Event ID 16 is logged by Automatic Updates in the Application log of your Windows Server 2003-based computer

An event that is similar to the following is logged in the Application log of your Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer:

Type: Warning
Source: Automatic Updates
Category: (1)
Event ID: 16
Description:
The description for Event ID (16) in Source (Automatic Updates) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details.

Typically, events that are associated with the Automatic Updates event source are logged in the System log.

This issue is caused by a timing problem that occurs where the RegisterEventSource function cannot locate the Automatic Updates event source.

Before an Automatic Updates event is logged for the first time in the System log, the location of the source file for the Automatic Updates event is added to the following registry subkey: Immediately thereafter, the RegisterEventSource function obtains a handle to write events. If the location of the source file is not yet flushed to the registry when the RegisterEventSource function obtains a handle to write events, the RegisterEventSource function logs the event in the Application log instead of in the source file. Therefore, the event is incorrectly logged in the Application log instead of in the System log.

When the Automatic Updates log entry is logged in the Application log, the correct description is not displayed for the event because the RegisterEventSource function cannot locate the event source. That is, an event source that is named Automatic Updates does not exist in the following registry subkey: Therefore, the message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section is displayed for the event.

The event that is described in the "Symptoms" section does not affect the functionality of Windows Server 2003. You can safely ignore the event.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.