HTTP 500's? Problems with Windows Update?

First published on TechNet on Oct 14, 2005
If you installed the latest security patches manually or via WSUS, this included MS05-051.  On systems where the default security on %windir%subscriptions has been modified, you may experience the following symptoms (from the KB article):

• The Windows Installer service may not start.
• The Windows Firewall Service may not start.
• The Network Connections folder is empty.
• The Windows Update Web site may incorrectly recommend that you change the Userdata persistence setting in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
• Active Server Pages (ASP) pages that are running on Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) return an “HTTP 500 – Internal Server Error” error message.
• The Microsoft COM+ EventSystem service will not start.
• COM+ applications will not start.
• The computers node in the Microsoft Component Services Microsoft Management Console (MMC) tree will not expand.
• Authenticated users cannot log on, and a blank screen appears after the users apply the October Security Updates.
  

The fix is to reset permissions per this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=909444
(Incidentally, we talk about this in today's podcast, which will be available some time this weekend).