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
    2011-05-18T18:10:17+00:00

    Despite the incorrect title of this thread, please note that wuadt.exe is NOT the updating client Process, which is named wuaclt.exe . One has to look closely in order not to confuse the two.

    wuadt.exe is an indication that malware is present on the system -What is "wuauclt.exe" and "wuaudt.exe"?

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-05-18T19:00:35+00:00

    If you really want to know.............it is this," I have a Dell Dimension 5100C, Windows XP Pro SP3, 512 MB RAM, Pentium 4 3.00 Ghz processor."!!!!!

    Please, double-check the amount of RAM your computer is using.

    Then, ask yourself the question that you are asking of everyone else, again.

    XP is barely able to FUNCTION, let alone START up..........with ONLY 512 Mbs of RAM!!!

    The simple fact that you are cutting off a lot of essential Services that the OS does require to RUN efficiently,smoothly............is PROOF of this.

    ADD more RAM, and, you definitely WILL notice a VAST difference. (In short, MAX out the RAM Dept.! To 4 Gig, IF you can!)

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-05-20T15:42:48+00:00

    Hi tedley318

    I reported a similar issue some 3 or 4 weeks ago to MS support & got various helpful responses.  However, none of them mentioned/suggested the self same issue you've reported.   I tried checking Task Manager previously on start-up to see what processes were running, but was unable to view it because 'whateveritis' is hogging the memory and won't allow me to open anything, not even Task Mgr.  However, in the last few days on being persistent I was able to see that wuaudt.exe is there, busyily zapping the memory of my 32 bit system for up to 20 minutes before I can open anything on my desktop.  I usually walk away and brew up, until it's done whatever it needs to do. 

    As you have experienced this very issue, what would you suggest is the best action to take?  bearing in mind the suggestions/recommendations you received were to remove the MS Automatic Updates option and set yourself to manually update. Did this work in practice?

    O B Joyful

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