Non-running services: WSUSService

[Steve]

Hi there,

I have a WSUS server with Win2003 SP2 on it. I have had it all running fine
for about a year and now when I start it I get this error:

"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: WSUSService."

I have looked in the Services panel and can find no reference to this
particular service. I think my problems may have started when I installed SP2.

WSUS is not downloading updates from Microsoft. If I go to 'Options' then
'Synchronization Options' then click 'Synchronize now' the screen greys out
like it's doing something and nothing happens.

Can someone point me in the right direction to sort this out?

Thanks in advance,
Steve.

[Lawrence Garvin (MVP)]

Post by Steve
I have a WSUS server with Win2003 SP2 on it. I have had it all running fine
"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: WSUSService."

Since it has been "...running fine for about a year..", then the obvious
question is: Who changed what?

And, since the WSUSService is the dysfunctional service -- I'd be looking
for somebody that:
[a] Stopped the "Update Services" service.
[b] Set the "Update Services" service to Manual or Disabled.
[c] Changed the Logon account for the "Update Services" service.

Post by Steve
I have looked in the Services panel and can find no reference to this
particular service.

Hmmm.... it's important to distinguish between the common name of a service
and the Service Name of a service (or whatever you want to call that thing
that "WSUSService" actually is). The Services MMC displays the *common name*
of a service, which in this case is "Update Services". The "Service Name",
as I've called it here, is displayed on the top of the Properties dialog of
the individual service.

Right click on "Update Services", select Properties, and you'll see the
identifier "WSUSService".

You can also use that identifier with the 'net start' and 'net stop'
commands. If the service isn't running, try starting it:
NET START WSUSSERVICE

Post by Steve
I think my problems may have started when I installed SP2.

Not likely, unless there's something non-standard about your system that SP2
would have impacted. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of WSUS Servers
running on SP2, including both my front-end and back-end servers.

Post by Steve
WSUS is not downloading updates from Microsoft.

Yes... this would be predictable behavior if the "Update Services" service
(which controls everything WSUS-related) is not running.

Post by Steve
Can someone point me in the right direction to sort this out?

As noted above -- restart the service. :-)

Then shoot the yahoo who mucked with the service settings in the first
place. ;-)
--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCTS, MCP
Independent WSUS Evangelist
MVP-Software Distribution (2005-2007)
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=30E00990-8F1D-4774-BD62-D095EB07B36E

Everything you need for WSUS is at
http://www.microsoft.com/wsus

And, almost everything else is at
http://wsusinfo.onsitechsolutions.com
....

[Steve]

Hi Lawrence,

I just did that net start wsusservice as you said and it all went well until
I re-started and now it's stopped.

The start up type is "Automatic" and it logs on as "NT
AUTHORITY\NetworkService"

I guess I could just keep starting it manually but why would it not start?

Thanks,
Steve.

Post by Lawrence Garvin (MVP)

Post by Steve
I have a WSUS server with Win2003 SP2 on it. I have had it all running fine
"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: WSUSService."

Since it has been "...running fine for about a year..", then the obvious
question is: Who changed what?
And, since the WSUSService is the dysfunctional service -- I'd be looking
[a] Stopped the "Update Services" service.
[b] Set the "Update Services" service to Manual or Disabled.
[c] Changed the Logon account for the "Update Services" service.

Post by Steve
I have looked in the Services panel and can find no reference to this
particular service.

Hmmm.... it's important to distinguish between the common name of a service
and the Service Name of a service (or whatever you want to call that thing
that "WSUSService" actually is). The Services MMC displays the *common name*
of a service, which in this case is "Update Services". The "Service Name",
as I've called it here, is displayed on the top of the Properties dialog of
the individual service.
Right click on "Update Services", select Properties, and you'll see the
identifier "WSUSService".
You can also use that identifier with the 'net start' and 'net stop'
NET START WSUSSERVICE

Post by Steve
I think my problems may have started when I installed SP2.

Not likely, unless there's something non-standard about your system that SP2
would have impacted. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of WSUS Servers
running on SP2, including both my front-end and back-end servers.

Post by Steve
WSUS is not downloading updates from Microsoft.

Yes... this would be predictable behavior if the "Update Services" service
(which controls everything WSUS-related) is not running.

Post by Steve
Can someone point me in the right direction to sort this out?

As noted above -- restart the service. :-)
Then shoot the yahoo who mucked with the service settings in the first
place. ;-)
--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCTS, MCP
Independent WSUS Evangelist
MVP-Software Distribution (2005-2007)
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=30E00990-8F1D-4774-BD62-D095EB07B36E
Everything you need for WSUS is at
http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
And, almost everything else is at
http://wsusinfo.onsitechsolutions.com
.....

[Lawrence Garvin (MVP)]

Post by Steve
Hi Lawrence,
I just did that net start wsusservice as you said and it all went well until
I re-started and now it's stopped.
The start up type is "Automatic" and it logs on as "NT
AUTHORITY\NetworkService"
I guess I could just keep starting it manually but why would it not start?

That would be our next question. But it may be more a function not of "why
would it not start", but why is it stopping in the first place.

Can you confirm -- is this problem only happening after a server restart? Or
does this problem occur at any time, most likely due to something stopping
the service?

If it only happens at server restart, it could be something as simple as the
server being too busy to get everything up and running in the timeouts
alloted, and the Update Services simply isn't starting within the 30 sec
timeout configured by default.

One short-term solution for this scenario that has been used successfully by
many who have experienced this situation is to extend the timeout on the
Service Control Manager. See this KB article for details on how to extend
the timeout from 30 secs to 60 secs:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922918/en-us

The best solution, though, would be to identify what is causing the delay
(if that is, in fact, the problem), and either defer its startup (by
assigning it dependencies), or manually start it.
--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCTS, MCP
Independent WSUS Evangelist
MVP-Software Distribution (2005-2007)
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=30E00990-8F1D-4774-BD62-D095EB07B36E

Everything you need for WSUS is at
http://www.microsoft.com/wsus

And, almost everything else is at
http://wsusinfo.onsitechsolutions.com
....

[Steve]

Hi Lawrence,

I made that registry change and re-started and now Update Services has
started. Thanks for this advice!

I'll monitor this service over the next few days/weeks and see how it goes.

Thanks again,
Steve.

Post by Lawrence Garvin (MVP)

Post by Steve
Hi Lawrence,
I just did that net start wsusservice as you said and it all went well until
I re-started and now it's stopped.
The start up type is "Automatic" and it logs on as "NT
AUTHORITY\NetworkService"
I guess I could just keep starting it manually but why would it not start?

That would be our next question. But it may be more a function not of "why
would it not start", but why is it stopping in the first place.
Can you confirm -- is this problem only happening after a server restart? Or
does this problem occur at any time, most likely due to something stopping
the service?
If it only happens at server restart, it could be something as simple as the
server being too busy to get everything up and running in the timeouts
alloted, and the Update Services simply isn't starting within the 30 sec
timeout configured by default.
One short-term solution for this scenario that has been used successfully by
many who have experienced this situation is to extend the timeout on the
Service Control Manager. See this KB article for details on how to extend
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922918/en-us
The best solution, though, would be to identify what is causing the delay
(if that is, in fact, the problem), and either defer its startup (by
assigning it dependencies), or manually start it.
--
Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCTS, MCP
Independent WSUS Evangelist
MVP-Software Distribution (2005-2007)
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=30E00990-8F1D-4774-BD62-D095EB07B36E
Everything you need for WSUS is at
http://www.microsoft.com/wsus
And, almost everything else is at
http://wsusinfo.onsitechsolutions.com
.....