PRTG Manual: Windows Updates Status (PowerShell) Sensor
The Windows Updates Status (PowerShell) sensor monitors the status of Windows updates on a computer and counts the available and installed Windows updates that are either from Microsoft or from the local Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) server.
You can find the updates that the sensor considers in the Server Manager (WSUS) under Roles | Windows Server Update Services | Update Services | Computers | Reports.
For a detailed list and descriptions of the channels that this sensor can show, see section Channel List.
- Dutch: Windows Updates Status (PowerShell)
- French: Windows statut des mises à jour (PowerShell)
- German: Windows Updates Status (PowerShell)
- Japanese: Windows アップデートステータス(PowerShell)
- Portuguese: Status de atualizações Windows (PowerShell)
- Russian: Статус обновления Windows (PowerShell)
- Simplified Chinese: Windows 更新状态 (PowerShell)
- Spanish: Estado de actualizaciones Windows (PowerShell)
- This sensor has a very high performance impact. We recommend that you use no more than 50 of this sensor on each probe.
- This sensor requires that Remote PowerShell is enabled on the target system and PowerShell 3.0 on both the probe system and the target system.
- This sensor requires .NET 4.7.2 or later from Microsoft on the probe system.
- This sensor requires credentials for Windows systems in the settings of the parent device.
- We recommend that you set the scanning interval of this sensor to at least 12 hours to limit the load on the server that is monitored.
- This sensor supports IPv6.
- In certain cases, it might take some time until the sensor receives data for the first time.
- If the sensor cannot determine any values for the Time Since Last Update channel (for example, because the list of updates is empty), it shows the value -1s and changes to the Warning status.
- When monitoring a Remote Desktop Server (RDS) system with the option Roaming Profiles enabled, this sensor creates a temporary user profile folder for each scanning interval. To minimize this effect, we recommend that you set the sensor's scanning interval to at least 7 days.
- Knowledge Base: Where can I find more information about PowerShell sensors?
You cannot add this sensor to the hosted probe of a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance. If you want to use this sensor, add it to a remote probe device.
Requirement |
Description |
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This sensor uses PowerShell commands. This sensor requires that Remote PowerShell access is enabled on the target system. Also make sure that you have at least PowerShell 3.0 installed on both the probe system and the target system.
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This sensor requires .NET 4.7.2 or later to be installed on the probe system (on every cluster node, if on a cluster probe).
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Setting |
Description |
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Sensor Name |
Enter a name to identify the sensor. By default, PRTG shows this name in the device tree, as well as in alarms, logs, notifications, reports, maps, libraries, and tickets.
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Parent Tags |
The tags that the sensor inherits from its parent device, parent group, and parent probe.
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Tags |
Enter one or more tags. Confirm each tag with the Spacebar key, a comma, or the Enter key. You can use tags to group objects and use tag-filtered views later on. Tags are not case-sensitive. Tags are automatically inherited.
The sensor has the following default tags that are automatically predefined in the sensor's settings when you add the sensor:
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Priority |
Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines the position of the sensor in lists. The highest priority is at the top of a list. Choose from the lowest priority ( |
Setting |
Description |
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Port |
Enter the number of the port to which this sensor connects. Enter an integer. The default port is 5985. |
Port in SPN |
Define whether to include the port number in the Service Principal Name (SPN) used for Kerberos authentication, for example, on devices where Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) or similar services are installed.
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Authentication Method |
Select the authentication method for the connection to the host via PowerShell. Choose between:
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Setting |
Description |
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Result Handling |
Define what PRTG does with the sensor result:
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Setting |
Description |
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Primary Channel |
Select a channel from the list to define it as the primary channel. In the device tree, the last value of the primary channel is always displayed below the sensor's name. The available options depend on what channels are available for this sensor.
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Graph Type |
Define how different channels are shown for this sensor:
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Stack Unit |
This setting is only visible if you enable Stack channels on top of each other as Graph Type. Select a unit from the list. All channels with this unit are stacked on top of each other. By default, you cannot exclude single channels from stacking if they use the selected unit. However, there is an advanced procedure to do so. |
By default, all of these settings are inherited from objects that are higher in the hierarchy. We recommend that you change them centrally in the root group settings if necessary. To change a setting for this object only, click under the corresponding setting name to disable the inheritance and to display its options.
For more information, see section Inheritance of Settings.
This sensor has a fixed minimum scanning interval for performance reasons. You cannot use a shorter scanning interval. Consequently, shorter scanning intervals in the Monitoring settings are not available for this sensor.
The minimum scanning interval of this sensor is 1 hour.
The recommended scanning interval of this sensor is 12 hours.
For more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Scanning Interval.
Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window
You cannot interrupt the inheritance for schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. The corresponding settings from the parent objects are always active. However, you can define additional schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. They are active at the same time as the parent objects' settings.
For more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window.
For more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Access Rights.
Which channels the sensor actually shows might depend on the target device, the available components, and the sensor setup.
Channel |
Description |
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Downtime |
In the channel table on the Overview tab, this channel never shows any values. PRTG uses this channel in graphs and reports to show the amount of time in which the sensor was in the Down status |
Time Since Last Update |
The time passed since the last update
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Updates (Severity Critical) Hidden |
The number of hidden updates with critical severity
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Updates (Severity Critical) Installed |
The number of installed updates with critical severity |
Updates (Severity Critical) Missing |
The number of missing updates with critical severity
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Updates (Severity Important) Hidden |
The number of hidden updates with important severity
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Updates (Severity Important) Installed |
The number of installed updates with important severity |
Updates (Severity Important) Missing |
The number of missing updates with important severity
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Updates (Severity Low) Hidden |
The number of hidden updates with low severity |
Updates (Severity Low) Installed |
The number of installed updates with low severity |
Updates (Severity Low) Missing |
The number of missing updates with low severity
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Updates (Severity Moderate) Hidden |
The number of hidden updates with moderate severity |
Updates (Severity Moderate) Installed |
The number of installed updates with moderate severity |
Updates (Severity Moderate) Missing |
The number of missing updates with moderate severity
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Updates (Unclassified) Hidden |
The number of hidden updates with unclassified severity |
Updates (Unclassified) Installed |
The number of installed updates with unclassified severity |
Updates (Unclassified) Missing |
The number of missing updates with unclassified severity
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KNOWLEDGE BASE
Where can I find more information about PowerShell sensors?
Which .NET version does PRTG require?
How do I enable and use remote commands in Windows PowerShell?
What security features does PRTG include?
I have problems with the PowerShell Exchange sensors, what can I do?
My PowerShell sensor returns an error message. What can I do?
I get the error "WinRM cannot process the request" when I try to use a PowerShell sensor
How can I increase memory for Remote PowerShell?
Facing issues with the Windows Updates Status (PowerShell) sensor - can you help me?