svchost.exe (wuauserv) 100% CPU usage once every month (Patch Tuesday)

guniu · 11 May 2016

For some reason, every month on Patch Tuesday when Windows Update checks for new updates my svchost.exe (netsvcs) is using full thread power for like 7 hours or more until it finally gets the updates. It only happens on Patch Tuesday (or rather the day after), never on normal 'daily' Windows Defender updates. What gives? I know it started after those Windows 10 updates started coming in a year ago, and I tried to avoid them mostly, but probably some get through.

How can I find what's causing this?

torchwood · 11 May 2016

MS has reined back the update service for W7 users, nothing we can do about it apart from running 2/3 days later, especially patch tuesdays

Roy

guniu · 11 May 2016

So everyone has this issue? I thought it's some sort of bad combination of installed/not installed updates.

ThrashZone · 11 May 2016

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
Yep it's toughest on dual core processors

There's usually a workaround but it does tend to vary on which update to manually install to get the process shortened every month
Last month was to manually install KB3148522 first
This month it seems manually installing KB3153199 which makes no sense at all :)