WSUS - One Computer Group will not open in mmc console

Question

WSUS - The WSUS administration console has encountered an unexpected error
WSUS - Client causing corruption in database
System.Xml.XmlException -- '', hexadecimal value 0x16, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 19286.

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I just installed a new 2016 WSUS server with a MSSQL backend and keep receiving the listed errors when opening one folder or the All computers folder

The WSUS administration console has encountered an unexpected error. This may be a transient error; try restarting the administration console. If this error persists,  Try removing the persisted preferences for the console by deleting the wsus file under %appdata%\Microsoft\MMC\. The WSUS administration console has encountered an unexpected error. This may be a transient error; try restarting the administration console. If this error persists,  Try removing the persisted preferences for the console by deleting the wsus file under %appdata%\Microsoft\MMC\. System.Xml.XmlException -- '', hexadecimal value 0x16, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 19286. Source System.Xml Stack Trace:    at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(Exception e)    at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseNumericCharRefInline(Int32 startPos, Boolean expand, StringBuilder internalSubsetBuilder, Int32& charCount, EntityType& entityType)    at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseCharRefInline(Int32 startPos, Int32& charCount, EntityType& entityType)    at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseText(Int32& startPos, Int32& endPos, Int32& outOrChars)    at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseText()    at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElementContent()    at System.Xml.XmlReader.ReadStartElement()    at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationReader.ReadStringValue()    at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializationReader.ReadTypedPrimitive(XmlQualifiedName type, Boolean elementCanBeType)    at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderApiRemotingCompressionProxy.Read1_Object(Boolean isNullable, Boolean checkType)    at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderApiRemotingCompressionProxy.Read2_GenericReadableRow(Boolean isNullable, Boolean checkType)    at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderApiRemotingCompressionProxy.Read249_Item()    at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader, String encodingStyle, XmlDeserializationEvents events) ** this exception was nested inside of the following exception ** System.InvalidOperationException -- There is an error in XML document (1, 19286). Source System.Xml Stack Trace:    at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader, String encodingStyle, XmlDeserializationEvents events)    at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.ReadResponse(SoapClientMessage message, WebResponse response, Stream responseStream, Boolean asyncCall)    at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.Invoke(String methodName, Object[] parameters)    at Microsoft.UpdateServices.Internal.ApiRemoting.ExecuteSPSearchComputers(String computerTargetScopeXml)    at Microsoft.UpdateServices.Internal.DatabaseAccess.AdminDataAccessProxy.ExecuteSPSearchComputers(String computerTargetScopeXml)    at Microsoft.UpdateServices.Internal.BaseApi.ComputerTarget.SearchComputerTargets(ComputerTargetScope searchScope, UpdateServer updateServer)    at Microsoft.UpdateServices.UI.AdminApiAccess.ComputerTargetManager.GetComputerTargets(ComputerTargetScope searchScope)    at Microsoft.UpdateServices.UI.AdminApiAccess.BulkComputerPropertiesCache.GetAndCacheComputers(ExtendedUpdateScope updateScope, ComputerTargetScope computerTargetScope)    at Microsoft.UpdateServices.UI.SnapIn.Pages.ComputersListPage.GetListRows()

 

Answer 1

1. Click on copy error to clipboard
2. Open error in Notepad++ 
3. Look at the line "System.Xml.XmlException -- 'syn', hexadecimal value 0x16, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 19286." This is the exception error.
4. Connect to SUSDB in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
5. Open table tbComputerTargetDetail select all rows and copy to separate Notepad++ file
6. Look for matching error from the exception error and compare it to the table from the database that are both in Notepad++
7. Find the computer name by taking the TargetID column from tbComputerTargetDetail table and locate it in the  tbComputerTarget table
8. Update BIOS on offending computer
9. Run command “WUAUCLT /REPORTNOW” to force it to check into WSUS

In my case it was a Dell Latitude E5550 with BIOS Date: 07/30/15 07:34:09 Ver: A08.00