Simple update doesn't work

In some cases Remote Utilities may not be able to download update information over HTTPS. This usually happens on older or not fully updated Windows systems where the list of trusted root certificates is outdated.

Symptoms

The problem appears when the program tries to download the file:

https://update.remoteutilities.net/upgrade.ini

In the Remote Utilities log you may see messages similar to:

Error sending data: (12007) The server name or address could not be resolved. (ENetHTTPClientException).
Unable to download config URL: https://update.remoteutilities.net/upgrade.ini

The update check then fails and the program cannot retrieve information about new versions.

Cause

Remote Utilities uses HTTPS to securely connect to the update server. The security of this connection relies on the trusted root certificates stored in Windows.

A root certificate is a trusted "top-level" certificate that confirms that a website’s security certificate is issued by a recognized certificate authority (CA). Windows maintains a built-in list of such trusted root CAs.

If this list is outdated, incomplete or corrupted, Windows cannot verify the certificate for update.remoteutilities.net. As a result, the HTTPS connection is rejected before any data is transferred and the update download fails.

This is an issue with the Windows certificate store on the affected computer, not with the Remote Utilities update server.

Who is affected

This problem is most likely to occur on:

• Older Windows systems (for example, Windows 7) that have not been updated for a long time
• Fresh installations where Windows Update has not yet installed all root certificates
• Machines where Windows Update is disabled or restricted by policy
• Offline or isolated systems that do not receive regular Microsoft updates

Solution

1. Install the latest Windows updates

On affected computers, make sure that Windows is fully updated:

1. Enable Windows Update (temporarily, if necessary).
2. Install all important and recommended updates.
3. Restart the computer and try checking for updates in Remote Utilities again.

For Windows 7, it is especially important to have the SHA-2 support and servicing stack updates installed (for example, Microsoft updates KB4474419 and KB4490628 or their superseding updates). These updates improve how Windows handles modern certificates.

2. In managed environments

If the computer is part of a domain and Windows Update is centrally controlled, ask your system administrator to:

• Ensure that current Microsoft Trusted Root Certificates are deployed via WSUS or Group Policy
• Verify that the certificate used by update.remoteutilities.net can be validated from that machine

3. Offline or isolated systems

For offline or isolated computers, it may be necessary to install updated root certificates manually using an official Microsoft package. Please refer to Microsoft documentation or contact your system administrator for the correct procedure for your Windows version.

Workaround: manual update

If you cannot update the root certificates on a specific machine, you can still update Remote Utilities manually:

1. Download the latest version of Remote Utilities from our website on a computer with normal Internet access.
2. Transfer the installer to the affected machine (for example, using a USB drive or a network share).
3. Run the installer and update Remote Utilities manually.

However, this is only a workaround. Whenever possible, we recommend fixing the root certificate issue so that HTTPS connections work normally.

Security note

Remote Utilities does not bypass HTTPS certificate validation and does not provide an option to disable it. Certificate checks are enforced by Windows and are important for your security. The correct solution is to update or repair the Windows root certificate store so that secure connections can be established successfully.