SCCM Feature Update failures when UpdateServiceUrlAlternate points to localhost:8005 – is bypassing delta downloads a supported approach?

Question

SCCM Feature Update failures when UpdateServiceUrlAlternate points to localhost:8005 – is bypassing delta downloads a supported approach?

P, Thomas Mathew 5

We are deploying Windows Feature Updates (23H2 → 24H2 / 25H2) using Microsoft Configuration Manager (SCCM).

On affected devices, the following registry configuration is present:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
  WUServer                 = https://<SUP>:8531
  WUStatusServer           = https://<SUP>:8531
  UpdateServiceUrlAlternate = http://localhost:8005

The SCCM client configures this alternate service URL when delta/express downloads are enabled. Windows Update then attempts to download update content through a local listener on port 8005.

On several devices, port 8005 is not listening (netstat -ano | findstr 8005 returns no output), and Feature Updates fail with errors such as 0x80240440. The same deployment works on other devices where port 8005 is active.

Feature Update documentation does not explicitly mention delta or express downloads, and delta appears to be a delivery optimization rather than a Feature Update requirement.

Questions:

Is it expected and supported behavior that Feature Updates can fail if the local delta download endpoint (localhost:8005) is unavailable?

Is disabling delta/express downloads for Feature Updates and redeploying full content a supported and recommended mitigation in SCCM?

Is there any Microsoft-recommended method to monitor or remediate SCCM clients where the localhost delta endpoint fails to start?

We want to confirm the supported remediation path before implementing a wider change.

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Hi Thomas,

Yes, disabling Express/Delta downloads and redistributing the full Feature Update package is a supported and commonly used remediation, particularly if you're encountering inconsistent client-side behavior.

UpdateServiceUrlAlternate = http://localhost:8005 is configured by the Configuration Manager client when Express Installation Files are enabled. The localhost:8005 listener is provided by the CCM client to proxy update content. If that listener isn't running or isn't reachable, Windows Update may fail to retrieve content, which can result in errors such as 0x80240440 during Feature Update installation.

Before disabling Express downloads across the environment, I'd recommend verifying why the local listener isn't starting on the affected clients. Useful areas to investigate include:

CCMExec service health and client version consistency

LocationServices.log, UpdatesDeployment.log, UpdatesHandler.log, WUAHandler.log, and DeltaDownload.log (if present)

Windows Update Agent configuration and policy application

Local firewall or endpoint security software blocking port 8005

Client repair (ccmrepair) or reinstall if the issue is isolated to specific devices

If the failures are widespread and Express content isn't providing significant WAN savings, disabling Express Installation Files for Feature Updates and using full content is a perfectly valid operational choice. Many organizations adopt this approach because it simplifies troubleshooting and often improves deployment reliability, at the expense of increased download size.

It would still be useful to hear from Microsoft whether the absence of the localhost:8005 endpoint is expected to cause Feature Update failures or whether the client should automatically fall back to full-content downloads in this scenario. That clarification would help determine whether this behavior is by design or indicative of a client issue.

Answer 2

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