Windows 7 Windows Update running in Windows Task Manager processes

spetho2001

Honorable Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
If Windows is automatically checking for updates when I turn on my computer first thing in the morning what does this show up as in Windows Task Manager processes that are running?
 
I think its Windows update Client process (wuauclt.exe). However I have an update pending to install and can't be asked to restart at the moment so I can't run windows update to know for sure.
 
Luke13TH,
I ran Windows Update and I did not see anything in processes. There was no wuauclt.exe. It did show in the Task Manager Applications though. As running.
 
Windows update runs under a svchost service container (svchost.exe). If it's running the quickest way to find it is from a command prompt with

tasklist /svc | findstr /I wuau

results will be something like this if it's running
svchost.exe 12036 UsoSvc, wuauserv
 
Thank you but I do not see that running in Control Panel > Task Manager > Processes when the Windows Update is checking for Updates.
 
Last edited:
Hi Spetho,

What you are looking for is Service Host: Local System. I have attached a screenshot for you.
Capture.PNG
 
Here is my Control Panel > Task Manager > Services screen shot while Windows Update is running
Task manager 1.jpg
 
Quite a number of Windows users have suffered from a problem where up to 95% of their CPU and/or Disk have been used by a process known as System Host: Local System (Network Restricted). This problem first surfaced back in the days of Windows 8 and has stuck around to haunt the brave users of Windows 10. Users affected by this issue have reported the System Host: Local System (Network Restricted) process hogging up to 95% of their CPU and up to 72 MB/s of their computer’s total capability to read data from and write data to its Hard Disk Drive. Those statistics are significant to say the least.
I have Windows 7 SP1 with IE 11
 
You won't see Windows update running in task manager, at most if you show all processes you will see a svchost.exe process that is running Windows updates
 
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