Normally, Windows Update keeps on running in the background and will install new updates automatically. Windows Update checks for new updates randomly every 22 hours. The reason behind the random check is that if all the systems in the world start checking for updates at the same time, this would put an extreme load on Microsoft servers. That’s why Microsoft came up with the idea of checking for updates randomly every day. You can also run Windows Update manually to check for new updates at any time. Here are three ways to check for new Windows updates.
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. 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:
Run Windows Update from PowerShell (Command-line)
There is no official Windows PowerShell module for Windows Update. 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: The above-mentioned commands will only install the Windows updates. If you want to update other Microsoft products as well, you’ll need to enable the Microsoft Update Service as well. It’s pretty easy to enable it using PowerShell: If you want to automatically restart your computer after installing all the updates, you can run the following command instead:
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:
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: You can add more computers to the string separated by commas. Replace “compX” with the name of each computer. 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:
Run Windows Update from Command Prompt (Command-Line)
Windows Update can also be run through legacy Command Prompt to get the latest updates. 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. Let’s see how to run it: RestartDevice – Restart Windows after updates are installed ScanInstallWait – Check for updates, download available updates, and install them Since the command prompt does not show any progress, a better approach would be to check and install updates at the same time. Here’s the command for this: 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 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:
StartScan – Start checking for updatesStartDownload – Start downloading updatesStartInstall – Start installing downloaded updates
Check for Windows Updates using Windows Settings
To check for new updates and configure your Windows Update settings, follow the steps below:
How to 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.
In Windows 11:Settings app » Windows UpdateIn Windows 10:Settings app » Update & Security » Windows Update
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.
Manage Windows Updates using Wuinstall Command Line Tool
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. This folder contains all the Windows update files that Windows OS is currently downloading or recently downloaded and installed. 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. 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: There are a few more switches that you can use with the install command: This will not only look for new updates but will also list them in the command window. This will download all the available updates from Microsoft servers.
/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.
How to Fix Corrupted Windows Update
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: After successfully running this command, try force downloading the updates again and the Windows Update should start working again. Other things you can do with Windows Update: Disable or bypass pending updates on Windows 10 (and Windows 11) How to prevent a specific update from installing while allowing all others How to view and save a list of installed updates in Windows 10 (and Windows 11) View updates sizes in Windows 10 (and Windows 11) Download any Windows 10 cumulative update How to disable automatic restart after installing the updates How to add update packages to Windows 10 ISO image How to disable automatic updates How to limit Windows Update bandwidth usage How to install updates offline using CAB and MSU files 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? Also see:
How To Create ISO From Folder Using Command Line In WindowsHow to Install Essential Windows Apps Using Command LineHow to Install Windows Updates from MSU and CAB filesHow To Disable Automatic Updates In Windows 11How To Run Windows Update In Windows 11
