Microsoft Releases Fix For Automatic Updates
While the article below highlights complaints posted to the WSUS product team blog if you read in the newsgroups it seems that this has fixed a number of peoples problems. They essentially lowered the priority that the process runs under so while the CPU will still show 100% used you can still work as it will hand back CPU cycles as other processes or threads request them. There is a trade off here, you can scale back the scan to only use < a certain percent of the total CPU available and extend the entire scan time or let it use the CPU's idle resources and complete in the quickest fashion. Of course some people will complain just because, and others will complain because when they open Task Manager they will 100% utilization during the scan process, but who ever said that a CPU can't be used at full capacity? Some people with older systems may be really hit hard by this and the update is only intended for XP SP2 and above, so if you have an older OS it won't really matter because they are not releasing patches for your OS.
Honestly, I don't know why anyone would still be installing patches during the day to begin with! If you use a WSUS server (good luck!), schedule the updates for off hours, if you use SMS, wake up your computers at 2 AM, install the patches, and shut them back down, and then it won't matter that it uses 100% of the CPU and the user can't check their email because they will be at last call.
My favorite comment is the last one where the admin claims that they are going to migrate to Linux and Open Office, I would advise doing to research into this, if you think you have unhappy users now because they can't use their computers for 10 minutes a month, just wait and make sure you do an RIO study on migration to Linux and don't forget the cost of user training and additional staff for support.
Microsoft's fix for Automatic Updates lockup not working
Users are still complaining about the problem
Gregg Keizer
May 11, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Windows XP systems are still locking up during patch update attempts -- even after users deployed the fix suggested by Microsoft Corp. Symptoms of the long-running problem -- which the Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) team dubbed the "svchost/msi issue" -- include 100% CPU usage by svchost.exe and its multiple processes during Automatic Updates scanning, update downloads and sometimes even if AU is simply enabled on a machine.
"Of course, the computer is virtually unusable" when that happens, said a user identified as Foxy-Perth on the Windows Update support forum.
Every month at patch time, Microsoft's support boards fill with complaints from users. It was no different this week. "I have 6 (and counting) computers having issues with SVCHOST process running at near 100% CPU utilization," said TKovacs on Wednesday, one day after Microsoft unveiled seven security updates. "Disabling Automatic Updates resolves the issue. [What] did Microsoft just release?"
A hotfix, updated just yesterday, is available on the Microsoft support site. The patch will be pushed out via Microsoft's usual update services, including Windows Update and Microsoft Update, late this month or in early June, said a developer on the WSUS blog. However, the fix can be downloaded and installed manually on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 systems.
Users will also need to download and install the new stand-alone WSUS 3.0 client -- even those who don't rely on the enterprise-centric WSUS for updates -- to completely patch the problem. "It's important to keep in mind that the new WSUS client is only a partial solution and clients must have both KB927891 and the new 3.0 client installed for a full solution," the WSUS team blog read.
The new client and the WSUS update to Version 3.0 will be available to WSUS on May 22. Like the hotfix, the client can also be downloaded manually and installed now. Instructions and a link to the download have been posted to the MSDN (Microsoft Developers Network) site.
Yesterday and today, however, users poured out their frustration on the WSUS blog after installing the hotfix and updating the WSUS client. "I installed both WindowsXP-KB927891-v3-x86 and WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86 on Windows XP SP2 boxes configured to get updates from a WSUS 2.0 server. The problem still exists," said Summit Tuladhar in a comment to the blog.
"Doesn't appear that the fixes address the issue I experience on multiple machines," said ltpolaris.
"This is clearly a very serious worldwide issue," said Alan O'Riordan. "I will advise the disabling of the Automatic Updates until a clear resolution is found."
"I doubt you'd call what you've cobbed [sic] together a 'fix.' Thanks for nothing," said another user simply labeled jaded_admin. "We are seriously considering a pilot with SLED [SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop] or Ubuntu and OpenOffice now. Your poor workmanship is driving your customers right into the arms of the open-source community."
Source: Microsoft's fix for Automatic Updates lockup not working
Regards,
Anthony
Anthony Clendenen | System Engineer | 1E Inc.
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Tags: WSUS WUA Microsoft Update Windows Update SMS Linux
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