How To… Integrate Windows Update Services v3 (WSUS) into Windows Home Server

By on January 6, 2008 in How to Guides, Windows Home Server, Windows Home Server v1

Windows Small Business Server MVP, Kevin Royalty has written a detailed walkthrough for integrating Windows Update Services v3 (WSUS) into Windows Home Server. WSUS  is a local copy of Windows Update/Microsoft Update that you control what gets “approved” for installation on the PCs that report to it.  Why would you want to do this at home you may ask?  Well, if you want to know that your PCs are being kept up to date on all Microsoft patches, or even block certain patches until you want them (IE7 for example), ten this can all be achieved with WSUS.

Note: This is an advanced walkthrough, and should only be attempted by the brave, knowledgeable, or those happy with the risk of nixing and having to re-build their home server should things go awry. You have been warned!

If you have any questions, then feel free to use the Comments form below, and Kevin will pick up from there.

More Info: How To… Integrate Windows Update Services v3 (WSUS) into Windows Home Server


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About Terry Walsh

Terry Walsh is the founding editor and owner of We Got Served. Since February 2007, the site has provided detailed coverage and analysis of the emerging home server category, and has subsequently grown into a trusted outlet for digital home news and reviews.
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  • Max

    The link downloads as a zip. If you convert it to .docx it opens with no poblems.

    M

  • rouza

    Max

    Thanks,

  • Terry Walsh

    Boo! Looks like the .docx format makes WordPress go a bit weird. Okay, have asked Kevin for a Word 2003 version, but in the meantime, please just change the file extension from .zip to .docx before opening in Word.

    Cheers
    Terry

  • http://duitwithsbs.wordpress.com Dale

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=3657ce88-7cfa-457a-9aec-f4f827f20cac&displaylang=en

    If you don’t have Office 2007 you can download the above free viewer to view the .docx file.
    If you have Office 2003 you can also download the free compatibility tool for all Office 2007 files here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941B3470-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en

    Thanks Kevin, WSUS is a great management tool for those who want patch control and oversight. This is a great add-on to enhance Windows Home Server.

  • http://www.totalcarecc.com Kevin Royalty SBS MVP

    I’ve sent the word 2003 format version to Terry for posting. I’m sure when he finishes geeking out at CES he will post that version up here.

  • Terry Walsh

    :) Thanks Kevin – ok, we’re now all set with a Word 2003 copy – enjoy!

    Right, back to geeking!

  • rouza

    Kevin
    is this value correct
    \\.\pipe\mssql$microsoft##ssee\sql\query

    I think it should be \\\pipe\mssql$microsoft##ssee\sql\query

    this is on page 14 under “limiting the RAM for the Windows Internal Database instance”

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  • Jeff

    I have it all installed but I can’t get any pc to show up on the WSUS server, any ideas? I did the registry changes to the machines and made sure the port 8530 was open on the firewall.

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  • http://www.totalcarecc.com Kevin Royalty SBS MVP

    It takes time (and sometimes a reboot) of the workstation for it to show up in the WSUS console. Check your WSUS console in the “unassigned computers” group and see if your PCs show up there. All mine showed up there, until I moved them to the “home PCs” category I created.

  • Jeff

    It took two things to get it working, first I had to change the registry to the server name of my WHS, second the workstations need a reboot and then a manual check of windows update.

    Thanks for the write up Kevin and reminder of a reboot, with vista and server 2008 i have gotten use to not rebooting and have a number of machines 30+ days without one.

  • http://www.totalcarecc.com Kevin Royalty SBS MVP

    Jeff,
    Yes, the writeup states that you have to change the name “server” in the script to match the name of your WHS server (in my case, I have 3 WHS boxes – Server, HPServer and Server2). Server is my homebuilt box I used during the beta thru production, an HP MediaSmart 1TB unit, and the beta of WHS Power Pack 1 (announced today at CES!).
    Kevin

  • http://www.totalcarecc.com Kevin Royalty SBS MVP

    Rouza,
    The value you see in the screenshot is taken from Susan Bradley’s blog when she used the same GUI tools on an SBS box. That value worked for her, and it worked for me (as you see in the screenshots). YMMV however :)

    Kevin

  • rouza

    Kevin

    I did try to install WSUS before and could not get it to work. Your guide worked very good and was as detailed as possible (even for me).
    However the value did not work until I removed the space so I tried \\. \ pipe…… but it did not work untill I used \\.\pipe….(witout the space between \\. and \).

    I will however try this again on my “test Server”

    Thanks for the reply

  • http://www.totalcarecc.com Kevin Royalty SBS MVP

    Rouza,
    There shouldn’t be a space in “\\.\” I’ll check my doc to make sure there isn’t a space there (but word may have put one in without my knowledege).
    Kevin

  • http://www.totalcarecc.com Kevin Royalty SBS MVP

    Rouza,
    The doc in the text above the screenshot has no space. the screenshot looks like there is a space for some reason. I’ll see if I can get another screenshot and update the document. I did update my copy and bolded the text. when I get this updated and back to Terry for upload, you’ll see it.
    Kevin

  • Howard Parr

    I occasionally work on PCs for friends and family and like to return them fully patched. I would like to use the WSUS on my WHS to provide the patches.

    The document provides the REG script to point the PC to the WSUS, but how would I then repoint the PC back to Windows Update.

    I have searched the registry for the specified key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate] in order to back it up and restore it when I’m finished, but the key does not exist. Would deleting this key repoint the PC to get it’s updates from Windows Update? Or would other registry modifications be necessary?

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  • Mike

    Kevin, Will the same reg edit you have work for Vista Ult? I got it to work fine on my XP system but the WSUS server still isnt picking up my Vista box’s.

  • https://technocore.homeserver.com/ Drashna

    Another thing you can do is add ports 8530 and 8531 to WHS’ list to be UPnP port fowarded. This is a registry hack, but to add them:

    Go to
    “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Home Server\Port Forwarding Service”
    Under both “External Port” and “Internal Port” add dword “8530″ with decimal value “8530″, and “8531″ with decimal value “8531″
    and Under Protocal, add dwords “8530″ and “8531″ with value of “1″

    This should enable UPnP mapping for both of those ports for WSUS so you won’t have to manually add them. Usefully if your WHS box doesn’t have a static IP.

  • http://www.totalcarecc.com Kevin Royalty SBS MVP

    Howard – yes just delete the key altogether if it didn’t exist before. otherwise, you put back what was there before.
    Mike – yes – I have my vista64 ultimate getting its patches from WSUS on the WHS box just fine. you need to add the REG entries via “runas administrator”.
    Drashna – great info – I’ll have to incorporate that into the document for the next version.

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  • John

    My Vista Ultimate PC shows up in the WHS snap-in as a warning and has not reported in, but When I click on get updates, I get error code 80244019 Windows could not search for new updates.

    I did make the registry point to my WHS server. I also allowed the port on my WHS firewall.

    Any suggestions ?

  • Chris

    @John – I am getting the same error. Did you ever get it fixed?

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