wuaudt.exe is really bogging down my computer

From: Virus scanning recommendations for Enterprise computers that are running currently supported versions of Windows

For computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 Warning This workaround may make a computer or a network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.

Notes

• We are not aware of a risk of excluding the specific files or folders that are mentioned in this article from scans that are made by your antivirus software. However, your system may be safer if you do not exclude any files or folders from scans.
• When you scan these files, performance and operating system reliability problems may occur because of file locking.
• Do not exclude any one of these files based on the file name extension. For example, do not exclude all files that have a .dit extension. Microsoft has no control over other files that may use the same extensions as the files that are described in this article.
• This article provides both file names and folders that can be excluded. All the files and folders that are described in this article are protected by default permissions to allow only SYSTEM and administrator access, and they contain only operating system components. Excluding an entire folder maybe simpler but may not provide as much protection as excluding specific files based on file names.

Turn off scanning of Windows Update or Automatic Update related files

• Turn off scanning of the Windows Update or Automatic Update database file (Datastore.edb). This file is located in the following folder:

%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Datastore

Did you run the Fixit to Enable the Workaround on this page prior to installing KB2286198 -http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2286198 ?

If so, then run the Disable Workaround Fixit. If you did not run the Fixit to Enable the Workaround, then read on.

If your computer is running XP then the update history contained in DataStore.edb will no longer be available when visiting either the Windows or Microsoft Update sites.

If it's running Vista/Windows 7, the View update history page available from Windows Update in the Control Panel will show no updates have been installed.

The ReportingEvents.log, located at Windows\Software Distribution in XP/Vista/Windows 7, will still show all past updating activity.

MowGreen Update Services - Consumer Security

I'm experiencing exactly the same problem as the original poster (wuauclt.exe and one svchost.exe becoming memory hogs). What are the implications of trying xjahjah's solution and deleting the DataStore folder? Incidentally, I think this problem started after installing the emergency patch issued by MS at the beginning of August:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/02/emergency_microsoft_update/

Maybe I am too optimistic. However:

1)  12 hrs ago I renamed C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore

2)  Restarted my PC

3)  Now - 12 hrs later - still no problem! I am optimistic!

C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore has been recreated automatically and apparantly everything works fine. Cannot recall how I got the idea, but surely Google has something to do with it...

I'LL BE BACK! That is, if problems return....

Then there was either a corrupted database or transaction log(s) in the DataStore subfolder. The most likely cause for this corruption issue is Security software. To avoid the issue in the future and an explantion of the corruption cause, please see -

Virus scanning recommendations for computers that are running Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, or Windows XP

MowGreen Update Services - Consumer Security