What’s the issue?
SQL Server’s query optimizer relies on statistics describing the distribution of data in tables and indexes to estimate row counts and build efficient execution plans. The AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS database option, enabled by default, allows SQL Server to automatically refresh those statistics when enough data has changed to make them stale.
This finding identifies user databases where AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS is set to OFF, detected by querying sys.databases and reviewing the is_auto_update_stats_on column.
The setting is occasionally disabled deliberately, most commonly for SharePoint content databases, which Microsoft documents as requiring their own statistics management. Outside of that scenario and a small number of vendor-specific requirements, the setting should be enabled.
Why is this a problem?
When automatic statistics updates are suppressed, the optimizer continues using stale statistics that no longer reflect the data. Row count estimates drift further from reality as data changes, producing poor plan choices including inappropriate join types, wrong index selections, and memory grants that are far too small or too large.
The performance impact is often gradual and inconsistent, which makes it hard to diagnose. Queries that performed well when the statistics were current degrade slowly as the data grows or shifts, and the symptoms appear as general slowness rather than a specific error pointing at the cause.
Disabling the setting also transfers the entire burden of statistics maintenance to the team. Unless a maintenance job updates statistics on an appropriate schedule and with adequate sampling, the databases run indefinitely on statistics that may be months or years out of date.
What should you do about this?
Identify affected databases by querying sys.databases for the is_auto_update_stats_on column, and confirm with the application owners whether the setting was disabled for a documented reason such as SharePoint or a specific vendor requirement.
For databases with no clear justification, enable the setting with ALTER DATABASE [DatabaseName] SET AUTO_UPDATE_STATISTICS ON;. The change takes effect immediately and is non-disruptive, since SQL Server simply resumes updating statistics as the thresholds are crossed.
Where the setting must remain off, confirm that a maintenance job is updating statistics on a schedule appropriate to the rate of data change, and document the requirement and its source so the configuration is not changed inadvertently.