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Servicing a Server Core installation

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Servicing a Server Core installation

You can service a server running Server Core installation 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.

Prerequisites for servicing a server running Server Core installation

To service a server running a Server Core installation, you need:

  • A computer that has a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 installed and configured.

  • An administrator user account and password for a server running a Server Core installation.

Known issues for servicing a server running a Server Core installation

There are no known issues for servicing a Server Core computer at this time.

Steps for servicing a Server Core installation

The following procedures explain methods for managing updates on a server running a Server Core installation, including:

  • Servicing the server automatically with Windows Update

  • Servicing the server with WSUS

  • Servicing the server manually

To service the server automatically with Windows Update

  1. To verify the current Windows Update setting, at a command prompt, run the following command:

    Cscript scregedit.wsf /AU /v

  2. To enable automatic updates, run the following commands:

    Net stop wsuaserv

    Cscript scregedit.wsf /AU 4

    Net start wsuaserv

  3. 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 may 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.

To service the server 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.

To service the server manually

  1. Download the update and make it available to the Server Core installation.

  2. At a command prompt, run the following command:

    Wusa <update>.msu /quiet

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

  1. Download the update and make it available to the Server Core installation.

  2. At a command prompt, run the following command:

    Wusa /uninstall <update>.msu /quiet

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

At a command prompt, run either of these commands:

systeminfo

wmic qfe list