Posted by Ahmed Nabil
Microsoft WSUS administrators sometimes tend to select all given Products (Options – Products and Classifications) and by the time the WSUS content folder grows dramatically till it fills all disk space. If the WSUS administrator tries to uncheck or deselect unneeded products, later on, this won’t save or minimize the current space.
So how do the WSUS updates get downloaded/Propagated on the WSUS server ?
- WSUS server contacts the Microsoft Update servers and will only downloads the metadata (Not complete Full Update Package)
- The Binaries or the actual downloads are only downloaded when you approve them manually or if there is an Auto approval rule configured.
In order to clean the WSUS content folder from old/unneeded or unused products you have to do the following:
- Under Options – Update Files and Languages, Remove the checkbox for download Express Installation files (This is optional recommendation depending on your environment).
- In the Options – Products and Classifications, select only the needed products.
- On WSUS console- decline all approved updates which were either installed or not applicable.
- Delete the WsusContent Folder.
- Navigate to the “C:/program files/updates services/tools” on the WSUS server
- Run the “WSUSutil.exe Reset” command with the administrator role.
On the next download cycle it will download only the updates which have been listed in products and classifications and which have not been declined.