How do I force Windows Update to start downloading?

I usually do not have unlimited internet at home, but at the college I get unlimited bandwidth, hence I want to know. It is stuck at 0% even when connected (I do have updates pending, it is just that my home network is marked as a Metered Connection, and hence it does not start at home.) Any ideas?

Thank you for updating.

It is not about start button. This issue might have occurred because of update setting or file corruption. Follow the

Methods below and install all pending Windows updates.

Method 1: Run the Update Troubleshooter on the computer.

Windows 10 has a built-in troubleshooter to check and fix issues with Update. I would suggest you to run this troubleshooter to check if the issue is with your Windows update.

Refer these steps:

1. Press Windows key + X, select Control panel.
2. Change the view by option on the top right to Large icons.
3. Click on Troubleshooting and click on the view all option on the left panel.
4. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter.
5. Restart the system and check if the issue is resolved.

If Method 1 doesn’t help, try Method 2.

Method 2: Reset the Windows Update Components

Refer the link below for the steps to manually reset the Update components and check if it helps.

How do I reset Windows Update components?

Registry disclaimer

Note : This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 322756 ( http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ )

Do let us know if you are able to install all pending Windows updates. Thank you.

How to force update Windows 10

When Microsoft rolls out Windows 10 feature updates, they do it in phases. It means that they are not available to everyone right away. While it is possible to force update Windows 10, you should understand a few things. The rollout depends on many criteria depending on how many devices were successfully tested, driver compatibility confirmation from OEM, and hardware requirement.

There are two possibilities. One that your computer is eligible, and there is only a delay of one or two days or maybe a few hours. Secondly, there is an issue. However, since you have made up your mind to update now, let’s find out how to force update.

How to force update Windows 10

Before doing this, make sure you create a system restore point. If there is a problem, you can always rollback to the earlier version.

Next, clear the Software distribution folder which is available at C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download. It is best that you rename it to something else.

Now, open Command Prompt with administrator privileges. We will use wuauclt.exe. This is the Windows Update Auto Update Client and it allows you control over the functioning of the Windows Update Agent.

Type the following command and hit Enter:

This command will force Windows Update to check for updates, and start downloading.

Now when you go to Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update, you should see that Windows Update has automatically triggered checking for a new update. This will help you get through the waiting list, and the download should start anytime.

That said, here is a small risk. There is a reason why Microsoft doesn’t let everyone download Windows 10 Update on demand. Sometimes the update is only available for computers which have not been reported for any issue. Sometimes, there are specific driver issues. When you either follow this method or keep hitting the download button manually, it can even roll out beta updates for your computer. So stay warned if you are going to force update Windows 10.

Date: February 28, 2019 Tags: Windows Updates

How to force Windows 10 updates to install using the command line

The Windows 10 updates are a problem for many people since you either have to wait for Microsoft to give you the go on updating your system or are forced to update when you’re in the middle of a project.

However, if you want to take the matter into your own hands, this guide shows you how to force Windows to start downloading the Windows 10 update files without having to wait for Microsoft’s approval.

First, open to your Windows installation folder and navigate to the following path: “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download” (depending on where you installed your Windows, you may need to adjust the drive letter) and delete all the files there.

1. Open Windows Update window, by hitting the Windows key, type “Windows update” and click on it.

2. Open the command prompt, by hitting the Windows key and type “cmd”. Right click on the Command Prompt icon and choose “Run as administrator”.

3. In the command prompt type (but, don’t hit enter) “wuauclt.exe /updatenow“ (this is the command to force Windows to check for updates).

4. Back to Windows Update, click on “Check for updates” — you should see the following message “Checking for updates. ”. While this is happening, go back to the command prompt and enter the command you typed at step 3.

5. Now you should see the Windows update window say that it is downloading Windows 10. Make sure you back everything up before you start installing it.

As an alternative, you could also use WuInstall

WuInstall is a Windows command line tool that enables IT Administrators to script Windows updates. It makes the entire updating process more controlled and user-friendly by enabling admins to enforce the query, download, and installation of Windows Updates at times when it makes sense.

The possibilities you have with WuInstall are huge, you can use it as a standalone tool or in combination with WSUS or other system management tools, you can manage a small network with 10 machines as well as huge networks with thousands of clients or servers.

1. Download and install WuInstall software

You can get WuInstall from the website http://www.wuinstall.com — there is a free, full functional 30-day trial where you can test whether WuInstall fits your IT infrastructure. After that, you can purchase your WuInstall version either online with a credit card or contact us if you would like to purchase via PO. For details check our FAQ page.

2. Open the command prompt

Open the command prompt, by hitting the Windows key and type “cmd”. Right click on the Command Prompt icon and choose “Run as administrator”.

3. Search for Updates

A simple search is triggered via «wuInstall /search».

This command searches for all Microsoft Updates that are available for install on the current machine (Windows, Office, . ) — in quite the same way you would also see it in the update menu of the Windows OS — and lists them on stdout.

4. Download Updates

A download of updates is triggered via «wuInstall /download«.

First, the command does a search and downloads every update of the result list to the local cache of the machine. Those updates are now ready to be installed whenever it’s convenient with the /install option. If /download is triggered on an update that is already downloaded, nothing is done. The /download option can be used to download pending updates at times when bandwidth is available.

5. Install Updates

To install updates, use the option «wuInstall /install».

It does a search first, then triggers a download for the updates (if they have not been downloaded already) in the result list and then installs the updates on the system. There are a few options like /quiet, /disableprompt or /autoaccepteula in order to suppress user interaction and make installations unattended. Updates can also be installed over reboots using the /rebootcycle option.

For additional details, please check our documentation.

Do you need more than a command line tool? Check out XEOX!

This is how you can force your PC to upgrade to Windows 10

1. Download Restoro PC Repair Tool that comes with Patented Technologies (patent available here).
2. Click Start Scan to find Windows issues that could be causing PC problems.
3. Click Repair All to fix issues affecting your computer’s security and performance

• Restoro has been downloaded by 0 readers this month.

After months of testing, numerous preview builds, millions of Insiders, and a lot of announcements, Microsoft usually releases a new Windows 10 version. But since millions of people are waiting to get a free upgrade when a new OS version lands, Microsoft decided to rollout the system in phases, so not everyone will get Windows 10 on the same day.

But if you don’t want to wait one more day, we’ll show you how to force your computer to upgrade to Windows 10. In this manner, you’ll be among the first to get the new OS version.

But before we show you how to force your computer to get a free Windows 10 upgrade on day one, you have to make sure you meet all requirements for that.

First and foremost, your computer needs to run a genuine copy of either Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1. And, you must have all the previous updates installed from Windows Update.

Also make sure that you have reserved your free copy of Windows 10 through Get Windows 10 button on your taskbar.

How to force Windows 10 to install updates now

Method 1: Use Command Prompt

If you meet these requirements, you’re good to go. So, to force your computer to receive a free upgrade to Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Go to Windows Update and make sure you are set to install updates automatically
2. Navigate to C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDownload folder and delete everything from it (don’t worry, it won’t damage your system)
3. Now right click on the Start button and open Command Prompt (Admin)
4. Enter the following command and press Enter:
   • wuauclt.exe /updatenow
5. Wait a couple of minutes and check for updates in Windows Update. You should see Windows 10 being downloaded on your PC.
6. After the download is finished, it will start ‘Preparing for installation…,” wait until this is finished and you can install Windows 10 normally.

Impatient users around the world have tried this method, and they reported that it worked for them, so we hope it will work for you, as well.

Method 2: Use Microsoft’s Update Assistant

Another quick method to install a new Windows 10 version as soon as it’s available is to download Microsoft’s Update Assistant.

To do that, go to Microsoft’s official website and make sure that the latest OS version has been uploaded to the site. All you need to do is hit the ‘Update now’ button and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

If you already upgraded your system to Windows 10, you can tell us your impressions about the newest Microsoft’s operating system in the comments.

RELATED POSTS TO CHECK OUT:

How do I force Windows to check for updates?

After a fresh Windows install – XP or 7 – how can I «force» Windows updates?

I don’t want to have «old» Windows updates after a week, so could it be done in «one step»? Are there any «magical» commands that force Windows to check for updates, and if there are any, install them?

7 Answers 7

You can check for and install updates automatically using a script. This will work in either XP or Windows 7.

There are a number of scripts available for download, here is mine:

You run this from the command line like this:

My script is only minimally functional but may still be useful. There are other such scripts available with many additional features, try a Google search.

Beyond the usual way of using Windows Update, you can force a check from a command-line.

Open an administrator command prompt and run:

C:\> %windir%\system32\wuauclt.exe /detectnow

Wuauclt.exe is the AutoUpdate Client of Windows Update and is used to check for available updates (for the various versions of the MS Windows platform) from Microsoft Update.

This won’t force an install.

TO check for updates, go to Control Panel, Security, Windows Update, then click «Check for updates.»

Another way to force a true rescan for updates is to wipe the slate clean, by deleting all updates stored in %windir%\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download:

Then go to Windows Update, and «Check for updates». It may take an hour, because every updateable file on your system volume is checked (subsequent «Checks for updates» will be fast). This approach eliminates errors, botched updates, and yields a clean, up-to-date system, at least insofar as MS sees it.

i am using a second party tool called wuinstall for updating fresh windows installation. with that you can automate the whole updating process, including automatic reboots. i think it is one of the fastest ways to get a fresh windows up-to-date without user attendance.

I’ve found that if, as part of your fresh install on Windows 7, you upgraded IE or you haven’t run IE yet and answered the introductory questions, that Windows Update will give you an error. I also haven’t found a way to switch Windows Update to Microsoft Update without going through the GUI, so I manually fire up IE, get it initialized and then setup Windows Update through the GUI, so I can switch to Microsoft Update and avoid the initial error. Your mileage may vary.

I had success following the steps on this post, by installing IE8 & WI4.5, it will trigger automatic updates to start downloads.

Not the answer you’re looking for? Browse other questions tagged windows windows-update or ask your own question.

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