removing windows updates

[karmic]

Been awhile since i've been here, hoping someone can help with this...

I've never been a fan of microsoft updates on corporate networks but now I have a client in a BIG pickle over the installations. They have 5 servers, DC, exchange, terminal server, dedicated GPS, and data server.

Basically they had a tech come in to diagnose a small problem with exchange, no big deal right. Well, he decided that the problem was lack of updates so what does he do? Downloads EVERY available update to all the servers and workstations. right down to the media player updates... This was 6 months ago, and they had problems ever since but I was able to fix them up.

They are in a really big mess right now.

Now, they're at the point where the servers aren't talking properly, workstations are being tossed from the domain and I can't find a way to fix this. I need to strip the servers back to original, no updates. This last patch for the daylight savings time wreaked havoc and I don't even know where to start looking anymore.

Has anyone ever done this safely? Anything I should look for?

~ K.I.S.S - Don't make it any more complex than it has to be ~

 

[supportahm1980]

Pretty Strange. All our workstations and server are up to date with updates and patches because of auditing reasons. We test then deploy via WSUS.

I think you need to find out what issues you are having and what are causing them. you say talking properly? to what? are the firewalls on the workstations?

 

[karmic]

We test then deploy via WSUS."

that's the ticket and the right way to do things... This guy ran every update on all the servers and workstations without the benefit of knowing what each one did or what effect they would have.

DEP caused the biggest problems, shutting down dns and dhcp on the DC, it shut down 2 services on the exchange server but I forget which ones...

This company has alot of proprietary setup.

~ K.I.S.S - Don't make it any more complex than it has to be ~

 

[rylandd]

I personally would find the relevant updates in WSUS and make a note of the numbers and then decline the updates. I would then check to make sure I have the data on the servers backed up, and then manually remove the updates on the servers and reboot. Do 1 server at a time though!

 

[kmcferrin]

Just as a further clarification, if you go into Add/Remove programs there should be a box labelled "Show Updates". If you check that box, then you will see each of the patches listed under Add/Remove programs along with the corresponding KB numbers. But the key will be finding out which update did what.