Manage WSUS client computers

Applies To: Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1, Windows Server Update Services, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard

The central access point in the WSUS Administrative Console for managing computers is the Computers node. Under this node you can find the computer groups that you have set up (plus the default group, Unassigned Computers). Selecting one of the computer groups causes the computers in that group to be displayed in the Details pane. If a computer is assigned to multiple groups, it will appear in the listing for each group.

If you select a computer in the list, you can see its properties, which include general details about the computer and the status of the updates for it, such as the installation or detection status of an update for a particular computer. The default status shows only computers that need updates or that have had installation failures, but you can filter the display by any status. Click Refresh after changing the status filter.

You can also manage computer groups on the Computers page, which is also where you can create the groups and assign computers to them. For more information about managing computer groups, see Manage WSUS client computers.

Important

You must configure client computers to contact the WSUS server before you can manage them from that server. Until you perform this task, your WSUS server will not recognize your client computers, and they will not be displayed in the list on the Computers page.
For more information about how to configure the client computer, see the Update and Configure the Automatic Updates Client Computer section of the WSUS 3.0 SP2 Deployment Guide.