Service Updates on a Server Core Server
Applies To: Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012
This topic discusses the various ways you can keep a Server Core server up to date with updates. You can service updates in the following ways:
Using Windows Update automatically or with WSUS. By using Windows Update, either automatically or with command-line tools, or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), you can service servers running a Server Core installation.
Manually. Even in organizations that do not use Windows update or WSUS, you can apply updates manually.
Task |
Description |
|---|---|
Managing updates automatically with Windows Update |
|
Managing updates with Windows Server Update Services |
|
Managing updates manually |
Note
This topic includes sample Windows PowerShell cmdlets that you can use to automate some of the procedures described. For more information, see Using Cmdlets.
1.1. Manage updates automatically with Windows Update
To verify the current Windows Update setting, at a command prompt, run the following command:
Cscript scregedit.wsf /AU /v
To enable automatic updates, run the following commands:
Net stop wsuaserv
cscript scregedit.wst /AU 4
net start wsuaserv
To disable automatic updates, run the following commands:
Net stop wsuaserv
cscript scregedit.wsf /AU 1
net start wsuaserv
If the server is a member of a domain, you can also configure Windows Update using Group Policy. For more information, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=192470. However, when you use this method, only option 4 (“Auto download and schedule the install”) is relevant to Server Core installations because of the lack of a graphical interface. For more control over which updates are installed and when, you can use a script which provides a command-line equivalent of most of the Windows Update graphical interface. For information about the script, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=192471.
To force Windows Update to immediately detect and install any available updates, run the following command:
wuauclt /detectnow
Depending on the updates that are installed, you might need to restart the computer, although the system will not notify you of this. To determine if the installation process has completed, use Task Manager to verify that the Wuauclt or Trusted Installer processes are not actively running. You can also use the methods in the “Viewing installed updates” section to check the list of installed updates.
1.2. Manage updates with WSUS
If the Server Core server is a member of a domain, you can configure it to use a WSUS server with Group Policy. For more information, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=192472.
If the server is not a member of a domain, edit the Registry to configure it to use a WSUS server. For more information, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=192473.
Whenever you configure WSUS settings, be sure to select options that are valid for Server Core installations. For example, since there is no graphical interface, there is no way to receive WSUS notifications. For more control over which updates are installed and when, you can use a script which provides a command-line equivalent of most of the Windows Update graphical interface. For information about the script, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=192471.
1.3. Manage updates manually
To install an update manually, download the update and make it available to the Server Core computer, and then run the following command:
Wusa <update>.msu /quiet
Note
Depending on the updates that are installed, you may need to restart the computer, although the system will not notify you of this.
To uninstall an update manually, download the update and make it available to the Server Core computer, and then run the following command:
Wusa /uninstall <update>.msu /quiet
Note
Depending on the updates that are installed, you may need to restart the computer, although the system will not notify you of this.
To view installed updates, run either of these commands:
systeminfo
wmic qfe list