Share via

Windows Server Update Services cannot be configured

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard

Problem   Windows Server Update Services cannot be configured.

Features affected   This can result in the following issues:

  • Software updates are not applied to the server running Windows SBS 2011 Standard and its client computers.

  • The Updates section is grayed out within the Network Essentials Summary pane of the Windows SBS Console Home page, and its status is listed as Not Available.

  • The Updates tab of the Windows SBS Console does not list any updates. Additionally, it may display warning messages stating that the update information cannot be obtained.

  • The Updates section within the Windows SBS 2011 Standard Reports is grayed out and has no data.

Solution   You must manually configure Windows Server Updates Services as follows:

  1. Apply configuration settings for software updates that are specific to Windows SBS 2011 Standard.

  2. Apply Group Policy settings for software updates.

Note

Before manually configuring Windows Server Updates Services, do the following:

  1. Verify that the following services are running and restart those that are not running:

    • Update Services

    • Windows Internal Database (Microsoft ##SSEE)

    • World Wide Web Publishing Service

  2. Assess whether you have Internet connectivity. Run the Fix my Network Wizard, if necessary. For instructions, see Run the Fix My Network Wizard.

To apply configuration settings for software updates specific to Windows Small Business Server

  1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Microsoft Windows Server Updates Services.

  2. On the User Account Control page, click Continue.

  3. In Update Services, expand the name of the server that is running Windows SBS 2011 Standard, and then click Options.

  4. Click Products and Classification, and then on the Products tab, verify that all check boxes are selected.

  5. In the Products and Classification dialog, click the Classifications tab and then verify that the following checkboxes are selected:

    • Critical Updates

    • Definition Updates

    • Security Updates

    • Service Packs

    • Update Rollups

  6. Click OK.

  7. In Options, click Update Files and Languages and then verify that Store update files locally on this server and Download update files to this server only when updates are approved are selected..

  8. Click the Update Languages tab, verify that English is selected. You can also select any additional languages that you want to use for synchronizing software updates.

  9. Click OK.

  10. In Options, click Synchronization Schedule.

  11. In the Synchronization Schedule dialog, select the Synchronize automatically option, and then, in First synchronization change the time to 10:00 P.M..

  12. Set the Synchronizations per day option to 1, and then click OK.

  13. In Update Services, expand Computers, click All Computers, and then, in Actions, click Add Computer Group.

  14. In the Add Computer Group dialog, type Update Services Excluded Computers, and then click Add.

  15. In Actions, click Add Computer Group, type Update Services Client Computers, and then click Add.

  16. In Actions, click Add Computer Group, type Update Services Server Computers, and then click Add.

To configure the Group Policy settings for software updates

  1. Perform the following steps to create the necessary Group Policy objects.

    Note

    If any of the following Group Policy objects already exists, do not recreate it, but verify the settings.

    Create Group Policy objects

    1. On the server that is running Windows SBS 2011 Standard, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Group Policy Management.

    2. Expand Forest, expand Domains, and then expand the domain name of the server that is running Windows SBS 2011 Standard.

    3. Right-click Group Policy Objects, and then click New.

    4. Type Update Services Client Computers Policy, and then click OK.

    5. Right-click Group Policy Objects, and then click New.

    6. Type Update Services Common Settings Policy, and then click OK.

    7. Right-click Group Policy Objects, and then click New.

    8. Type Update Services Server Computers Policy, and then click OK.

  2. Verify the Group Policy settings for Update Services Client Computers, Update Services Common Settings, and Update Services Server Computers

    1. Click the Update Services Client Computers Policy Group Policy object, which you created, and then click the Settings tab.

    2. Right-click Computer Configuration, and then click Edit. The Group Policy Management Editor appears.

    3. Expand Computer Configuration, expand Policies, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then click Windows Update.

    4. Double-click Configure Automatic Updates, and then, in the Configure Automatic Updates Properties dialog, do the following:

      1. For Configure Automatic Updates, select Enabled.

      2. For Configure automatic updating, select 4 – Auto download and schedule the install.

      3. For Scheduled install day, select 0 – Every day.

      4. For Scheduled install time, select 03:00.

      5. Click OK.

    5. Close the Group Policy Management Editor.

    6. In the Group Policy Management Console, click the Update Services Common Settings Policy Group Policy object, which you created, and then click the Settings tab.

    7. Right-click Computer Configuration, and then click Edit. The Group Policy Management Editor appears.

    8. Expand Computer Configuration, expand Policies, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then click Windows Update.

    9. Double-click Configure Automatic Updates, verify that Configure automatic updating is set to 2 – Notify for download and notify for install, and then click OK.

    10. Double-click Automatic Updates detection frequency, and then do the following:

      1. Select Enabled.

      2. For Check for updates at the following interval (hours), select 10.

      3. Click OK.

    11. Double-click Allow non-administrators to receive update notifications, select Enabled, and then click OK.

    12. Double-click Allow Automatic Updates immediate installation, select Enabled, and then click OK.

    13. Double-click Delay Restart for scheduled installations, and then do the following:

      1. Select Enabled.

      2. For Wait the following period before proceeding with a scheduled restart, select 5.

      3. Click OK.

    14. Double-click Specify intranet Microsoft update service location, and then do the following:

      1. Select Enabled.

      2. For Set the intranet update service for detecting updates, type

        https://<computername>:8530, where <computername> is the name of your server that is running Windows SBS 2011 Standard.

      3. For Set the intranet statistics server, type

        https://<computername>:8530, where <computername> is the name of your server that is running Windows SBS 2011 Standard.

    15. Double-click No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations, select Disabled, and then click OK.

    16. Double-click Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations, and then do the following:

      1. Select Enabled.

      2. For Wait the following period before prompting again with a scheduled restart (minutes), select 10.

      3. Click OK.

    17. Double-click Reschedule Automatic Updates scheduled installations, and then do the following:

      1. Click Enabled.

      2. For Wait after system startup (minutes), select 10.

      3. Click OK.

    18. Close the Group Policy Management Editor.

    19. In the Group Policy Management Console, click the Update Services Server Computers Policy Group Policy object, which you created, and then click the Settings tab.

    20. Right-click Computer Configuration, and then click Edit. The Group Policy Management Editor appears.

    21. Expand Computer Configuration, expand Policies, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then click Windows Update.

    22. Double-click Configure Automatic Updates, verify that Configure automatic updating is set to 3 – Auto download and notify for install, and then click OK.

    23. Close the Group Policy Management Editor.

    1. In the Group Policy Management Console, in the tree pane, click the domain name.

    2. In the details pane, verify whether the Group Policy objects that you created in Step 5 are listed as Linked Group Policy Objects.

    3. If they are not linked, in the tree view, right-click the domain name, and then click Link an Existing GPO.

    4. Click one of the Group Policy objects that you created, and then click OK.

    5. Repeat the previous three steps until all Group Policy objects are linked.