The Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) SelfUpdate service does not send automatic updates (920659)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to use the Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) SelfUpdate service to send automatic updates to client computers, the client computers do not receive the updates. Additionally, the client computers do not report to the WSUS server.

When this occurs, the WSUS Administration console logs the following error message:

Check your server configuration. One or more Update Service components could not be contacted. Check your server status and ensure that the Windows Server Update Service is running.
Non-running services: SelfUpdate

The event log may also include the following event:EVENT ID 506
Source: Windows Server Update
Description: The SelfUpdate Tree is not working. Clients may not be able to update to the latest WUA client software and communicate with the WSUS Server.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if one or more of the following conditions are true:

The permissions on the C:\Program Files\Update Service\SelfUpdate directory are missing or incorrectly configured.
The SelfUpdate virtual directory is missing from the WSUS server.
The SelfUpdate virtual directory is not configured for port 80.
The IUSR and IWAM accounts on the WSUS server are missing or incorrectly configured.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, you must have the following minimum permissions on the C:\Program Files\Update Service\SelfUpdate directory.

Group	Permissions
Administrators	Full Control
System	Full Control
Domain/Users or LocaL/Users	Read&Execute, Read, List Folders
IUSR_`<MachineName>`	Read&Execute, Read, List Folders

Note <MachineName> represents the host name of the server that is running IIS where WSUS is installed.
Use Internet Information Services (IIS) Management console to verify that the server is set up with one of the following two configurations.

Configuration 1: WSUS is installed on the default Web site

Configure the default Web site by using the following settings:

SelfUpdate
Content
ClientWebService
SimpleAuthWebService
WSUSAdmin
ReportingWebService
DssAuthWebService
ServerSyncWebService

Configuration 2: WSUS is installed on a custom Web site

Configure the default Web site on port 80 by using the following settings:

SelfUpdate
ClientWebService

Configure WSUS Administration on port 8530 with the following settings:

SelfUpdate
Content
ClientWebService
SimpleAuthWebService
WSUSAdmin
ReportingWebService
DssAuthWebService
ServerSyncWebService

Regardless of the configuration that you select, you must also verify the following settings:

You must configure the SelfUpdate virtual directory under the default Web site or any other Web site to listen on Port 80.
The SelfUpdate virtual directory points to C:\Program Files\Update Service\SelfUpdate.
The WSUSAdmin virtual directory is the only virtual directory in IIS that should have security set to Integrated Windows Authentication. Set all other virtual directories security to Anonymous Access Enabled.

MORE INFORMATION

When you use IIS, you can move the SelfUpdate directory to a different Web site. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type Control admintools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
Expand the Web Sites folder, and then click the WSUS Administration node.
Right-click the SelfUpdate node, point to All Tasks, and then click Save Configuration to File.
Type a name for the file and then save the file to another folder. You will use this file in Steps 9 through 12.
Right-click the ClientWebService node, select All Tasks, and then click Save Configuration to File.
Type a name for the file and save the file to the same folder that you used in step 4. You will use this file in steps 13 through 15.
Select the default Web site or another Web site that is running on port 80.
Right-click the Web site, point to New, and then click Virtual Directory (from file).
Select the directory where you saved the SelfUpdate and the ClientWebService .xml files in steps 4 and 6.
Select the SelfUpdate .xml file, and then click Open.
Click Read File, click the SelfUpdate file that is now listed under Select a configuration to import, and then click OK.
In the IIS Manager dialog box, type the name for a new virtual directory in the Alias box, and then click OK.
Select the ClientWebService .xml file, and then click Open.
Click Read File, click the SelfUpdate file that is now listed under Select a configuration to import, and then click OK.
In the IIS Manager dialog box, type the name for a new virtual directory in the Alias box, and then click OK.
If this is a new Web site, start the Web site from IIS Manager. If this is an existing Web site, restart the Web site from IIS Manager.

REFERENCES

For information about verifying WSUS and IIS configuration settings, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/aae0c0a0-0bc7-46f8-b3ea-bc441a3796b41033.mspx

For information about how to troubleshoot client self-update issues, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/b23562a8-1a97-45c0-833e-084cd463d0371033.mspx?mfr=true

For information about how to install and configure IIS for use with WSUS, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/6b2e1035-5b82-45f4-9f51-6cc0ca32fd601033.mspx?mfr=true

For more information about automatic updates in Windows, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

294871 Description of the Automatic Updates feature in Windows