Security Compliance

Cannot publish a package in Patch Manager to the WSUS server

This article helps you troubleshoot an error that displays when you publish a package to your WSUS server. Error: Package: yourPackage Status: Failure Message: Failed to publish yourPackage. CreateDirectory failed.

First published date

10/26/2018 7:46 PM

Last published date

10/28/2025 3:21 PM

Overview

When you publish a package to your WSUS server, the following error displays in the console:

Error: Package: yourPackage Status: Failure Message: Failed to publish yourPackage. CreateDirectory failed.

You may also see packages in the console getting published, but the state of the packages is Failed to Download / Installation Not Possible. 
 

Product section

Patch Manager

Cause

Issues with the WSUS configuration. The permissions on the following folders are not set correctly and the folders are not shared:

  • \\WSUSServer\UpdateServicesPackages
  • \\WSUSServer\WSUSContent

Resolution

Correct the share and security permissions on the following folders:

  • \\WSUSServer\UpdateServicesPackages
  • \\WSUSServer\WSUSContent

The share is required for Patch Manager to publish files locally to the WSUS server.
 

Correct the permissions on the UpdateServicesPackages and WSUSContent(root) folder

This procedure applies to systems running Windows Server 2012 and 2016. Server. 

  1. Locate the UpdateServicesPackages and WSUSContent folders on your WSUS server.
  2. Ensure the SYSTEM account owns the folder.
  3. Ensure the folder is shared with the following share permissions:
    • Full Control: Administrators, NETWORK SERVICE, WSUS Administrators
    • Read: Everyone/users
  4. Ensure the folder has the following security permissions:
    • Full Control: Administrators, SYSTEM, WSUS Administrators
    • Read, Write: NETWORK SERVICE
    • List Folder Contents, Read, Read & Execute: Users/Everyone
    Apply these permissions to all subfolders and files.
  5. In the Patch Manager console, ensure the credential mapped to access the WSUS server is a member of the Administrators and WSUS Administrators group on the WSUS server

Verify the repair

  1. Log in to the Patch Manager server using the credential assigned to the WSUS server.
  2. Map a drive to the \\WSUSServer\UpdateServicesPackages and \\WSUSServer\WSUSContent folders.

If you are able to map the drive, Patch Manager should be able to publish updates to the WSUS server.