wuaudt.exe is really bogging down my computer

Anonymous
2010-08-03T18:57:06+00:00

Recently, when I first start my computer for the day, wuaudt.exe runs and really bogs down my computer.  In Task Manager it shows it is using a lot of memory along with one of the many svchost.exe's that are running.  I had my computer set up to notify me when updates are available.  I have investigated this problem and found about the only thing to do is disable automatic updates altogether.  I have turned off Automatic Updates, unchecked Automatic Updates under the Services tab in msconfig and in services.msc I have set Automatic Updates to manual.  This seems to keep wuaudt.exe from running.  I read in one place that Microsoft issues updates on the first and third Tuesday's of each month so I plan on doing manual updates at those times.  Does anyone know why wuaudt.exe is suddenly such a memory hog? It only seems to be a problem the first time I time turn my computer on (I turn it off when not in use to save electricity).  If I shut it off and restart it later in the day, there is not a performance problem.  I have a Dell Dimension 5100C, Windows XP Pro SP3, 512 MB RAM, Pentium 4 3.00 Ghz processor. 

 I would like to be able to be notified of critical updates when they are issued but I don't want wuaudt.exe running every day if it is going to  bog me down.  Any ideas?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2010-08-22T19:22:13+00:00

Thanks for the info!  I've opted out of Microsoft Updates as you and PA Bear have suggested.  Keeping my fingers crossed that everything works normally tomorrow!

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Anonymous
2010-08-20T19:29:09+00:00

Update: Due primarily to exchanges with several MS MVPS on the behalf of users like you, Microsoft is aware of and has acknowledged the issue:

"We have gotten reports from multiple sources and consider this to be a live service issue and we are investigating it as a Priority 1."

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear) ~ MS MVP (IE, Mail, Security, Windows & Update Services) since 2002 ~ Disclaimer: MS MVPs neither represent nor work for Microsoft

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-08-12T15:50:50+00:00

    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

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-08-12T17:03:30+00:00

    Thanks for the information. I renamed the DataStore folder which seems to have resolved this issue.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-08-13T18:48:06+00:00

    After the system has been configured to Clean boot, go here - How do I reset Windows Update components?

    Download and save the Fixit. Do not run it while the browser is open, please.

    When the download completes close all open programs and browsers.

    Now run MicrosoftFixit50202.msi and restart the system when it's finished it's operations. Reboot.

    Does the process issue still exist while in the Clean boot state? If not, then undo the Clean boot configuration steps, restart.

    Does the process issue still exist in normal Windows mode ?

    MowGreen Update Services - Consumer Security

    I've followed these instructions, but I still have the same problem with wuauclt.exe and svchost.exe (the one hosting the Automatic Updates service), as described by others in this thread. And it is the case both in clean boot and normal boot states. I've also tried deleting deleting C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore and C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution, but to no avail. My WindowsUpdate.log file is similar to http://pastebin.com/embed\_iframe.php?i=72Nr9eWk (linked in another thread on this issue), with those abnormal time gaps after the lines marked on that file as 65, 71, and 138. Though in my case those processes run somewhat shorter, 20-30 min, svchost being more active and at moments bringing CPU usage to 100%. They run once a day, starting at 10 am, or at startup if I turn on my laptop after 10 am.

    I run Windows XP Pro SP3. My AV program is Avira AntiVir 10. If Avira is updated at the same time when those processes run, the update fails.

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