Article 020

What does WSUS mean by "Selfupdate service not running"?

"Selfupdate" is not a service listed in services, it is a virtual directory contained in the WSUS virtual servers. When using a port 8530 server there are two instances of the selfupdate. The first is in the port 8530 virtual server, and rarely is the cause of this problem. The other is in the port 80 virtual server (normally the Default Web Server), and almost always is traced to the absence of anonymous access permissions on the virtual server or that specific virtual
directory.

The "Default Web Site" is configured with an IP Address of "All Unassigned" by default. If this has been changed to refect a specific IP Address, this will cause conflicts with the sensor in WSUS. Either change it back to "All Unassigned", or add 127.0.0.1 to the list of IP Addresses on the Advanced button from the Web Site properties page.

If that's not it, let's do some 'checks' on the website, try browsing to these URLs from a workstation logged onto a non-domain administrator account:
http://wsusservername/iuident.cab
http://wsusservername /selfupdate/iuident.cab
http://wsusservername /clientwebservice/wusserverversion.xml

http://wsusservername :8530/iuident.cab
http://wsusservername :8530/selfupdate/iuident.cab
http://wsusservername :8530/clientwebservice/wusserverversion.xml
http://wsusservername :8530/simpleauthwebservice/simpleauth.asmx

The CAB links should return a File Open/Save dialog box.
The XML links should return a short XML file in the IE browser window.
The ASMX link should return a short list of services available from the
SimpleAuthWebService.

If the ~/iuident.cab link fails, this is an indication that the virtual server does not have anonymous access permissions enabled.

If the ~/selfupdate/iuident.cab link fails, this is an indication that the selfupdate virtual directory does not have anonymous access permissions enabled

If the ~/clientwebservice/wusserverversion.xml link fails, this is an indication that the clientwebservice virtual directory does not have anonymous access permissions enabled, or that it is not pointed to the correct pathname.

If the ~/simpleauthwebservice/simpleauth.axms link fails, this is an indication that the simpleauthwebservice virtual directory does not have anonymous access permissions enabled, or that the ASP.NET web service extensions are marked as "Prohibited" in IIS Admin.