Windows : Troubleshooting Automatic Updates
Troubleshooting Automatic Updates, especially in version of Windows prior to Windows Server 2008, can be a bit of a pain.
Your first point of call should always be C:\Wndows\WindowsUpdate.log this log is invaluable in troubleshooting update issues.
You can trigger detection of updates using the command: wuauclt.exe /detectnow
You can trigger installation of updates using the command: wuauclt.exe /updatenow
Another useful command in a managed (WSUS) environment is: wuauclt.exe /resetauthorization /detectnow
If using WSUS you should also check the group you should also confirm the “target group” is correct. Search the log file mentioned above for “target group” to confirm this.