listing IDs of missing updates takes 50 minutes!

[martinfg2]

I have used wsusoffline for a couple years now, but I am now seeing significantly longer scan times for "Listing IDs of missing updates..." than in the past. On WindowsXP Pro domain-joined systems, IE6, ANtivirus disabled, Dell Optiplex 390 (Core 2 Duo 2Ghz), with no change in installed software, I am seeing consistent scan times of 50 minutes to list the IDs of missing updates. Installation of the 36 or so that were missing took only 20 minutes. During this time, the CPU is pegged at 50% (full loading of one of the two cores). The only process using CPU is svchost.exe (ie antivirus is not the issue). Any ideas as to why this is taking so much longer? I confirmed that the version of windows update agent was 7.4.7600.226.

Even on a Core i5 Optiplex 990, the 4-core CPU pegs at 25%, and takes just about as long. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to post the logfiles from these systems, but I can look up information if there are suggestions of things to check in the wsusoffline.log and windowsupdate.log.

Do I need to downgrade the windows update agent? Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I'm interested to know if mine is an isolated case, or if everyone with WinXP is seeing similarly long scan times.

Martin

[aker]

It should be the same problem as here:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3894

There is a problem with Windows XP computers and the file wsusscn2.cab.
Some users reported, that IE 8-installation would make the progress faster.

This behaviour could not be fixed, because it no bug, which can be fixed.
You need to wait for a new version of wsusscn2.cab.

[Denniss]

Probably the Microsoft way to tell users to get rid of XP and buy the shiny new (but unusable) Win8 (AKA Vista failure rev 2).
Let's hope they fix it on the next patchday.

[martinfg2]

Thanks for the replies...I do plan to have those systems upgraded from WinXP prior to April...

[nbensa]

I can tell you that installing ie8-windowsxp-kb2888505-x86-esn (I'm running the spanish version of XP) makes the process of listing ids almost instant.

Maybe you'll like to take a shot at it and share your experience.

Regards,
Norberto

[Denniss]

That KB should be the cumulative update for the Internet Exploder, the similar update for the IE 6 and 7 may resolve this issue as well.

[David]

Thanks, this was very helpful.
Is there a reason, why this update is not installed automatically? It seems that it was downloaded by wsusoffline in October but not installed.

[harry]

KB2888505 is from 2013-11-12; and it is automatically installed if you wait long enough:

Code: Select all

12.11.2013 21:13:47,01 - Info: Starting WSUS Offline Update (v. 8.8b (r529))
12.11.2013 21:13:47,01 - Info: Used path "D:\wsusoffline\client\cmd\" on ZZZ (user: YYY)
12.11.2013 21:13:47,01 - Info: Option /updatercerts detected
12.11.2013 21:13:47,07 - Info: Option /updatecpp detected
12.11.2013 21:13:47,12 - Info: Option /updatewmp detected
12.11.2013 21:13:47,17 - Info: Option /updatetsc detected
12.11.2013 21:13:47,21 - Info: Option /verify detected
12.11.2013 21:13:53,56 - Info: Found Microsoft Windows version 5.1.2600 (wxp x86 deu sp3)
12.11.2013 21:13:53,56 - Info: Found Windows Update Agent version 7.6.7600.256
12.11.2013 21:13:53,57 - Info: Found Windows Installer version 4.5.6001.22159
12.11.2013 21:13:53,57 - Info: Found Windows Script Host version 5.8.6001.23141
12.11.2013 21:13:53,57 - Info: Found Internet Explorer version 8.0.6001.18702
12.11.2013 21:13:53,57 - Info: Found Trusted Root Certificates' version 40.0.2195.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,57 - Info: Found Revoked Root Certificates' version 3.0.2195.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,57 - Info: Found Microsoft Data Access Components version 2.81.1132.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,57 - Info: Found Microsoft DirectX core version 9.0c (4.09.00.0904)
12.11.2013 21:13:53,59 - Info: Found Microsoft Silverlight version 0.0.0.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,59 - Info: Found Windows Media Player version 11.0.5721.5280
12.11.2013 21:13:53,59 - Info: Found Remote Desktop Client version 6.1.7600.16722
12.11.2013 21:13:53,59 - Info: Found Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 version 3.5.30729.01
12.11.2013 21:13:53,59 - Info: Found Windows PowerShell version 0.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,59 - Info: Found Microsoft .NET Framework 4 version 0.0.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,60 - Info: Found Windows Management Framework version 0.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,60 - Info: Found Microsoft Security Essentials version 0.0.0.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,60 - Info: Found Microsoft Security Essentials definitions version 0.0.0.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,60 - Info: Found Network Inspection System definitions version 0.0.0.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,60 - Info: Found Windows Defender definitions version 0.0.0.0
12.11.2013 21:13:53,62 - Info: Medium build date: 12.11.2013
12.11.2013 21:13:53,73 - Info: Medium supports Microsoft Windows (wxp x86 deu)
12.11.2013 21:13:56,50 - Info: Detected state of service 'Windows Update': Running (start mode: Auto)
12.11.2013 21:51:14,67 - Info: Skipped update kb890830 (Malicious Software Removal Tool) due to matching black list entry
12.11.2013 21:53:54,01 - Info: Installed ..\wxp\deu\windowsxp-kb2862152-x86-deu_ec84928c2543f65d5efb65fecf26c714aa85cf4f.exe
12.11.2013 21:55:12,43 - Info: Installed ..\wxp\deu\windowsxp-kb2868626-x86-deu_6574daf82ea780a306b560f9d7fb65ffccc42710.exe
12.11.2013 21:56:30,10 - Info: Installed ..\wxp\deu\windowsxp-kb2876331-x86-deu_3b9b168f17fb512761f2ec902695f8b44309da59.exe
12.11.2013 21:57:54,82 - Info: Installed ..\wxp\deu\windowsxp-kb2900986-x86-deu_9429ffa1be5ad2b9d6008779065316de523967ad.exe
12.11.2013 22:00:10,06 - Info: Installed ..\wxp\deu\ie8-windowsxp-kb2888505-x86-deu_cdf11832507bf99d450e5ff3044bec7993dcbd3a.exe
12.11.2013 22:00:10,54 - Info: Installed 5 updates
12.11.2013 22:00:10,67 - Info: Installation successful
12.11.2013 22:00:10,90 - Info: Ending WSUS Offline Update


After KB2888505 is installed the search for missing updates is very faster:

Code: Select all

...
14.11.2013 10:45:56,89 - Info: Detected state of service 'Windows Update': Running (start mode: Auto)
14.11.2013 10:53:15,35 - Info: No missing update found
14.11.2013 10:53:15,42 - Info: Ending WSUS Offline Update


[David]

Oh I'm sorry, I only looked at the filetime. I came across here while looking at another thread and remembered the long wait at the last time. So I installed the update before running updateinstaller. Thank you.

[Denniss]

Maybe it would be an option to check for vanilla versions of IE 6/7/8 (by build number) and, if detected, install a statically defined cumulative update package first.
I assume this isn't a problem for W2k3 with vanilla IE6 and Vista with vanilla IE7, both with latest SP ?