How to run windows update

Windows Update allows users to keep Windows OS up to date with the latest security patches, new features and bug fixes from Microsoft. You can access Windows Update from the Settings app on your PC.

Windows Update runs automatically in the background and installs new updates when they are available. However, you can also manually check for updates at any time. This will help you get the latest features and improvements faster.

By checking regularly for new Windows updates, you can ensure your PC is running smoothly and securely, ensuring you are safe from viruses, malware and other threats.

On this page, you will find several methods to force run Windows Update. Let’s start:

Force Windows Update from CMD

Check for updates on all Windows versions

If you want to run Windows Update from Command Prompt, you can use the wuauclt.exe utility. This utility allows you to check for updates, download updates, and install updates from the command line. The only limitation of running Windows Update through the CMD is that it won’t show any progress. Only results are shown when the process is complete. Here is how to run Windows Update from CMD:

1. Open Command Prompt with administrative privileges

2. Run wuauclt /detectnow to check for new updates and download them

   wuauclt /detectnow

3. Run wuauclt /updatenow to install updates

   wuauclt /updatenow

4. (Optional) Run wuauclt /reportnow to report back to WSUS server (if available)

   wuauclt.exe /reportnow

You can also use multiple switches in the same command:

wuauclt /detectnow /updatenow

If you want to disregard the already detected updates and force Windows Update to check for updates again immediately, you may run the following command:

wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow

Since the command prompt does not show any progress, a better approach would be to check and install updates simultaneously. Here’s the command for this:

wuauclt /detectnow /updatenow

Check for Windows updates in Windows 11, 10

The above-mentioned command will work in all versions of Windows, including Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. But if you are using Windows 11, Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016, you can use the “UsoClient” command, which has more options than “wuauclt.” You can run UsoClient with the following switches:

1. Start checking for new updates

   UsoClient /StartScan

2. Start downloading updates

   UsoClient /StartDownload

3. Start installing updates

   UsoClient /StartInstall

Force Windows Update Check using Run Command Box

I found out that the easiest way to force a Windows update check is to use a command in the Run dialog box. There are other commands from CMD and PowerShell as well, but let’s start with the easiest way to do it.

1. Open the Run Command box (Windows key + R).

2. Run the following command:

   control update

   

This will trigger the Windows Update graphical user interface which will start checking for new updates. This method works on all versions of Windows including Windows 10 and Windows 11.

There is another command that will trigger the same effect but only works in Windows 10 and 11:

ms-settings:windowsupdate

Run Windows Update from PowerShell

There is no official Windows Update module for PowerShell. However, you can use “PSWindowsUpdate.” PSWindowsUpdate is a third-party module that can be used to configure Windows updates in Windows.

This module is not installed in Windows by default but you can download it from the PowerShell gallery and install and run the module to check for new updates.

Here are the three steps to run Windows Update through PowerShell:

1. Run the following command to install PSWindowsUpdate:

   Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate

   

2. Check for available updates by running this cmdlet:

   Get-WindowsUpdate

   

3. Now install these updates using this cmdlet:

   Install-WindowsUpdate

   

The above-mentioned commands will only install Windows updates. If you want to update other Microsoft products, you’ll also need to enable the Microsoft Update Service. It’s pretty easy to enable it using PowerShell:

Add-WUServiceManager -MicrosoftUpdate

If you want to automatically restart your computer after installing all the updates, you can run the following command instead:

Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoReboot

If you don’t want to install a separate module, you can run the following command to force start Windows Update using PowerShell:

Start-Process -FilePath 'ms-settings:windowsupdate'

Deploy Updates on Remote Computers

The PSWindowsUpdate PowerShell module can also be used to deploy Windows updates on remote computers. There are two commands involved in this process:

1. Create a list of computers and pass the list as a variable string using the computer names:

   $computer = "comp1, comp2, comp3"

   You can add more computers to the string separated by commas. Replace “compX” with the name of each computer.

2. Run the following command to start checking for Windows updates on remote computers:

   Invoke-WUJob -ComputerName $computer -Script {ipmo PSWindowsUpdate; Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoReboot} -RunNow -Confirm:$false | Out-File "\server\share\logs\$computer-$(Get-Date -f yyyy-MM-dd)-MSUpdates.log" -Force

Install Specific Updates Only

If you already know the article KB no. of the specific update you want to install, you can run the following command to install that particular update(s) only:

Get-WindowsUpdate - KBArticleID "KB5002324", "KB5002325" -Install

Replace the KB number with the one you want to install.

Prevent Specific Windows Updates from Installing

You can prevent specific updates from installing on your computer by replacing the KB numbers in the following command in PowerShell:

Install-WindowsUpdate -NotKBArticle "KB5002324, KB5002325" -AcceptAll

Check for Windows Updates using Windows Settings

To check for new updates and configure your Windows Update settings, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to:

   • In Windows 11:

     Settings app >> Windows Update

   • In Windows 10:

     Settings app >> Update & Security >> Windows Update

2. Click “Check for updates.”

   

Force Windows Update to Download Already Downloaded Updates

There will be times when the updates become corrupted or for other reasons, you just don’t want to install the downloaded updates. In that situation, you can easily delete the already-downloaded updates, which will force Windows Update to run again and check for and download the updates again.

The only caveat in this situation is that the update must not have been installed on your computer. If the update is already installed, Windows will detect it as installed and will not download it again. In that case, you will need to uninstall the update first and then force Windows Update to run again.

If you want to force Windows Update to re-download all the updates again, you can do this using the steps below.

1. Navigate to the following directory using File Explorer:

   C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

   This folder contains all the Windows update files that Windows OS is currently downloading or recently downloaded and installed.

2. Select and delete all the files from the “Download” folder.

   

3. Run Windows Update again using the above-mentioned methods.

   This will force Windows Update to check for the same updates and download them again. The download and install process for new updates is completely automated. You don’t need to do anything during the download and installation process.

Manage Windows Updates using Wuinstall

Using WuInstall, IT Administrators can automate Windows updates. Wuinstall can be used to enforce Windows Updates inquiries, downloads, and installations at times when they deem them appropriate, enabling them to make the entire update process more controlled and user-friendly.

WuInstall is a strong and flexible system management tool that can be used in a WSUS-based or standalone environment. To download the latest updates using Wuinstall, you will need to download and install Wuinstall first. Follow the steps below:

1. Go to http://www.wuinstall.com/ and install the latest free version of Wuinstall on your computer.

2. Open an elevated Command Prompt.

3. Run the following cmdlet to search for the latest available Windows updates:

   wuinstall /search

   This will not only look for new updates but will also list them in the command window.

4. To download the updates, run the following command:

   wuinstall /download

   This will download all the available updates from Microsoft servers.

5. To install the updates, run the following command:

   wuinstall /install

There are a few more switches that you can use with the install command:

• /quiet – will install updates without showing anything.
• /disableprompt – Disable any input from Windows.
• /autoaccepteula –  Auto-accept any agreement during the update installation.
• /rebootcycle – Install updates on the next computer reboot.

Fix Corrupted Windows Updates

Sometimes Windows Update files get corrupted and the user is not able to download the files again or install the corrupted update files. In that case, we need to run a DISM command to fix the corrupted Windows Update. Here are the steps:

1. Launch the Command Prompt.

2. Run the following cmdlet:

   dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

After successfully running this command, try force downloading the updates again, and the Windows Update should start working again.

Hopefully, this will be useful in situations where you want to automate certain Windows functions. What other purposes do you want to use command line options to run Windows Update?

Run Windows Update FAQs

It’s always recommended to regularly update Windows as the updates solve any existing bugs and bring about new features.

Usually, users use the graphical interface on the OS to search for and install updates. However, there are some cases where you may want to run this process from the Command-line (CLI) tools such as Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell.

For instance, you may need to manage updates, especially for other users on a Windows server. Or, you may be creating a script where you need such commands.

There are a few ways to run Windows Update from the command line on a Windows system, which are as follows:

Using Command Prompt

On Windows 10 and 11, Microsoft uses the Update Session Orchestrator Client UsoClient.exe tool for updating your system components.

Previously, it was possible for users to use this program from the Command Prompt to check and install updates. However, in the latest versions, you can only check for updates. Regardless, you can try using the steps below and check if they work out for you:

1. Open Run by pressing Win + R.
2. Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Elevated Command Prompt.
   
3. Enter the following commands depending on the corresponding operations:
   • UsoClient StartScan – Start the scan for available updates
   • UsoClient StartDownload – Download but not install the updates or patches you scanned for.
   • UsoClient StartInstall – Install all downloaded updates.
   • UsoClient ScanInstallWait – Scans, downloads, and installs the updates
   • UsoClient RestartDevice – Restarts your computer to complete the update installation
   • UsoClient ResumeUpdate – Resumes the installation of update after reboot
   • UsoClient RefreshSettings – Refresh the update settings to the default
     

You can also check which UsoClient commands you can use on your system by using the following command on the Elevated Windows PowerShell:

1. Open Run.
2. Type powershell and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Elevated Windows PowerShell.
3. Copy and paste the following command and press Enter:
   Get-ScheduledTask -TaskPath '\Microsoft\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator\' | Select-Object @{Expression={$_.TaskName};Label="TaskName"}, @{Expression={$_.Actions.Execute + ' ' + $_.Actions.Arguments};Label="CommandLine"}
   

On older Windows versions, you could use the Windows Update Agent WUAUCLT.exe to update Windows.

First, you need to enable Automatic Updates with scheduled installation through the Group Policy. Otherwise using the Windows Update Agent from Command Prompt won’t work. To do so,

1. Open Run and enter gpedit.msc to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
3. If it doesn’t contain policies but expands to further folders, go to Manage end user experience.
   
4. Double-click on Configure Automatic Updates.
   
5. Check Enabled and set Configuring automatic updating to 4 – Auto download and schedule the install.
6. You can choose any schedule you want. Then, click Apply and OK.
   

Then, you can use the following commands on Prompt to update Windows using the Update Agent:

• wuauclt /detectnow – Scans for available updates
• wuauclt /updatenow – Installs the available updates
• wuauclt /detectnow /updatenow – Combines both the processes above
  

Microsoft didn’t exactly create the WUAUCLT.exe and UsoClient.exe tools for end users. So you won’t get any additional information for whether the commands are actually running when you use them on the Command Prompt. The Prompt will show that these commands have finished running even when they are still operating in the background.

You have to estimate the time it may take and wait until then. So, instead of this method, we recommend using Windows PowerShell as you can get more detailed information during the process.

Using PowerShell

Windows PowerShell is a very powerful Windows CLI with which you can do everything that Command Prompt allows and many more. Naturally, you can use it to run windows updates. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type powershell and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Elevated PowerShell. If you use PowerShell 7, you can open it by entering pwsh instead of powershell
3. Enter the command below to download and install the Windows Update Module, which you need to run the actual commands for updating Windows:
   Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate
   
4. On the prompts, type Y and press Enter.
5. After installing it, enter the following update commands to perform the corresponding actions:
   • Get-WindowsUpdate – Scans for available updates and displays them
   • Install-WindowsUpdate – Downloads and installs all the available updates
   • Get-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -Install -AutoReboot – Downloads and installs all the available updates while automatically rebooting the PC after the installation if necessary.
   • Get-WindowsUpdate -Install -KBArticleID 'KB5017859' – Install the KB5017859 update. You need to replace the update ID ‘KB5017859’ with the KB Article ID of the available updates from the Get-WindowsUpdate command.
     

Using Visual Basic Script

While the above command line methods can run Windows Update, they are not interactive and user-friendly. Microsoft’s platform contains some Visual Basic Script (VB script) to run an interactive update process from the CLI, especially as a sample for developers. However, you can also use this script for your purpose.

1. Open Run and enter notepad to launch this text editor.
   
2. Then, open a web browser and go to the following Microsoft pages depending on whether you want to install a particular update or all updates at once:
   • All Available Updates
   • Specific Updates
3. Copy the script from the page to the notepad you just opened.
4. Press Ctrl + S to save the file.
5. Set Save as type to All files and File name to UpdateInstall.vbs. You can use any name, but remember to use the .vbs extension.
6. Save it on any location by navigating there and clicking on Save.
   
7. Then, open the Elevated Command Prompt.
8. Enter the following command while replacing the path:
   cscript “<Path to the folder>\UpdateInstall.vbs”
   
9. You can also right-click on the script on your file explorer and select Copy as path. Then, paste it after typing cscript and the space to avoid manually typing the full path.
10. Then, follow the on-screen instructions on the CLI.

Windows Updates can be run from PowerShell and Command Prompt in Windows 11/10. In this article, we will be checking out how to do it. Windows Update is one of the most highlighted features of Windows 10. Because with the release of Windows 10, Windows was offered to the customers as a service rather than a product. Under the scenario of Software as a Service, this led to the Windows Updates on Windows 10 being on by default and without an option for anyone to disable it.

Now, while some criticized this move by Microsoft, ultimately this is a step towards the customer’s greater good. Because Windows Update helps the users stay secured against all kinds of threats and provide them with the latest and the greatest from Microsoft. So, for those who appreciate this service, today we are going to talk about another way to run these updates.

The following methods will be carried out to run Windows Update from Command Line on Windows 11/10-

1. Using Windows Powershell.
2. Using Command Prompt.

1] Run Windows Update using Windows Powershell

Running Windows Updates on Windows Powershell will require you to manually Install the Windows Update module, Get Windows Updates downloaded and Install Windows Updates. And for this, open Windows Powershell by searching for Powershell in the Cortana search box and run it with Administrator level privileges.

Install the PSWindowsUpdate Module

Type in,

Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate

to install the Windows Update module for Windows Powershell.

Check for Updates

After that,

Get-WindowsUpdate

to connect to the Windows Update servers and download the updates if found.

Install Updates

Finally, type in,

Install-WindowsUpdate

to install the Windows Updates downloaded on your computer.

Check for Microsoft Updates

Add-WUServiceManager -MicrosoftUpdate

Install specific updates only

Get-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID "KB1234567" -Install

Hide specific Update

Install-WindowsUpdate -NotKBArticle "KB1234567" -AcceptAll

Skip Updates belonging to specific categories

Install-WindowsUpdate -NotCategory "Drivers","FeaturePacks" -AcceptAll

Related: Command-line switches to deploy Microsoft software Update packages

2] Run Windows Update using Command Prompt

Command Prompt on Windows Operating Systems exists since a very long time whereas Windows Powershell is comparatively new. Hence, it has similar capabilities to run Windows Updates, but the highlighting point here is that you do not need to download any module for Windows Updates.

First, open Command Prompt by searching for cmd in the Cortana search box and run it with Administrator level privileges.

Click on Yes for the UAC Prompt that you get.

Finally, type in the following commands and hit the Enter key in order to perform the respective operations,

Start checking for updates:

UsoClient StartScan

Start downloading Updates:

UsoClient StartDownload

Start installing the downloaded updates:

UsoClient StartInstall

Restart your device after installing the updates:

UsoClient RestartDevice

Check, Download and Install Updates:

UsoClient ScanInstallWait

It is worth noting that, the Command Prompt commands mentioned above are just meant for Windows 11/10 only.

How to enable the Windows Update service in Windows 11/10?

If the Windows Update service is disabled or is set to run manually, then you can enable the Windows Update service in Windows 11/10 using the following steps:

1. Type services in the Search box and use Enter key
2. In the Services window, double-click on Windows Update service to open its Properties
3. In the Properties window, set the Startup type to Automatic
4. Press the Start button to run the service
5. Press Apply button and OK button to save the changes.

How do I know if Windows Update is installed in Command Prompt?

If you want to check the history of installed security updates or critical updates in Command Prompt on Windows 11/10, then first open the elevated Command Prompt window and execute wmic qfe list command. This will show the update description, update ID (or Hotfix ID), Installed by, Installed On, etc., information. Here, do note that not all Windows Updates are visible. So, it is better to access the Update history section in the Settings app of Windows 11/10 to see all the installed updates.

Related read: How to Update Drivers using Command Prompt.

Hope you find this post useful.

In this article, I’ll show you a few ways to Run Windows Update from command line. So, keep reading to find out how!
We all know that we need to keep our computers up to date with the latest security patches, but it’s a pain to have to go through all the menus and options in Windows Update. 
We often find it difficult to keep track of which updates are important, and sometimes it seems as if Windows Update is deliberately making things difficult. 
But fortunately, there is a solution to the problem, so don’t worry. 
By running Windows Update from command line, you can automate the whole process and ensure that your computer is always up to date. Run commands make it very easy to launch an application quickly without having to find it in a list of programs. 
Today, I’m going to explain how to run Windows Update from command line in Windows 10.
So, let’s get started!

There are a few ways that you can run Windows Update from command line. Before upgrading Windows, make sure first back up your operating system. After securing your data, it is time to update Windows from command line. 
To update Windows from command line, there are two most effective ways. One option is Windows update using Windows PowerShell, and another one is Windows update using Command Prompt.

Windows Update From Windows PowerShell

Using Windows PowerShell, you can update your Windows in just a few steps. PowerShell is a task-based command-line shell and scripting language designed for Microsoft Windows. 
It enables you to control and automate the administration of your Windows systems. 
Powershell provides a powerful scripting environment that you can use to automate tasks, manage configuration data, and monitor system activity. 
Additionally, Powershell offers a rich set of cmdlets that you can use to manage your Windows systems. Windows PowerShell executes four types of named commands: 

cmdlets (.NET Framework programs that work with PowerShell)PowerShell scripts (suffixed with .ps1)PowerShell functionsA stand-alone executable programs. 

Furthermore, PowerShell offers an interactive command-line interface where you can enter commands and display their output.
Here are the steps that explain how to update Windows using PowerShell:
Step 1: First of all, open the Start menu by clicking the window key and then type Windows PowerShell. Once you see the Windows PowerShell program in the search results, right-click on it and select Run as Administrator. If you are prompted for permission, click Yes.
Step 2: After that, run the following commands step by step:

To install the Windows update module, enter the following command:

To check for updates, enter the following command:

To install the available updates (listed in step 2), run the following command:

Windows Update From Command Prompt 

If you don’t want to use PowerShell, you can also update Windows from command line using the Command Prompt. 
However, this method has a limitation: it will only display results when the process is complete, will not show progress. 
Now let’s see how to do it:

If you are using Windows 10, follow these instructions to update windows.

Step 1: First, open the Start menu and type cmd in the search box, and right-click the top one. Select Run as Administrator. If you are prompted for permission, click Yes.
Step 2: After that, run the following commands step by step:

To start checking for updates:

To download updates:

To install the download updates:

To restart your device after installing the updates:

To check, download, and install updates:

Commands For Older Versions:

If you are using an older version of the operating system, follow these instructions one by one in the command prompt window.

To check for updates: 

Install available updates:

To check, download, and install updates:

If you follow these instructions step by step, you can update Windows. After running the command, your computer will start checking for updates, downloading updates, and then installing them. 
It’s as simple as that! You now know how to update Windows from command line. Keep in mind that you can also use these methods to upgrade your system to a newer and an older version of Windows. 

Why Do You Need to Update Your Windows?

Each year, Microsoft releases several updates for Windows. Windows Update is important because it provides critical security updates and patches to your computer. These updates help to protect your computer from malware, viruses, and other online threats. 
In addition, Windows Update also includes feature updates and improvements that can make your computing experience better. 
For example, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update includes features such as OneDrive Files On-Demand, which allows you to access all your files in the cloud without having to download them first. 
So, it’s important to keep your computer up to date with the latest Windows Updates. 

Conclusion

So, as you can see, I’ve explained how to run Windows Update from Command Line easily and quickly. I hope that this article will prove helpful when you need to automate some Windows functions. 
But always make sure to back up your operating system in advance before updating your operating system to prevent data loss during the upgrade process. 
If you’d like to upgrade Windows, you can use Command Line or some other method. And, always keep your computer updated, because every update enhances the protection of your data.
And now I’d like to hear from you!
Which method would you like to use to run Windows Update from command line? Let’s comment below.
Also, if you have any doubts or better suggestions about this article, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment below.
Thanks for reading!