The Apple Software Update server could not be found.

If you running Apple Software Update version 2.2 and you are getting 

"The Apple Software Update server could not be found. Check your Internet settings and try again." pop-up error.




The following solution might resolve your error.

1. Navigate to Internet Options - Start ->Control Panel -> Internet Options or search for "Internet Options". In IE choose Tools->Internet options.  This setting is not available in Edge browser. Original IE Internet options still acts as the global Windows internet settings, and was removed in Edge. 
   
   
   
2. Open the Advanced tab and scroll to Security section.
   Un-check "Do not save encrypted pages to disk"
   
   
   
   3. Click Apply then Okay, and it should resolve you problem.

Explanation of "Do not save encrypted pages to disk" 

Originally in IE 9, this option was an attempt to prevent files like .exe from being download from a secure and encrypted connect designated by HTTPS://......, for example

https://download.microsoft.com/download/B/4/7/B4707E08-AD5E-4A32-BFF0-F3ED6C9C0200/enu/Silverlight5_Tools.exe

In the case of Apple Software Update, it requests a file that needs to run over HTTPS and save IE's temporary folder. This setting will prevent the file from being download and running. 

There is some debate as too the function of this after IE10 and in IE11, but this setting did the job and in IE11.