windows updates

Windows updates

Windows updates is an important feature for a Windows operating system. It includes security updates, important patches and optional updates.

The Windows updates finds whether the hardware attached to the computer is fully usable and downloads the latest available update from the manufacturers. The drivers are usually signed by Microsoft and launched on the relevant windows operating system as an optional update.

Microsoft updates are launched every Tuesday and so it is also named as Patch Tuesday. This was going on from all the earlier Windows Operating systems.

Windows updates troubleshooting

Some of the Windows updates can fail due to the intermittent Internet connection and some fail due to the pre-existing updates with the similar version. If you find the update KB number, search the update listed under the installed updates and you can confirm whether it is already installed on your computer.

How to reset Windows updates?

Windows update reset is a command line task that needs to be attempted if you find windows updates fails to work. Resetting Windows updates clears the history and also stops the current pending updates. It is the best process to reinitiate the windows updates from the beginning.

Windows updates resetting process can be attempted by stopping the Windows update service and then deleting the software distribution folder from windows directory. Another Windows update service called cryptographic should be stopped and delete the catroot2 folder from the system32 folder. Then restart the services manually or restart the computer and check for the updates.

The above said Windows update reset procedure turns your updates ON and working from the beginning, however the preinstalled updates will be skipped automatically.

Network Test for Windows update

Network status Lookup command to the “update.microsoft.com” gives the result of the host name server name. Ideally it should show up a server name, if that fails to work, it will be shown as “unknown”.

Windows update manual download.

There is a Microsoft Windows update catalog which can be used to search and download the required KB’s manually as required. Use the KB number required to be downloaded and select the Windows version whether it is 32 or 64 bit and then download the relevant windows update to your computer. This will perform windows update installation without bothering about the network connectivity.