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!
wuaudt.exe is really bogging down my computer
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Anonymous
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
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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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Anonymous
2010-09-05T19:45:17+00:00 @Compucanics: There is a myriad other reasons a user encounters the behavior being discussed in this thread; having Microsoft Update as the default update source is only one of them.
If switching the default update source from Microsoft Update to Windows Update doesn't resolve (or at least markedly lessen) the behavior, best to begin your own, new thread in an appropriate forum for further assistance.
If it's a WinXP computer, begin a new thread in this forum: http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/xpsecurity/threads
~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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Anonymous
2010-09-05T16:33:23+00:00 Hi,
I have also been inundated with calls in the last three weeks from non-responsive Windows XP users on 512MB in my capacity as Computer Technician, have memory upgraded numerous clients since, good for business, bad for answers as in when a client asks why all of a sudden. While reading this thread (after searching for answers for awhile) yet another client called with the same problem, I asked him to go to Microsoft Update and turn this off but....he is on Windows Update, now I do not know what settings all the others are on out of my head but I feel that this is not the only solution. However I will be checking the Microsoft Update status during the coming week while I upgrade more XP PC's. Any further headway towards a solution will be most welcome. Thanks for an interesting thread !
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Anonymous
2010-09-05T13:36:52+00:00 Cardotyn wrote: Can anyone advise me on this question, please: if I change from Microsoft Update to Windows Update, will Windows Defender still get updated?
Yes, with Windows Update as the default update source, Defender will continue to auto-update itself twice-a-week (typically on Monday/Tuesday and then on Thursday/Friday).
Other FAQs & caveats => http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistawu/thread/ef18ff87-db7f-4705-8105-33dcf9a9a03b/#44e80262-9a91-4ddb-9770-63810962cb8c
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear) ~ MS MVP (IE, Mail, Security, Windows & Update Services) since 2002 ~ Disclaimer: MS MVPs neither represent nor work for Microsoft