Multiple Windows users in the United States and the UK were unable to download Windows Update updates. But instead of the problem at the end of Microsoft, the culprit seems to be different Domain Name System (DNS) settings for ISPs.
Users have also reported that the same DNS problem prevents app updates from the Windows Store and breaks the security feature of Microsoft, SmartScreen.
As noted by Softpedia, Windows users identified Comcast ‘s DNS settings as the source of the problem and, strangely, found that switching the computer’s network settings to Google’s Public DNS allowed Windows to resume updating.
A user at the Comcast Xfinity Community Forum said that they were able to update Windows 10 after changing the IPV4 and IPV6 DNS IPV4 devices from Comcast’s default DNS to Google Public DNS.
Users reported that Google Public DNS fixes Windows Store apps enabled to update and restore Windows Defender Smartscreen. People in a separate Xfinity post about the same problem reported that Comcast seemed to fix the problem on Thursday afternoon, although the company did not announce that the DNS problem had been resolved.
This problem was not isolated for Comcast for unknown reasons, with dozens of Windows 10 users in the UK reporting the same Windows 10 update problems on BT Broadband.
A moderator of the BT Forum, Neil, acknowledged the complaints on Thursday evening in the UK and stated that the ISP network team was informed of the matter. The company still has a resolution to report. On Friday morning, affected BT clients still had the same Windows update problems.
As noted by Softpedia ‘s workaround write-up, switching to the public DNS server of Google should be considered a temporary fix until it is resolved by the ISP, and it would therefore be wise to back up the original IP address when that fix arrives.
Windows 10 users can modify the default DNS settings by selecting Network & Internet > Ethernet > Adapter settings. This displays a field where the user can manually type IP addresses on Google’s public DNS server.
