Windows Update CPU Pegged at 100%

Okay, I know it is a known issue around the various threads on Windows
Update slowing people's machine down. This is known issue even for new
CLEAN installs of Windows XP SP2. If you turn off Windows Update in
Automatic Updates section of System Properties and turn off the Services for
automatic updates in Services, the machines zipps along quite speedily -
turn them on and everything grinds to a halt.

Question:
----------
(1) When is (or have they yet) Microsoft going to acknowledge this and when
are they going to provide a fix for the Windows Update resource problems?


With so many people complaining about the same thing, it is obvious that
this is a problem. What I also notice this issue is prevalent and more
noticeable in machines with lower specs - for example Celerons with less
than 1.5 GHz and less than 512 MB RAM. I have various clients with
different configurations and setups, but this is the ongoing similar issue.
It is Windows Update causing as shown by Process Explorer (tool by
Sysinternals).

HENRYW wrote:
> Okay, I know it is a known issue around the various threads on Windows
> Update slowing people's machine down. This is known issue even for new
> CLEAN installs of Windows XP SP2. If you turn off Windows Update in
> Automatic Updates section of System Properties and turn off the Services for
> automatic updates in Services, the machines zipps along quite speedily -
> turn them on and everything grinds to a halt.
>
> Question:
> ----------
> (1) When is (or have they yet) Microsoft going to acknowledge this and when
> are they going to provide a fix for the Windows Update resource problems?
>
>
> With so many people complaining about the same thing, it is obvious that
> this is a problem. What I also notice this issue is prevalent and more
> noticeable in machines with lower specs - for example Celerons with less
> than 1.5 GHz and less than 512 MB RAM. I have various clients with
> different configurations and setups, but this is the ongoing similar issue.
> It is Windows Update causing as shown by Process Explorer (tool by
> Sysinternals).

Theres, another real danger zone, not only is the cpu pegged, but on
much slower machines, there's an actual timeout happening at 20minutes.

I'm beginning to suspect a conspiracy. And I too get it on slow
machines with win2k sp4, CLEAN install, Automatic updates not turned on
to begin with. The problem dissappears on p3 above 600mhz, and celerons
above 700mhz. The refresh button works in about 90% of cases, but its
hopeless below celery 400mhz. The problem zone raises in each black
tuesday.

My XP machines generally have higher specs, So I've not personally seen
it on XP (yet).

I will see if disabling the services for automatic updates works in
win2k, when I return to the office, on tuesday. If it works, it'll be a
break for me.

On 20 Aug 2006 19:32:05 -0700, "" <>
wrote:

>
>HENRYW wrote:
>> Okay, I know it is a known issue around the various threads on Windows
>> Update slowing people's machine down. This is known issue even for new
>> CLEAN installs of Windows XP SP2. If you turn off Windows Update in
>> Automatic Updates section of System Properties and turn off the Services for
>> automatic updates in Services, the machines zipps along quite speedily -
>> turn them on and everything grinds to a halt.
>>
>> Question:
>> ----------
>> (1) When is (or have they yet) Microsoft going to acknowledge this and when
>> are they going to provide a fix for the Windows Update resource problems?
>>
>>
>> With so many people complaining about the same thing, it is obvious that
>> this is a problem. What I also notice this issue is prevalent and more
>> noticeable in machines with lower specs - for example Celerons with less
>> than 1.5 GHz and less than 512 MB RAM. I have various clients with
>> different configurations and setups, but this is the ongoing similar issue.
>> It is Windows Update causing as shown by Process Explorer (tool by
>> Sysinternals).
>
>Theres, another real danger zone, not only is the cpu pegged, but on
>much slower machines, there's an actual timeout happening at 20minutes.
>
>I'm beginning to suspect a conspiracy. And I too get it on slow
>machines with win2k sp4, CLEAN install, Automatic updates not turned on
>to begin with. The problem dissappears on p3 above 600mhz, and celerons
>above 700mhz. The refresh button works in about 90% of cases, but its
>hopeless below celery 400mhz. The problem zone raises in each black
>tuesday.
>
>My XP machines generally have higher specs, So I've not personally seen
>it on XP (yet).
>
>I will see if disabling the services for automatic updates works in
>win2k, when I return to the office, on tuesday. If it works, it'll be a
>break for me.
Well you can certainly turn off control panel /automatic updates,
but then running ie6/tools/windowsupdate/ still causes the 100 %
cpu and associated slowdown.

On the otherhand if you use services.msc to stop the automatic
updates service, then it's not longer possible to run
ie6/tools/WU.

I also experience the problem in win2k/sp4 running on
a vintage 1999 system with AMD K6 3+
@500MHz.
Dave

Check your event viewer for errors related to a windows update log
file. I fixed a mysterious slowdown on a friend's XPSP2 box that ended
up being a corrupt windows update log file that the system thrashed
through trying to read over and over again. I deleted the file and the
slowdown was gone. Don't recall the file's name, but I found it in the
event viewer after the sysinternals filemon tool showed me something
was up...

On over 5 cleanly loaded machines? I do not think corruptness in the file
is the issue - The Windows Update mechanism is the problem.


<> wrote in message
news: ups.com...
> Check your event viewer for errors related to a windows update log
> file. I fixed a mysterious slowdown on a friend's XPSP2 box that ended
> up being a corrupt windows update log file that the system thrashed
> through trying to read over and over again. I deleted the file and the
> slowdown was gone. Don't recall the file's name, but I found it in the
> event viewer after the sysinternals filemon tool showed me something
> was up...
>

Just trying to help, Henry.

HENRYW wrote:
> On over 5 cleanly loaded machines? I do not think corruptness in the file
> is the issue - The Windows Update mechanism is the problem.
>
>
> <> wrote in message
> news: ups.com...
> > Check your event viewer for errors related to a windows update log
> > file. I fixed a mysterious slowdown on a friend's XPSP2 box that ended
> > up being a corrupt windows update log file that the system thrashed
> > through trying to read over and over again. I deleted the file and the
> > slowdown was gone. Don't recall the file's name, but I found it in the
> > event viewer after the sysinternals filemon tool showed me something
> > was up...
> >