My Task Sequence is failing with the following error message:

"Task Sequence: <name> has failed with the error code (0x800705B4).
For more information, please contact your system administrator or helpdesk operator."

Contributed By: Cliff Hobbs [MVP ConfigMgr]
In this case the error was displayed during the "Install Software Updates" task.

Looking in the smsts.log showed the following lines:

Successfully initiated RefreshUpdates operation InstallSWUpdate 18/08/2011 11:11:12

Waiting for RefreshUpdates complete notification from Updates Deployment Agent

FALSE, HRESULT=800705b4 (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\client\osdeployment\installswupdate\installswupdate.cpp,1351)

Timedout waiting for updates refresh complete notification InstallSWUpdate 18/08/2011 11:41:12

WaitForRefreshUpdatesComplete(spInstall), HRESULT=800705b4 (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\client\osdeployment\installswupdate\installswupdate.cpp,1410)

RefreshUpdates(), HRESULT=800705b4 (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\client\osdeployment\installswupdate\installswupdate.cpp,998)

InstallUpdates(pInstallUpdate, tType, sJobID, ulCookie), HRESULT=800705b4 (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\client\osdeployment\installswupdate\main.cpp,279)

Setting TSEnv variable SMSTSInstallUpdateJobGUID=

Process(pInstallUpdate, tType), HRESULT=800705b4 (e:\nts_sms_fre\sms\client\osdeployment\installswupdate\main.cpp,349)

Process completed with exit code 2147943860

!-------------------------------------------!

Failed to run the action: Install Software Updates. This operation returned because the timeout period expired. (Error: 800705B4; Source: Windows)

Note that the time between the first entry and fourth (Timedout...) is EXACTLY 30 minutes.

Now apparently in ConfigMgr 2007, a Task Sequence is hard coded to fail 30 minutes after the software update installation process begins which isn't a lot of use if you have a large number of updates to install.

To get around this you need to:

1. Right-click the relevant Task Sequence and select "Edit" from the context menu.

2. Click the "Install Software Updates" task.

3. Click the "Options" tab.

4. Select the "Continue on error" checkbox.

5. If you don't already have a "Restart Computer" task after the "Install Software Updates" task now would be a good time to add one (if you do select the "The currently installed default operating system" option under the "Specify what to run after restart:" section on the "Properties" tab. Also make sure the "Notify the user before restarting" checkbox is unchecked).

6. Now add another "Install Software Updates" task (Click "Add | General | Install Software Updates"), straight after the "Restart Computer" task that falls after the first "Install Software Updates" task. If the Task Sequence fails then it should restart at the point it failed by adding this second occurrence of the "Install Software Updates" task.

7. Add a second "Restart Computer" task after the second "Install Software Updates" task. So you should now see:

Install Software Updates
Restart Computer
Install Software Updates
Restart Computer

TIP: You might want to think about creating a New Group in your TS and move these four tasks to it just to keep things tidy.

You MAY need to add a third instance of the "Install Software Updates" and "Restart Computer" tasks if two isn't enough and your TS still fails.

More information is available in KB article 2009754 "ConfigMgr 2007: The Install Software Update task in an Configuration Manager 2007 OSD Task Sequence fails after exactly 30 minutes"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2009754