Some Notes on the Machines

Mike Hunsinger, who has been addressing Windows Update issues with considerable success over time, recently provided for the following writeup. It is useful when:

• Windows is running slowly or generally unreliably, needs rebooted frequently.
• The Windows Update service spikes CPU usage over 70% when it runs.
• When you check for new updates, it just hangs endlessly on “checking for updates”.
• The last successful update was years ago.

Steps:

1. Clean up the system drive.
   • Before Server 2012, use Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe). Be sure to check “service pack backup files” and “windows update”, if the version of Windows you are running gives these as options.
   • Server 2012 and after, use DISM (dism.exe). Run this in administrative CMD:
     dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase
     If it reports “The operation could not be completed due to pending operations.”, you have just been told that a server reboot is necessary and you’ll need to do this again afterwards. After it succeeds, do this:
     dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /SPSuperseded
2. Run the following as a .bat file to reset Windows Updates caches and working spaces, rereg some dll’s, It works on all versions of windows, may skip some dll’s depending on the OS version:

@ECHO OFF
echo Simple Script to Reset / Clear Windows Update
echo.
PAUSE
echo.
attrib -h -r -s %windir%\system32\catroot2
attrib -h -r -s %windir%\system32\catroot2\*.*
net stop wuauserv
net stop CryptSvc
net stop BITS
ren %windir%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.old
ren %windir%\SoftwareDistribution sold.old
ren "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\application data\Microsoft\Network\downloader" downloader.old
regsvr32 /s wuaueng.dll 
regsvr32 /s wuaueng1.dll 
regsvr32 /s atl.dll 
regsvr32 /s wups.dll 
regsvr32 /s wups2.dll 
regsvr32 /s wuweb.dll 
regsvr32 /s wucltui.dll 
net Start BITS
net start CryptSvc
net start wuauserv
echo.
echo Task completed successfully...
echo.
PAUSE

3. Install .net 4.5.1 from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40779
4. If it says that an =/> version is already installed, run the .net repair tool from here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2698555
5. Download the latest version of Windows Update from here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/949104
6. Next update IE or Edge to the latest version using a redist, here’s the one for EI11, https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/18520/download-internet-explorer-11-offline-installer
7. Open IE11 or Edge, add update.microsoft.com to trusted sites, popup blocker exceptions, privacy exceptions.
8. Finally, try re-running Windows Update. The “Checking for Updates” may run quickly, or it may take 4-6 hours to populate results.

We have had the best results by updating in batches after this, first any critical SP’s or major Platform Updates. Then security, Office and the others as deemed necessary. Once you’ve completed a couple rounds of updates, the difference should start exhibiting itself with regards to the symptoms named.

Here’s a very nice article.

For certain tasks, it can be helpful to run CMD as SYSTEM. This can be done with paexec:

paexec -s -i -d cmd.exe

or psexec:

psexec -sid %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\cmd.exe

This is a third-party page which initiates downloads from Microsoft:

tb.rg-adguard.net/public.php

And a very nice one for the very latest build of Windows 10:

www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

And another for Windows 8.1:

www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8ISO

This is a great article:

https://www.rebeladmin.com/2015/04/step-by-step-guide-for-upgrading-sysvol-replication-to-dfsr-distributed-file-system-replication/

Every scripting language which runs on Windows can call multiple methods of bringing up a popup to users. However, only this CMD method seems to do it for all users, and be callable universally:

msg * /time:9999 /v /w Put your message here!

This one really works:

http://www.pablosoftwaresolutions.com/html/baby_ftp_server.html

40 megabytes per second across a double LAN segregated with two routers. No authentication or encryption, just use it if you have to get data across fast, then take it down immediately.

Appears to work in Vista, 7, and 8. A whole lot of web references are out there on this. Just one example:

http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-vista-tips/manage-irq-settings-windows-vista-7/

One studies a list of IRQs and related hardware, and then choose the hardware to maximize priority upon using registry adds. Use msinfo32 (Hardware Resources, IRQs).

We then add registry entries here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl

It is reported best to include IRQ zero (0) and eight (8) to start with, this is system timer and real time clock. To do these two, add the following-named items as DWORD in the above area, value 1 for the first, value 2 for the second:

IRQ0Priority
IRQ8Priority

When originally looking at this, I was solving a tendency for my softphone to cut out during any load situation or drive access, and so I checked my PC using Device Manager and msinfo32 as above, and also added subseqeuent priorities:

IRQ7Priority
IRQ20Priority
IRQ21Priority
IRQ4294967288Priority

because on this box, 7, 20, and 21 were USB, and 4294967288 was the active NIC. After you have made the changes, reboot.

The above also produced much better response to VNC and RDP redirection via Labtech.

At least one resource states that one must not set the same priority to multiple IRQs. Duplication may be the source of some reports saying it is placebo effect. Here is a very interesting post with some seriously good-quality testing and results:

https://www.tenforums.com/performance-maintenance/140553-regedit-priority-control-irq.html#6

Try this:

https://www.av-comparatives.org/test-results/

Several fixes, some of them most interesting:

https://www.guidingtech.com/fixes-for-chrome-not-opening-on-windows/

Number 4 on that page, is most surprising, and often functional with new build upgrades.

Recommended by the amazing Yvonne Wynkoop.