Windows 7 / Getting Started

Verifying That Clients Are Using GPO Settings for WSUS

Group Policy will be applied to clients every 90 to 120 minutes by default. You can wait two hours and check to see if it has been applied, or you can use the gpupdate /force command from the command prompt to force an immediate refresh of Group Policy. Using the command if you're trying to verify the update.

After the GPO has been applied, you can verify that the clients are using the WSUS server. How to run the gpupdate /force command and then verify that clients are configured to their updates from the WSUS server.

Verifying That Clients Are Using the WSUS Server for Updates

  1. Log on to a Windows 7 client in the domain that is affected by this Group Policy.
  2. Force Group Policy to be updated with the following steps:
    • Launch a command prompt.
    • Type the following command and press Enter.
      gpupdate /force
      After a moment, you'll receive two messages indicating that both the User Policy and Computer Policy have been updated. Close the command-prompt window.
    • Click Start → All Programs → Windows Update.
      Notice that the You Receive Updates setting is now set to Managed by Your System Administrator. If WSUS wasn't being used, this setting would instead display For Windows and Other Products from Microsoft Update.

If you want the client to connect to the WSUS server immediately and check for updates, you can enter the following command at the command prompt:

wuauclt /detectnow

However, if no updates have been approved by the WSUS server, nothing will be downloaded.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Windows 7 and Other software Up to Date
  2. Understanding Windows Live
  3. Updates versus upgrades
  4. Why updates are important
  5. Windows Update
  6. Windows Update: The essentials
  7. Types of Updates
  8. Completing an Update
  9. Configuring automatic Updating
  10. Windows Update Applet and Functions
  11. Manually Install Updates Using Windows Update
  12. Action Center
  13. Updates Do Not Install Properly
  14. Other Windows Update Settings
  15. Configuring Windows 7 Update to Use a Proxy Server
  16. Can't Find Hidden Update
  17. Viewing and Changing Installed Updates
  18. Can't Uninstall Current Update
  19. Upgrade Windows Anytime
  20. Understanding Windows Server Update Services
  21. Windows Update Policies
  22. Updating Drivers
  23. Using Device Manager to Update Drivers
  24. Windows Update Driver Settings
  25. Windows 7 Service Packs
  26. Basic Service Pack Information
  27. Installation of Service Packs
  28. Installing and Removing Software
  29. Installation via CD or DVD
  30. Problem Installing from Disc
  31. Installation via Downloaded Program
  32. Viewing and Changing Programs
  33. Uninstalling Software
  34. Compatibility Issues in 64-Bit Version
  35. Upgrade Issues with 64-Bit Windows 7
  36. Other Program Compatibility Issues
  37. Side-by-Side Installs and Virtual Registries
  38. Removing Updates from Windows 7
  39. Thwarting Exploits with DEP
  40. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
  41. Picking Computers to Scan
  42. Vulnerability Checks
  43. Installing MBSA
  44. Running the MBSA
  45. Running the MBSACLI
  46. MBSACLI Location
  47. Running in an Isolated Environment
  48. Using Windows Server Update Services
  49. WSUS Updates
  50. WSUS Requirements
  51. Installing, Configuring, and Using WSUS
  52. Adding the Application Server and Web Server (IIS) Roles
  53. Installing the Report Viewer
  54. Installing WSUS
  55. Configuring Group Policy Settings for WSUS
  56. Creating a GPO to Configure Clients to Use WSUS
  57. Verifying That Clients Are Using GPO Settings for WSUS
  58. Verifying That Clients Are Using GPO Settings with GPResult
  59. Creating Computer Groups on WSUS
  60. Approving Updates in WSUS
  61. Viewing WSUS Reports