Microsoft has confirmed a known issue affecting Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) that causes slow synchronization times and sync timeouts. The problem stems from a buildup of publishing metadata on existing WSUS servers as well as on the service side.
The issue became more noticeable around July 13, 2026, and Microsoft deployed a service-side fix on July 18, 2026, which restored normal sync performance for new or rebuilt WSUS installations. However, existing WSUS servers may still experience delays and require manual cleanup.
Organizations with existing WSUS server installations that are experiencing long sync times should understand that this issue is related to a buildup of publishing metadata, which is present on existing WSUS server installations as well as from the service side.
Errors associated with WSUS Update Scans
On client computers, the buildup can also cause Windows Update scans to fail or time out. Affected clients may log errors such as the following:
| Error | Meaning | What it indicates |
|---|---|---|
| 0x80244010 | WU_E_PT_EXCEEDED_MAX_SERVER_TRIPS | The scan exceeded the maximum number of round trips to WSUS. This is the key symptom. |
| 0x8024400E 0x80244007 | WU_E_PT_SOAP_SERVER WU_E_PT_SOAPCLIENT_SOAPFAULT | The server timed out processing the request, or the client sent an oversized dataset that WSUS rejected. |
| 0x80244022 HTTP 503 | Service unavailable | The WSUS application pool (WsusPool) is overloaded. |
| 0x80240439 | WU_E_PT_INVALID_FORMAT | Oversized client or server datasets producing abnormal IIS errors. |
| 0x80072EE2 | WININET timeout | The scan ran too long and timed out. |
Microsoft’s Recommended Fix for WSUS Sync Delays and Timeout Issues
For existing WSUS server installations, Microsoft outlines a three‑step manual remediation process to fix the sync delays and timeout issues.
1. Back up the SUSDB databases
The first step is to back up each SUSDB database. A full backup is required because the cleanup permanently deletes update metadata. For information about creating the backup, see Create a full database backup.
BACKUP DATABASE SUSDB
TO DISK = N'<C:\Backup folder>\SUSDB_PreDetectoidCleanup.bak'
WITH INIT, STATS = 5;2. Run a cleanup SQL query
Microsoft offers a SQL query (listed below) that does the following:
- Deletes mis‑published detectoids causing sync issues.
- Sets MaxXMLPerRequest = 0 to remove the 5 MB limit that can cause client scan failures.
The query should be run on every SUSDB, including replicas.
3. Restore MaxXMLPerRequest to default
Once WSUS is stabilized and clients have scanned successfully, the MaxXMLPerRequest value should be updated to its default setting by running the following query:
