Windows Update using over a GB of RAM constantly

[nev]

First off let me say that I do have a large backlog of updates (upwards of 96) that I haven't done. Reasons for not doing them include not needing to, not wanting to, and just the idea of one of them having or doing something I don't want.

I've noticed for quite a while now when I boot up my computer and when the 'delayed start' services kick in, Windows Update is the one that takes all my resources. As soon as they kick in, I see a lone svchost.exe fly up to around 1,400,000 K on the memory usage and around 12% of my CPU. This goes on for about fifteen minutes and then will settle on its own, usually. Sometimes it takes longer than others to finally settle down.

I'm not sure if doing the backlog of updates I have would even solve the issue, since this issue lies within the checking for updates. If I were to try to check for updates manually, it hangs. It gets stuck in an infinite check and then the memory usage will never go down until a reboot or termination of the service.

I've considered completely disabling Windows Update altogether, my only concern is MSE. I use that for anti-virus and I've noticed it seems to be directly tied to Windows Update. I've observed on a virtual machine that installing MSE after disabling Windows Update will actually result in it turning back on automatically. Not sure if I like this behavior.

Anyway, could anyone shed some light on this abnormally large usage of my RAM from Windows Update? What deems it necessary to use that much? On my system, this weighs in at around 20-23% of my total physical memory usage.

 

[Callender]

Well my observations are:

When this high svchost.exe memory usage occurs and wuauserv is running under that particular instance of svchost.exe if you use a tool like RAMmap from SysInternals you will see the following file is locked and using a lot of RAM.

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\DataStore.edb

​

Then the following screenshot shows the file's RAM usage in more detail. There is only a small section of the window shown and if you note the position of the scroll arrow you can see that the list is pretty huge.

​

I've fixed the problem on my own machine a few times now but it's actually really very complicated to fix. I've also heard tales of people resorting to clean installing windows only to encounter the same problem.

My fix involves:

Running advanced disk cleanup.
Reset IE completely (32bit and 64bit)
Running MicrosoftFixit50202.msi in aggressive mode more than once.
Reset Windows Update components manually.
Clear Windows Update history and temp files.
Force reinstalling Windows Update Agent.
Reconfigure Windows Update settings.

It's probably too tricky to explain properly and in detail.

Nobody seems to have worked out why it happens in the first place!

 

[Layback Bear]

I look at a lot simpler.

Ram is designed to be used when needed.

If your system determines that more resources is need when doing Windows 7 Updates, oh well.

You need Windows 7 Updates.

When I have a Windows 7 Updates I do nothing on the computer until the Updates are completed.
If you don't fall behind on the updates it doesn't take long.
You have fallen behind so it will take some time to complete the Updates.

 

[Callender]

Okay well the problem re-appeared again and as you can probably guess that's why I was able to capture the screenshots in Post #2.

Here's more screenshots showing normal memory usage by svchost running wuaserv after the fix as opposed to the 1GB to 2GB earlier usage and indeed shows installation of this month's updates in progress. My logic would be that memory leaks need fixing in order to avoid bringing the system to a crawl but if adding more RAM works then try it and let us know if it works. It would sure help a lot of users who seem to have the same problem at the moment.

​

 

[NoelDP]

This is quite normal - Windows Update tests the integrity of all updates as they come down - and again when you do a Check for updates, as well as at install time.
This is NOT a memory 'leak' - it's simply normal memory usage.
As Layback Bear said, memory is there to be used - my take on it is that if it's not in use then it may as well be hung on the wall as artwork.

 

[Callender]

NoelDP is the Windows Updates expert here and knows a lot! I'd go with his advice. It still doesn't explain why today's windows update check shows svchost.exe (netsvcs) memory usage as shown below - when before the fix it was running at over 1.2Gb daily.

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Then there's this strange article here: How to fix: Svchost.exe (netsvcs) memory leak or high CPU usage problems - wintips.org - Windows Tips & How-tos

Apparently though, high svchost - netsvcs RAM usage isn't a memory leak so just have a read and ask the experts here if they've got any advice on how to fix any possible issues.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Not Normal

I disagree that this is just "normal behaviour".

It is not normal for W7 to sit there for several hours:

• Using ever increasing amounts of RAM
• With CPU usage of 50% - 100% constantly

MS released something in May or June that caused this (convenient considering the release of W10 in July).

My VMs have all started doing this (the last time they were updated was June).
One of the updates in August or September seems to fix the issue though.

Of course, you need to let your machine run for several hours, before Windows Update will even show any available updates.

 

[Callender]

I disagree that this is just "normal behaviour".

It is not normal for W7 to sit there for several hours:

• Using ever increasing amounts of RAM
• With CPU usage of 50% - 100% constantly

MS released something in May or June that caused this (convenient considering the release of W10 in July).

My VMs have all started doing this (the last time they were updated was June).
One of the updates in August or September seems to fix the issue though.

Of course, you need to let your machine run for several hours, before Windows Update will even show any available updates.

Well at least someone else finally agrees! Like I said I've experienced the same high RAM usage on my machine and the only way I found to fix it was actually pretty complicated to explain. Once fixed RAM usage when checking for updates is "normal"

There is an update for Windows Update Agent that has been released recently that also has options to block W10 upgrade updates but I have not tried installing it yet. Here's the details:

   Note

Windows Update Client for Windows 7: June 2015


Fixes that are included in this update

This update addresses an issue in which system performance can be decreased during scans. This issue has the greatest effect on computers that have a small amount of physical memory.
This update addresses an issue in which Windows Update scans can fail and generate a 0x8007000E error.
General improvements are made to support upgrades to a later version of Windows.
This update installs a new Group Policy object that enables you to block upgrades to the latest version of Windows through Windows Update.

Microsoft is making Windows 10 available for free for one year from the date of availability to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers for non-Enterprise editions. If you have Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 Pro deployed in your organization, Windows 10 will be offered to you. Computers that have this Group Policy object enabled will never detect, download, or install an upgrade to the latest version of Windows.

You can configure this Group Policy object by using Group Policy (if the update is installed and if you use the updated WindowsUpdate.admx file by copying the file from where the editing policy is located). You can also do this by going to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update, double-clicking Turn off the upgrade to the latest version of Windows through Windows Update, and then clicking Enabled.

Policy path Computer Configuration / Administrative Templates / Windows Components / Windows Update

Policy setting Turn off the upgrade to the latest version of Windows through Windows Update (enabled or disabled)

To suppress this offer through the registry, set the following registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
DWORD: DisableOSUpgrade = 1

 

[UsernameIssues]

NoelDP is the Windows Updates expert here and knows a lot! I'd go with his advice. It still doesn't explain why today's windows update check shows svchost.exe (netsvcs) memory usage as shown below - when before the fix it was running at over 1.2Gb daily.
~~~

Perhaps using disk cleanup against the WU files reduces the RAM usage for the next scan.

When I start with a VM that only has SP1, the first thing offered is Windows Update Agent version 7.6.7600.320. That WU agent was released in the middle of 2014.

Yes, there was an update in June and one that got pulled this month, but as best I can tell, I'm using a 2014 WU "agent" or "client". If I watch the network traffic and the RAM/CPU usage, I see a few files come in and then no traffic while WU chews on those files. Then the cycle repeats itself.

If I assign a VM 512MB of RAM, WU peaks around 333MB (but the VM is still responsive for other apps). Assigning the VM 2GB of RAM lets WU reach ~1.4GB. Assigning the VM 4GB of RAM made no difference. The CPU usage was around 50% for all three setups.

There were long periods of time where no network traffic happened... just file validation. The RAM usage went up and down drastically until a certain group of updates were being processed. Then it held pretty steady for 20 minutes straight.

There was no memory leak - at least not how I define a leak. Leaks never stop using more RAM. WU definitely reached a plateau.


If I exit the VM, it reverts to its frozen state. Instead of asking WU to update the WU agent, I manually installed the June WU client. The CPU usage was still around 50%, but the RAM stayed under 500MB (with 2GB assigned to the VM). The scan completed much faster* than using the 2014 WU agent - however, I only ran one test with each version.

*about 20 minutes for 200+ updates. Perhaps I just got lucky.

 

[GokAy]

I have fixed this (two different PCs) by manually installing June 2015 Update Agent. As far as I can remember, I had to stop BITS in order to install it.

 

[Callender]

I force installed Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3006137)\WindowsUpdateAgent-7.6-x64.exe (Windows Update Merged Standalone Setup) and ran a few fixes including resetting BITS. After the fixes WU behaves itself and also has updated to 7.6.7601.18937. The following update then installed on July 21 (2015)

Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: August 2015

I haven't had any WU problems for over one month.

RAM usage during Windows Update checks has never been above 175Mb

Previously it was running at anywhere between 1 - 2 GB for hours at a time several times per day.

 

[lehnerus2000]

The weird thing is it behaves differently on my various real machines and VMs.
Some of my VMs are crippled by excessive CPU usage, but others are barely affected.

The only consistent behaviour is the excessive RAM usage and ridiculously slow update downloads.

Some of my machines have never been offered KB3050265.

It is not:

• Installed
• In the new updates list
• Hidden

Update

I told one of my VMs to download KB3075851.
It has just spent the past hour trying to download it (it hasn't downloaded a single byte).

 

[Callender]

Some of my machines have never been offered KB3050265.

I was never offered that update either. As far as I know it was for machines with a low amount of installed RAM and you had to know that the update was available then manually search for it and download it.

I did indeed download and install that one but it didn't work well on my machine - after installation and a reboot there was some sort of extended delay when navigating files and folders using explorer. I removed the update.

The fix for me was to run a script to reset WU components but instead if running the script I copied and pasted commands one at a time into a command prompt window and for some commands used Powershell. Also where folders or files needed to be deleted I manually confirmed that they were indeed deleted - force deleting them where commands failed.

Also it was necessary to reboot without an internet connection for some of the fixes.

 

[NoN]

Some of my machines have never been offered KB3050265.

I was never offered that update either. As far as I know it was for machines with a low amount of installed RAM and you had to know that the update was available then manually search for it and download it.

I did indeed download and install that one but it didn't work well on my machine - after installation and a reboot there was some sort of extended delay when navigating files and folders using explorer. I removed the update.

The fix for me was to run a script to reset WU components but instead if running the script I copied and pasted commands one at a time into a command prompt window and for some commands used Powershell. Also where folders or files needed to be deleted I manually confirmed that they were indeed deleted - force deleting them where commands failed.

Also it was necessary to reboot without an internet connection for some of the fixes.

This one kb3050265 had been offered to my machine as Optional update...but it does refer to Windows Update Client for Windows 7: June 2015

Nothing to do with for machines with a low amount of installed RAM.

Fixes that are included in this update

• This update addresses an issue in which system performance can be decreased during scans. This issue has the greatest effect on computers that have a small amount of physical memory.
• This update addresses an issue in which Windows Update scans can fail and generate a 0x8007000E error.
• General improvements are made to support upgrades to a later version of Windows.
• This update installs a new Group Policy object that enables you to block upgrades to the latest version of Windows through Windows Update.

It's just for machines that have small amount of physical memory that can hit higher than what they have in amount of RAM. But i guess it had always been like that, for my concern i have always see WU jumping in RAM usage.


When checking for Windows Updates, it can go on my machine as up as 800Mb then slow down to 470MB and pending for a quater. In task manager it can go during this WU check, up to 4.25Go Ram utilized on my machine but for less than half hour.

 

[Callender]

Okay more info here:

​

If you use IE to browse MS update catalog:

https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Search.aspx?q=3075851

You can see the latest update and the ones it replaced and download it if you want to try it.

 

[NoN]

Got that kb3083324 offered in WU as Optional too, on Sept 03rd, 2015 (install went fine). It hasn't increase nor decrease the amount of RAM used during the WU check.

 

[Callender]

Re: kb:3050265

Well maybe I'm reading it wrong but from:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3050265

   Note

This update addresses an issue in which system performance can be decreased during scans. This issue has the greatest effect on computers that have a small amount of physical memory.

Or: http://blogs.technet.com/b/sus/arch...client-for-microsoft-windows-7-available.aspx

   Note

This update addresses an issue in which the Windows Update Client displays an out-of-memory error during the scan operation (0x8007000E) on systems that have small amounts of physical RAM.

 

[Callender]

Currently downloading/ installing today's updates and look what has downloaded:

​

Will need to check file version after installation has completed.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Currently downloading/ installing today's updates and look what has downloaded:

View attachment 370995​

Will need to check file version after installation has completed.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3083324 is being offered again.
Sept. update to WU.

 

[Callender]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3083324 is being offered again.
Sept. update to WU.

Yes. That's what it is. Just checked and 3083324 installed on my machine on 26 August then again today!