How to completely remove WSUS on Windows 2012 R2?

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  Remove the Role from Roles and Features.

  If you don't need the Windows Internal Database for any other roles, remove the WID feature.

  If you don't need the Web Server role for any other reasons, remove the Web Server role.

  ---

  Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCSA, MCITP:EA, MCDBA
  SolarWinds Head Geek
  Microsoft MVP - Software Packaging, Deployment & Servicing (2005-2014)
  My MVP Profile: http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/mvp/Lawrence%20R%20Garvin-32101
  http://www.solarwinds.com/gotmicrosoft
  The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of SolarWinds.

  • Marked as answer by Steven_Lee0510 Tuesday, March 10, 2015 3:17 PM

  Tuesday, February 3, 2015 3:54 PM
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  Remove the Role from Roles and Features.

  If you don't need the Windows Internal Database for any other roles, remove the WID feature.

  If you don't need the Web Server role for any other reasons, remove the Web Server role.

  ---

  Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCSA, MCITP:EA, MCDBA
  SolarWinds Head Geek
  Microsoft MVP - Software Packaging, Deployment & Servicing (2005-2014)
  My MVP Profile: http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/mvp/Lawrence%20R%20Garvin-32101
  http://www.solarwinds.com/gotmicrosoft
  The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of SolarWinds.

  Hello Lawrence, 

  
  

  Thanks for your answer, but unfortunately, we know, that's not simple as you say. 

  Digging forums, I recogn, people are struggling with the new WSUS quite hard.

  I run several production servers, but that particular one includes something else.

  The quick story: after some system crash, I lost chance to update my clients.

  But then, I was wondering to completely wipe out the WSUS, then reinstall from scratch again.

  Unfortunately, I cannot pass the post installation, but the log in TEMP is empty with the size 1k.

  I guess (following by  posts from the 3.0 version), there are entries to the registry, maybe several extra folders to delete, etc.

  I haven't seen any compendium about the subject above, even 3.0 got some tips like that. 

  People are struggling with 6.2,or they are pointed to the knowledge from 3.0, which could be obsolete... 

  Rgds, 

  Marek 

  
  

  Wednesday, February 4, 2015 12:10 AM
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  Thanks for your answer, but unfortunately, we know, that's not simple as you say.

  If the server is healthy, it is that simple. If the server is not healthy, then the proper response, I would argue, is to reformat and install a new instance of the operating system and make sure that it is healthy.

  The quick story: after some system crash, I lost chance to update my clients.

  If your system crashed, then I believe you should reinstall the OS and start from scratch. Uninstallation is a non-issue.

  ---

  Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCSA, MCITP:EA, MCDBA
  SolarWinds Head Geek
  Microsoft MVP - Software Packaging, Deployment & Servicing (2005-2014)
  My MVP Profile: http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/mvp/Lawrence%20R%20Garvin-32101
  http://www.solarwinds.com/gotmicrosoft
  The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of SolarWinds.

  • Marked as answer by Steven_Lee0510 Tuesday, March 10, 2015 3:17 PM

  Wednesday, February 4, 2015 2:16 AM
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  OK, 

  I did as you said, I went for the new test.  

  On the fresh system, I went for the total installation of WSUS with WID, then removal, then installation again. 

  Still, the system remembers old settings etc. 

  That means, there is not straight forward procedure to clean up the system from WSUS same as previous 3.0... Any suggestions please? 

  Regards, 

  Marek 

   

  Wednesday, February 4, 2015 11:23 AM
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  On the fresh system, I went for the total installation of WSUS with WID, then removal, then installation again.

  I don't understand. WHY did you do this?

  Still, the system remembers old settings etc.

  Then you are NOT removing the database. It's that simple.

  Or else you're talking about "settings" that are completely irrelevant to the conversation. So let's clarify this.. exactly WHICH settings are you talking about?

  ---

  Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCSA, MCITP:EA, MCDBA
  SolarWinds Head Geek
  Microsoft MVP - Software Packaging, Deployment & Servicing (2005-2014)
  My MVP Profile: http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/mvp/Lawrence%20R%20Garvin-32101
  http://www.solarwinds.com/gotmicrosoft
  The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of SolarWinds.

  Wednesday, February 4, 2015 2:50 PM
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  On the fresh system, I went for the total installation of WSUS with WID, then removal, then installation again.

  I don't understand. WHY did you do this?

  Still, the system remembers old settings etc.

  Then you are NOT removing the database. It's that simple.

  Or else you're talking about "settings" that are completely irrelevant to the conversation. So let's clarify this.. exactly WHICH settings are you talking about?

  ---

  Lawrence Garvin, M.S., MCSA, MCITP:EA, MCDBA
  SolarWinds Head Geek
  Microsoft MVP - Software Packaging, Deployment & Servicing (2005-2014)
  My MVP Profile: http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/mvp/Lawrence%20R%20Garvin-32101
  http://www.solarwinds.com/gotmicrosoft
  The views expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of SolarWinds.

  
  

  Sunday, February 8, 2015 8:36 PM
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  Hello Lawrence, 

  Quite long time, I see how people are struggling to get this working. 

  In my case, following by your advices from another forums as well, I had to completely went for the bare metal recovery of my system (just fresh after activation over MAK), loosing all roles (ex. break Direct Access from road warriors and some other things).

  To get all stuff working again, I went for 2 tests.

  Installing WSUS to got it working (magically with successful this time ), then wipe out all.

  Of course, the WID SUSDB never disappears itself after deinstall of WSUS (but it should during roles removal). The job with SQL Management Studio did'nt help. Except keeping WID roles, I had to remove all WID, delete SUSDB to cleanup all. 

  Then I went for the new installation of WSUS, which is working with GPO again. 

  Conclusion. 

  I pay for the expensive system, I have to break several roles (lose for ex. access to my corporate network, or delete WID completely losing something which hangs on the internal database). Of course, that job is time consuming. 

  I'm sure, the WSUS removal shouldn't be that tricky due to years of development and quite huge amount of people seating behind , but it looks like, the subject returns over and over again with the painful WSUS role management. 

  Well, due to system crash, I shouldn't break everything to get it working. 

  Then I can return to the roots with the question, is there any knowledge (manuals)  to  cleanup the WSUS with holding all existing running stuff in W2012R2 please? 

  Cheers, 

  Marek 

  
  

  • Marked as answer by Steven_Lee0510 Tuesday, March 10, 2015 3:18 PM

  Sunday, February 8, 2015 9:05 PM
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  Hi Marek,

  >> there any knowledge (manuals)  to  cleanup the WSUS with holding all existing running stuff in W2012R2 please? 

  Here is an article for WSUS 3.0 SP2:

  https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd939818%28v=ws.10%29.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

  Just like Lawrence has mentioned, just remove the role. If we need re-installing the WSUS, we may need removing the previous database manually.

  Best Regards.

  ---

  Steven Lee Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact tnmff@microsoft.com.

  Tuesday, March 10, 2015 3:17 PM
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  To re-install WSUS with a clean database ie no previous configuration;

  Run Windows Powershell as Administrator and use the following commands:

  Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name UpdateServices,Windows-Internal-Database -Restart

  Post restart, delete EVERYTHING in the "C:\Windows\WID" (for Win 2012 r2) folder, then run the following command to re-install WSUS:

  Install-WindowsFeature UpdateServices -Restart

  Credits: damo
  

  • Proposed as answer by Ravikiran Kondapaneni Thursday, May 12, 2016 10:24 PM

  Thursday, May 12, 2016 10:23 PM
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  There are several glitches/bugs in WSUS for 2012.

  1.) remove roles and features,  but this wll NOT remove the WID Database.

  To do this you need to remove the databse with SQLcommands on the command prompt or powershell

  sqlcmd -S np:\\.\pipe\MICROSOFT##WID\tsql\query -i c:\temp\dropwsus.sql

  and here are the lines for the dropwsus.sql

  select name from sys.sysdatabases
  drop database susdb
  select name from sys.sysdatabases

  This will do the trick and remove the susdb and you will be able to reinstall

  2.) At least on my 2012 R2  the installer does not create a proper WSUS config file, it is missing the Value for the location of the wsus content.

  You need to manually edit
  C:\Windows\System32\ServerManager\ComponentConfiguration\UpdateServices-Services.xml

  inside the file check for "ContentDirectory"  after "string"> and before </PROPERTY> usually the directory directory is missing. for better readability I entered line breaks
  

  CLASSNAME="ServerComponent_UpdateServices_Services">
  <PROPERTY NAME="ContentDirectory" TYPE="string">

  <VALUE>D:\WSUS</VALUE>  this is usually missing, adopt to your path
  

  
  </PROPERTY>
  <PROPERTY NAME="ContentLocal" TYPE="boolean"><VALUE>true</VALUE>
  </PROPERTY></INSTANCE>

  Good luck and best regards

  
  

  • Edited by Roman Magontec Saturday, June 11, 2016 9:58 AM

  Saturday, June 11, 2016 9:50 AM