The Ultimate Guide To Fixing Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)

UPDATE JAN 2022 : You may be interested in our 2018 How to Fix WSUS tips:

• Easy SQL Commands To Clean Up WSUS Database Quickly
• WSUS Reset Server Node
• WSUSPool in IIS Stops Repeatedly

If your Windows Server Update Services WSUS is having problems there are five easy things to do to correct it:

1. Restart the three WSUS related services:
   a) WSUS SERVICE
   b) WSUS CERTIFICATE SERVICE
   c)  WINDOWS INTERNAL DATABASE (unless your DB is SQL, in which case, restart your SQL database)
   .
2. Run a clean up job on the WSUS database using a PowerShell Script Microsoft has written.
   • This works on the Windows Internal Database (WID) – if you are using a SQL server instance, this will not work for you, but the items below will
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3. Run a clean up job of the WSUS data using a PowerShell command
   .
4. Expand the memory in the IIS > APPLICATION POOL > WSUS > RECYCLING to something greater than 1.8GB (1843200), then perform an IISRESET (or just restart the WWW service).  This has not helped me but I see from other blogs that it has helped some… so give it a shot!
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5. If you still have problems check the logs on your clients.  As of Windows 10, this is a real problem to do, you can read THIS post for full details but the crux of it is, open a powershell and enter the two commands below:
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   wuauclt /detectnow
   .
   Get-WindowsUpdateLog -LogPath C:\windowsupdate.log
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6. Try to move the WSUS content files to a new location if you think the file system is corrupted.
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7. Give up, uninstall then reinstall WSUS.  This is not as big a job as it seems in most environments.