Win up-date uses so much Ram my computer becomes un-responsive

  • Thread starter Thread starter leoliver
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PA Bear said:
cf.
http://social.answers.microsoft.com...9a9a03b/#44e80262-9a91-4ddb-9770-63810962cb8c

cf.
http://social.answers.microsoft.com...a300922/#d098eb64-7910-4f3c-9f64-2b82806193b6
Click to expand...

Thanks for the extra detail Robear.

In my case though it is *Windows* Update that is hogging resources.
Or just possibly it might be a combination of factors in the svchost
processes that are in the same PID as Windows Update. I say this because
often the svchost goes over 200 meg before the WU starts to climb.
I do use Process Explorer (which can also be a bit of a memory hog if left
unminimised), but am by no means aware of everything it can do.
Is there any way to get a real time view of the memory usage for each of the
services that are under the same svchost.exe PID as WU?

Cheers,
S
 
I also get the "wuauclt.exe" process hogging as much as 80% of all memory
on my PC as well.

My advice would be to disable Automatic Windows Updates, and instead,
create a shortcut on your desktop with the following as it's command-line :

C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe /detectnow

Then, any time you want to check for updates, using the same background
method that Automatic Updates uses, just double-click on the icon.

Do this when all your other work is done and the PC can perform it's Update
background search using as much resources as it needs.

You would normally want to perform such a search for updates about twice a
week.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
PA Bear said:
Spamlet wrote:


Does http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com take you to
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate or
http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate ?
Click to expand...

It takes me to:
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/thanks.aspx?ln=en&&thankspage=5

(I use Firefox most of the time because IE8 says 'connecting' for ages even
though I have it set to 'About Blank')

But you have not answered my question about how to see what the other
services in the same svchost PID are using.

S
 
Spamlet said:
It takes me to:
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/thanks.aspx?ln=en&&thankspage=5
Click to expand...

Then your default update source is *Microsoft* Update and the links in my
previous post apply to your computer. Yes, the naming conventions are
unfortunate & confusing. As posted in one of the links in my previous post:

<QP>
What are the differences between Windows Updates, Automatic Updates, and
Microsoft Updates?

While Windows Update provides you with updates specifically for Windows,
Microsoft Update expands the service to download and install updates for
other Microsoft software, such as Microsoft Office and Windows Live [as well
as Silverlight & Microsoft Security Essentials]. Automatic updating is a
feature that allows you to set your PC to automatically download and install
updates using either service, making it easy and convenient for you to keep
your Windows PC current.
</QP>
Source: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/windowsupdate/FAQ.mspx
 
The problem with my PC is with the image: "wuauclt.exe" when initialized by
Automatic Updates. I also have XP running with 512 Mb RAM.

It can hog up to 400 of my 512Mb of memory! Causing my PC to almost
totally freeze up.

My solution it to disable Automatic Updates and double-click on my icon
with the command-line :

C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe /detectnow

....about twice a week - which accomplishes exactly the same thing as my
system was doing only at times I choose (i.e when I'm not working on
anything else).

What's wrong with that.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)


P.S. Actually, I haven't disabled Auto Updates at all. What I do in
reality is to bring up a cmd prompt window and use pskill to terminate the
"wuauclt" process manually.

I simply have to do this or nothing else at all is possible on the PC....
 
Tim said:
The problem with my PC is with the image: "wuauclt.exe" when initialized
by Automatic Updates. I also have XP running with 512 Mb RAM.

It can hog up to 400 of my 512Mb of memory! Causing my PC to almost
totally freeze up.

My solution it to disable Automatic Updates and double-click on my icon
with the command-line :

C:\WINDOWS\system32\wuauclt.exe /detectnow

...about twice a week - which accomplishes exactly the same thing as my
system was doing only at times I choose (i.e when I'm not working on
anything else).

What's wrong with that.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)


P.S. Actually, I haven't disabled Auto Updates at all. What I do in
reality is to bring up a cmd prompt window and use pskill to terminate
the "wuauclt" process manually.

I simply have to do this or nothing else at all is possible on the PC....
Click to expand...


Tim,

Would you answer these questions, please -

1) What is the size of DataStore.ebd, located in
WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore ?

2) Is the installed AV monitoring or scanning the above file ?



MowGreen
================
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
================

"Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked
 
MowGreen said:
Tim,

Would you answer these questions, please -

1) What is the size of DataStore.ebd, located in
WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore ?

2) Is the installed AV monitoring or scanning the above file ?



MowGreen
================
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
================

"Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked
Click to expand...


This was posted 4 hours ago in the Windows Update forum by Keith, MS
Support Engineer:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com...fbda084/#baf3e55a-fc4a-4915-a2f0-3e7f559c7c46

" If you are currently experiencing issues with XP running slowing due
to the wuauclt.exe using too much memory, we are interested in hearing
from you. Please send an email to (e-mail address removed) and include your
forum display name and contact information.


Important: When you are composing the email, be sure to include “XP
Wuauclt.exe” in the subject line. In the body of the email, please
describe the exact symptoms that you are experiencing, your forum
display name, a link to any forum thread that applies to your issue, and
any other information that you feel is relevant to your issue.

Also include the following information:

XP Service Pack level

Antivirus Installed

Amount of RAM


Please note that this is not a normal support channel and you may not be
contacted for a follow up. In the event that you are not contacted, you
may find additional support options at http://support.microsoft.com."



MowGreen
================
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
================

"Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked
 
PA Bear said:
Then your default update source is *Microsoft* Update and the links in my
previous post apply to your computer. Yes, the naming conventions are
unfortunate & confusing. As posted in one of the links in my previous
post:
Click to expand...

Well I don't know how you could tell, because after going to the site and
paging down to select to remove the MSUpdate software, and restarting, your
link still takes me to:
http://www.update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

Though, once there, paging down no longer gets the tick box to remove MSU!

Yes, it sure is confusing!

Anyhow, thanks for your persistence and I look forward to having some ram
for other purposes now!

Cheers,
S
 
You are certainly welcome to begin your own, new thread about YOUR problem
and YOUR computer. Thank you.
 
PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
Then your default update source is *Microsoft* Update and the links in my
previous post apply to your computer...
Click to expand...

SCRATCH THAT! Your default is *Windows* Update and so whatever your problem
is, it has nothing to do with the very specific behavior I'd been
discussing.
 
PA said:
PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
Then your default update source is *Microsoft* Update and the links
in my previous post apply to your computer...
Click to expand...

SCRATCH THAT! Your default is *Windows* Update and so whatever your
problem is, it has nothing to do with the very specific behavior I'd
been discussing.
Click to expand...

I wonder if there is a related problem.

That is, if OP disables Automatic Updates and manually downloads and
installs updates from the Windows Update website, I wonder how that
would affect his PC's behavior.

I once had a similar issue (on another PC, yes an older one). And it was
Windows Update. And the problem did go away when I disabled Automatic
Updates.

Not the best solution, of course. But I was diligent in keeping that PC
patched!
 
PA Bear said:
PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
Then your default update source is *Microsoft* Update and the links in my
previous post apply to your computer...
Click to expand...

SCRATCH THAT! Your default is *Windows* Update and so whatever your
problem is, it has nothing to do with the very specific behavior I'd been
discussing.
Click to expand...

Or maybe you did stumble on to something: read my last post.

Cheers,
S
 
I have no idea what your thinking is...

(in all likelihood, I'm showing my ignorance!)

...however; the answers to your query are; approx 170Kb and I don't know
if Resident Shield will pick up the test virus I placed in that dir....

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
For god's sake, we're back to the obsequious condescension are we?

The reason I posted the details of my own experiences, was to demonstrate
the reasoning behind the advice I gave to the OP in my previous post to
that one.

If you can't keep up?!.......

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
MYOB

Tim said:
For god's sake, we're back to the obsequious condescension are we?

The reason I posted the details of my own experiences, was to demonstrate
the reasoning behind the advice I gave to the OP in my previous post to
that one.

If you can't keep up?!.......

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
Click to expand...
 
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