Windows Server 2019 Automating Windows Update with PowerShell and Logs

A while ago, I had written a blog post about installing Windows Updates during an unattended install of Windows Server 2019. Let’s take a look at how to work with Windows Update in Windows Server 2019including, logs, installing updates, and using PowerShell to automatically install Windows updates in Windows Server 2019. By controlling Windows Updates with PowerShell, you open a lot of doors to being able to implement effective configuration management and automated desired state with your infrastructure. Let’s look at Windows Server 2019Automating Windows Update with PowerShell and Logs to see how this can be done.

Windows Server 2019 Windows Update Logs

Microsoft has departed from using the traditional windowsupdate.log file starting with Windows 10 and recent Windows Server versions starting with Windows Server 2016. Windows Server 2019 has followed suit with using PowerShell as the method to aggregate your log files. In case you are not familiar with this change in Windows Update logging, let’s step through that process and see how you can effectively gain access to your Windows Update logs in a readable format that is easily viewable.

On a Windows Server 2016 and higher server, if you look in the location c:\Windows\Logs\WindowsUpdate you will see various log files that are in the format of .etl files. These are not easily readable if you are to simply try to open them up to edit and view their contents. However, there is a PowerShell command that Microsoft has provided that essentially creates a WindowsUpdate.logfile similar to the legacy file that we have been used to viewing and troubleshooting with.

Below is a look at the c:\windows\logs\windowsupdate directory.

New ETL Windows Update log files found in Windows Server 2019

The command to aggregate your ETL log files into an easily readable format is the cmdlet:

1. Get-WindowsUpdateLog

As you can see below, you will see the message converting c:\windows\logs\windowsupdate into c:\users\<your username>\Desktop\windowsupdate.log. As you can see with the arrow, the traditional WindowsUpdate.log file gets created as a result of the cmdlet.

Creating a WindowsUpdate.log file in Windows Server 2019

The WindowsUpdate.log file that is created has the usual log information. Below is a snippet from the one generated in the screenshot above from a Windows Server 2019 VM.

1. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5442492 4328 6336 Agent LogHistory called. idUpdate={BF584F11-3B97-415D-B596-E2BFB6BC4E7A}.200, resultMapped=0, resultUnMapped=0
2. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5477844 4328 6336 Agent Install updates CallerId = Windows Defender Antivirus (77BDAF73-B396-481F-9042-AD358843EC24)
3. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5480030 4328 6336 IdleTimer WU operation (CInstallCall::Init ID 5, operation # 30) stopped; does not use network; is not at background priority
4. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5503666 8880 7240 ComApi Install ClientId = Windows Defender Antivirus (77BDAF73-B396-481F-9042-AD358843EC24)
5. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5503778 8880 7240 ComApi Install call complete (succeeded = 1, succeeded with errors = 0, failed = 0, cancelled = 0, unaccounted = 0
6. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5503836 8880 7240 ComApi Reboot required = False
7. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5503855 8880 7240 ComApi * END * Install ClientId = Windows Defender Antivirus (77BDAF73-B396-481F-9042-AD358843EC24)
8. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5504177 4328 7276 Agent WU client calls back to install call {565D23B1-7445-4604-8120-B11E6B73C271} with code Call complete and error 0
9. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5551328 8880 8556 ComApi Install call complete (succeeded = 1, succeeded with errors = 0, failed = 0, cancelled = 0, unaccounted = 0
10. 2019/07/19 14:58:27.5551402 8880 8556 ComApi * END * All federated installs have completed. ClientId = Windows Defender Antivirus (77BDAF73-B396-481F-9042-AD358843EC24) (cV = Fl5ilwUoSEqn9HfP.3.1)
11. 2019/07/19 15:08:27.5752052 4328 8400 Agent Earliest future timer found:
12. 2019/07/19 15:08:27.5752233 4328 8400 Agent Timer: 29A863E7-8609-4D1E-B7CD-5668F857F1DB, Expires 2019-07-20 19:26:35, not idle-only, not network-only
13. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.5871440 4328 96 Shared UninitializeSUS
14. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.5871472 4328 96 Misc CSusClientGlobal::DoServicePreShutdown
15. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.5873373 4328 96 IdleTimer Idle timer disabled in preparation for service shutdown
16. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.5873574 4328 96 Misc WUTaskManager uninit
17. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.5873602 4328 96 Agent Earliest future timer found:
18. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.5873691 4328 96 Agent Timer: 7971F918-A847-4430-9279-4A52D1EFE18D, Expires 2019-07-19 20:51:09, not idle-only, network-only
19. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.5916952 4328 96 Misc CreateSessionStateChangeTrigger, TYPE:2, Enable:No
20. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.5917026 4328 96 Misc CreateSessionStateChangeTrigger, TYPE:4, Enable:No
21. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.6273705 4328 96 Misc Agent uninit
22. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.6289738 4328 96 Misc Reporter uninit
23. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.6297334 4328 96 Misc network cost manager uninit
24. 2019/07/19 15:08:28.6297439 4328 96 Misc Eventer uninit
25. 2019/07/19 15:08:29.6336957 4328 96 Misc ServiceManager uninit
26. 2019/07/19 15:08:29.6337784 4328 96 Misc PersistentTimeoutScheduler uninit
27. 2019/07/19 15:08:29.6337806 4328 96 Misc datastore uninit
28. 2019/07/19 15:08:29.6883274 4328 96 Misc setting cache uninit
29. 2019/07/19 15:08:29.6883300 4328 96 Misc security checker uninit
30. 2019/07/19 15:08:29.6883341 4328 96 Misc Test Hook uninit
31. 2019/07/19 15:08:29.6883414 4328 96 Misc IdleTimer uninit
32. 2019/07/19 15:08:29.6887794 4328 96 Shared * END * Service exit Exit code = 0x240001

One thing to note about the WindowsUpdate.log file that is created with the PowerShell cmdlet is that it is static. It doesn’t autoupdate like the traditional WindowsUpdate.log file did. You can just rerun the PowerShell cmdlet to regenerate the WindowsUpdate.log file to review the latest logs generated.

Automating Windows Updates in Windows Server 2019

I have covered this utility before, however, there is a great module available for installation – the GetWindowsUpdate cmdlet found in the PSWindowsUpdate. It is installed using the following PowerShell commands and requirements:

1. #Install PS Windows Update Module
3. Get-PackageProvider -name nuget -force
4. Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate -confirm:$false -force
5. Get-WindowsUpdate -Install -acceptall -IgnoreReboot

Below, is a look at installing the PSWindowsUpdate Module for installing Windows Updates in Windows Server 2019 using PowerShell.

Installing required modules for Get-WindowsUpdate

After running the Get-WindowsUpdate command on a Windows Server 2019 server with the installation of available updates. Note the Reboot is required, but do it manually at the end. This can be controlled with the -IgnoreReboot switch.

Using Get-WindowsUpdate to install all available updates and rebooting Windows Server 2019

Wrapping Up Windows Server 2019 Automating Windows Update with PowerShell and Logs

With Windows Server 2019 automating Windows Update with PowerShell is a great way to control Windows updates with Windows Server 2019. Also, Windows Server 2019 Windows Update logs are easily obtained with PowerShell as well by running a PowerShell cmdlet to aggregate the various ETL files that are created by Windows Server 2019. The great thing about PowerShell is that Microsoft has fully embraced it in all aspects of both client and server operating systems. Having PowerShell performing the heavy lifting with Windows Updates is a great way to control and automate the process.