[German]A German blog reader contacted me on February 13, 2025 because he was experiencing problems with his WSUS. The Windows clients had not reported to WSUS since February 12, 2025. This could be corrected by reading back the backup. But the question is whether anyone else has noticed anything like this, or whether it is an isolated case? After publishing the German article, other admins reported also this issue.
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A Windows Server 2016 WSUS environment
The blog reader wrote to me that he runs a Windows Server 2016 in his environment with a WSUS role (Windows Server Update Services) for managing updates. This has been running for a long time – "our WSUS has been running on Windows Server 2016 for several years more or less without any problems". Around 800 clients (Windows 10, Windows 11 and Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022) are managed for updates via the WSUS. So the usual constellation, I guess.
WSUS wird nicht mehr kontaktiert
However, on 12.2.2025 (i.e. after the patch day), the blog reader noticed that the WSUS was no longer contacted by the Windows clients to check for pending updates. "The WSUS clients are no longer contacting our WSUS," the reader wrote. This can be tracked in the WSUS status overview in the last column with date and time. The last entry was from 12.2.2025 approx. 8:00 am.
This was the time at which the reader patched this WSUS server (Windows Server 2016) and then restarted (booted) it, as he wrote. The reader states that it also affects Windows clients that have not yet been updated with the February 2025 security updates. It therefore appears that something went wrong when installing the February 2025 update.
Recovering from backup fixed it
The reader wrote that he is now restoring the Windows Server 2016 to an old backup from before the update installation using Veeam. "Restored the WSUS from the backup from the day before yesterday." it said later.
In the next email, which arrived some time later, the reader confirmed that the Windows clients were reporting back to the WSUS ("The clients are now reporting back (last status report column) with date and time."). Reading back the backup has therefore helped.
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The reader said that the next synchronization of the clients is scheduled for yesterday evening, February 13, 2025. He then wants to check whether there are problems again. I have not yet received any feedback on this. Hence the question: Has anyone else run into such WSUS problems around the February 2025 patch day?
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Did they try the usual troubleshooting steps, like running IISRESET or maybe reindexing the database?
This happens to me almost every month on at least one of my WSUS servers after the installation of the monthly cumulative update. It's because the WSUS database is stuck in maintenance mode after the reboot.
This command will fix it:
C:\Program Files\Update Services\Tools\wsusutil.exe" postinstall /servicing