Windows 10 Force Updating

So, this is sort of a long story.

I originally had windows 10, build 1703, and windows updated to build 1709, which completely destroyed my computer. Games seemed slower, and my VR headset completely stopped working. It was bad. Luckily I was able to go back to 1703, and everything worked fine again.

Knowing that the force update to 1709 was going to happen eventually, I got another windows key, and installed windows 1511, which is much older. I had read that support for this build was dropped recently, so I thought I’d be in the clear, and never have to worry about an update again.

Unfortunately, windows is now forcing me to go back to 1703, giving me no option to opt out. This means the new key I got is rendered useless, as it’ll be the exact same windows build as before. As soon as I reboot, it’s all over.

Why in the world is there no option for me to stop this? I understand security updates matter for a lot of people, but I have never gotten a virus in my life, and am a pretty computer geeky person. Windows 1709 is basically a virus for my computer, as it breaks many things for me, as mentioned earlier. It’s ridiculous that I will be forced to use the «latest» and «secure» version of windows. I don’t care about any of that, I just want a working computer.

So, if anyone knows any way that I can just forever stop any updating, it would be very much appreciated if you let me know. I’ve tried many methods, all of which did not seem to work.

If you’ve read this far, then, thanks for reading, have a cookie 😀

Replies (4) 

I’m Greg, a volunteer and 8 year WIndows MVP here to help you.

Have you tried a Clean Install yet? The reason I ask is that no one of the hundreds of thousands who have completed the install in this link have reported back a single issue: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki.

This is the reason most enthusiasts won’t even run an Upgrade or Factory install, because they’d expect endless issues if they did.

The only reason a Clean Install would not avoid all these issues is if you have deprecated, failing or otherwise unsupported hardware. We can help you test this.

There was no reason to buy a Product Key to reinstall a past version either, because the PC has a permanent Digital License to reinstall Windows 10 in whatever form you want so adding a paid Product Key is just wasting money. I would retrieve it by running slmgr -upk

It’s unfortunate that the install matters so much in Windows 10 with it’s heavy Update servicing and isn’t more forgiving like Windows 7, but having worked with tens of thousands of installs in both I can assure you that the single most important thing is the quality of the install, which is also typically the last thing consumers think about. So our work is cut out for us.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it’s resolved.

Over 100,000 helped in forums for 11 years. I don’t quit for those who are polite and cooperative.

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

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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 to force Windows to start downloading the Windows 10 update files

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Windows 10 is here! Well, it’s here for a lot of people, but many of us still cannot download it until Microsoft says it’s OK (unless you want to do it manually).

Windows 10

You see, Microsoft plans to release Windows 10 in waves. That means even if your computer is ready, you won’t necessarily be able to download Windows 10 right away. Waiting, however, is for suckers.

Even if the Windows 10 install app still says it will “notify you when ready,” you can force Windows 7 or Windows 8 to start downloading the Windows 10 files (thanks to Reddit’s Windows 10 subreddit for helping us figure this out). We’ve laid out the instructions with screenshots to guide you through it.

First, navigate to “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download” (you may need to replace C: with a different drive letter if you installed Windows elsewhere) and delete all the files there. This will give Windows Update a clean slate.

Open Windows Update by hitting the Windows key, typing “Windows Update” and clicking on it.

Open up the command prompt by hitting the Windows key and typing in cmd. Don’t hit enter. Right click and choose “Run as administrator.”

Type (but do not enter yet) “wuauclt.exe /updatenow” — this is the command to force Windows Update to check for updates.

Back in the Windows Update window, click “Check for updates” on the left hand side. It should say “Checking for updates…”

While this is happening, switch back to the command prompt and enter the command you already typed in.

You should now see Windows Update say that it is downloading Windows 10. Before you actually install it though, back everything up and make sure you’re ready.

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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!