Cloned WSUS Clients Don’t Appear In The Console

It’s possible that cloned machines (even sysprepped ones) won’t appear in the WSUS console.  Here’s some trouble shooting steps.

• If using the FQDN of the WSUS server then ensure the client can resolve the computer name to an IP address.  Check DNS (NSLOOKUP), ping and/or the hosts file.
• Ensure that you can telnet from the client to the WSUS server on port 8530, e.g. telnet 10.0.0.10 8530.  That will check connectivity.  This assumes you’re using the default port of 8530 for WSUS connectivity.  Use netstat –an to verify this.
• Ensure that the application log on the WSUS server is clean.
• Check the WindowsUpdate log in C:Windows on the client.  Make sure it is connecting to <WSUS Server>:8530.
• Run wuauclt /detectnow on the client and check the WindowsUpdate log again.
• If the client does not appear then the SUSCliendID may not be valid.  You can reset this by running this .BAT script on the affected client:

@echo off
Echo Save the batch file "AU_Clean_SID.cmd". This batch file will do the following:
Echo 1.    Stop the wuauserv service
Echo 2.    Delete the AccountDomainSid registry key (if it exists)
Echo 3.    Delete the PingID registry key (if it exists)
Echo 4.    Delete the SusClientId registry key (if it exists)
Echo 5.    Restart the wuauserv service
Echo 6.    Resets the Authorization Cookie

Pause
@echo on
net stop wuauserv
REG DELETE "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdate" /v AccountDomainSid /f
REG DELETE "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdate" /v PingID /f
REG DELETE "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdate" /v SusClientId /f
net start wuauserv
wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow
Pause

Refresh the console view by clicking on <REFRESH> (don’t press <F5>) and it should appear.