 14:20:28:162 284 5cc Report REPORT EVENT: {C7177063-6BAB-4A17-AC0B-74B0D47355FA} 2012-04-30 14:20:23:150-0700 1 147 101 {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} 0 0 CDM Success Software Synchronization Windows Update Client successfully detected 0 updates.
2012-04-30 14:20:28:162 284 5cc Report CWERReporter finishing event handling. (00000000)