Update the Windows Update Agent to the latest version

This article describes how to update the Windows Update Agent to the latest version.

Original product version: В Windows 10 — all editions, Windows Server 2012
Original KB number: В 949104

Summary

If you have automatic updating turned on, the latest version of the Windows Update Agent is downloaded and installed automatically on your computer. Or, you can manually download and install the Windows Update Agent.

Automatically download Windows Update Agent

To download the Windows Update Agent automatically, follow these steps:

Turn on automatic updating. Follow these steps, for the version of Windows that you are running.

Windows 8.1 or Windows 8

1. Open Windows Update by swiping in from the right edge of the screen (or, if you’re using a mouse, pointing to the lower-right corner of the screen and moving up the mouse pointer), tapping or clicking Settings, tapping or clicking Control Panel, and then tapping or clicking Windows Update.
2. Tap or click Change settings.
3. Under Important updates, choose Install updates automatically.
4. Under Recommended updates, select the Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates check box, and then select OK.

Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP

To turn on automatic updating automatically, select the Fix it button or link, and then select Run in the View Download dialog box. Then, follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.

Restart the Windows Update service. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows logo Key+R to open the Run box.
2. Type services.msc in the Run box, and then press Enter.
3. Right-click Windows Update in the Services management console, and then select Stop. If you are running Windows XP, right-click Automatic Updates, and then select Stop.
4. After Windows Update stops, right-click Windows Update, and then select Start. If you are running Windows XP, right-click Automatic Updates, and then select Start.

Wait for Windows Update to start, and then verify that the Windows Update Agent is updated.

Manually download Windows Update Agent from Microsoft Download Center

Click the download link for your version of Windows to obtain the latest Windows Update Agent.

Stand-alone packages for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center.

Operating system	Update
All supported x86-based versions of Windows 8 (KB2937636)	Download the package now.
All supported x64-based versions of Windows 8 (KB2937636)	Download the package now.
All supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2012 (KB2937636)	Download the package now.

Stand-alone packages for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

The following files are available for download from Windows Update.

Operating system	Update
All supported x86-based versions of Windows 7 SP1	Download the package now.
All supported x64-based versions of Windows 7 SP1	Download the package now.
All supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1	Download the package now.
All supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1	Download the package now.
All supported Itanium-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1	Download the package now.

Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 with update 2919355 already include the latest version of the Windows Update Agent.

More information

If you receive a Windows Update error, try Solutions for common Windows Update errors.

For more information about how to check which version of the Windows Update Agent is installed, follow these steps:

1. Open the %systemroot%\system32 folder. %systemroot% is the folder in which Windows is installed. For example, the %systemroot% folder is C:\Windows .
2. Right-click Wuaueng.dll, and then select Properties.
3. Select the Details tab, and then locate the file version number.

The latest version of the Windows Update Agent for Windows 8.1 is 7.9.9600.16422. The latest version of the Windows Update Agent for Windows 8 is 7.8.9200.16693. The latest version of the Windows Update Agent for Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP is 7.6.7600.256.

Improvements in version 7.6.7600.256 of Windows Update Agent

A hardened infrastructure so that the Windows Update client will trust only those files that are signed by a new certificate. The certificate is used solely to protect updates to the Windows Update client.

A more secure communication channel for the Windows Update client

Improvements in version 7.4.7600.226 of Windows Update Agent

• Improved scan times for Windows updates.
• Improved Windows Update UI for computers that are running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.
• More visible and detailed descriptions of updates.
• Improvements in how users are notified about service packs.

Issues that are fixed in version 7.2.6001.788 of Windows Update Agent

Version 7.2.6001.788 of the Windows Update Agent fixes the following issue. This issue was not previously documented in a Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

• When you try to install 80 or more updates at the same time from Windows Update or Microsoft Update, you receive a «0x80070057» error code.

Improvements in version 7.2.6001.784 of Windows Update Agent

• Improved scan times for Windows Update
• Improved speed at which signature updates are delivered
• Support for Windows Installer reinstallation
• Improved error messaging

Issues that are fixed by version 7.0.6000.381 of Windows Update Agent

Version 7.0.6000.381 of the Windows Update Agent fixes the following issues. These issues were not previously documented in a Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

• The Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) crashes on a Windows Vista-based computer. For more information, see An update is available to fix a Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) crash on a Windows Vista-based computer.
• A fix is included that reduces the number of restarts that are required for the stand-alone installer when Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI) files are being used.
• User interface elements in the Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese languages are fixed.
• The Windows Vista installation experience is improved.

Windows Update helps keep your computer up-to-date and secure by downloading and installing the latest security and other updates from Microsoft. Windows Update determines which updates apply to your computer.

Microsoft periodically makes software updates available to users of Windows and other Microsoft software. These include updates that improve reliability and performance, updates that provide new protections against malware and other potentially unwanted software, and upgrades to Windows features. To improve the performance or the reliability of hardware components on the computer, Microsoft may also provide updates to device drivers that are supplied by the computer manufacturer.

If you turn on Windows Update, software components that are directly related to Windows Update will have to be updated occasionally on your computer. These updates must be performed before Windows Update can check for required updates or before it can install other updates. These required updates fix errors, provide ongoing improvements, and maintain compatibility with the Microsoft servers that support Windows Update. If you disable Windows Update, you will not receive these updates.

Windows Update is configured to install updates automatically when you select the recommended option during Windows Out Of Box Experience (OOBE) Setup. You can also turn on Windows Update by selecting one of following settings in the Automatic Updates item in Control Panel:

• Automatic (recommended).
• Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them.
• Notify me, but don’t automatically download or install them.

After you turn on Windows Update, the required updates to components of Windows Update will be downloaded and installed automatically without notifying you. This behavior occurs regardless of which setting you use to turn on Windows Update. If you do not want to receive required updates, you can disable automatic updates in Control Panel.

The updates to Windows Update itself typically do the following: Address feedback from customers, improve compatibility, service performance and reliability, and enable new service capabilities. When the Windows Update server is updated, a corresponding client update is typically required. During an agent self-update operation, Windows Update Agent files may be added, modified, or replaced. For example, Windows Update Agent files that help display the user experience or that determine whether updates apply to a particular system may be added. This behavior occurs when a system is set to automatically check for available updates. This does not occur when automatic updates are turned off. For example, this behavior does not occur if you select Never check for updates in Windows Vista and Windows 7 or if you select Turn off Automatic Updates in Windows XP.

Administrators will receive the latest version of the Windows Update Agent for deployment through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

Windows update with cracked version

Windows-Update-Checker : KUC

Downloads Update Lists FAQ

KUC is a small utility that will check what updates are installed, missing or removable on your Windows7, W2008R2 system.
[SP1 must be installed]

KUC will download all missing updates and install new and/or remove not needed once.

KUC is running on any computer with .Net 4.6.1 installed.

References of the following systems are included:

Win7 x64 and Win7 x86,
W2008R2 and W2008R2 Server Core,
WMS2011,
WHS2011, WSS2008R2ess, SBS2011ess,
W7Ex64-online, W7Ex86-online, W7Ex64-install.wim, W7Ex86-install.wim

I have created these references from installation images (wims) that have all updates installed.
(Except the –online references)

You can easily manage KUC’s output file in Excel .

For each package, update or hotfix you get the following information:

[KB#] : The knowledgebase (KB) number of the update

[Version] : The version number of the update

[State] : The installation state of the update: installed, install pending, staged, superseded.
Packages that have been added by KUC have an empty [State].

[Release Type] :
Update, Security Update, Hotfix, Language Pack, etc.

[Install Time] : The date and time, the package was installed.

[Package Identity] :
The (short) name of the package.

[Language] : If the package is language depended, you find the installation language here.

(The information above depend on DISM)

[Filename] : The name of the .msu file of the package.

[Superseded] : Just ‘yes’ or (nothing). The result depends on my update list (see above).
Do not mix up this column with the [State] column. This column is set by KUC, the [State] column by the operating system.

[SupersedingUpdates] :
Here you find the KB-number(s) of the update(s) that supersede this update. (Note: only the most recent update(s) can be found here, intermediate updates are ignored). (Example: KB3 supersedes KB2, witch supersedes KB1. For both, KB1 and KB2 this column will contain KB3)

[KUC-Type] : If a package only updates a specific feature or addition, the name of this feature or addition can be found her.

[KUC-State] : The column you should look at. (See Description below)

[KUC-StateRemarks] :
Special information about the package.

[NotInstalledSupersedingUpdates] :
KUC also will check, if all of the superseding updates are installed. If some are not installed, you can find them here.

· ADD : update is missing.

· ADD/EXCLUSIVE : Those updates should be installed exclusively.

· ADD/GDR : Add this normal update to avoid Windows message “new updates are available”.

· ADD/LDR : Add this “BF” update to avoid Windows message “new updates are available”.

· ADDLATER : update is missing but you should to do something else before you install it, look at the [KUC-StateRemarks] column to find out more.

· BAD : Oh oh! Something was going wrong during the update installation. First, remove all BAD packages. Then try to add the package again.

· BAD/IGNORE : Something was going wrong during the update installation. You can’t remove this package directly. Try to reinstall GDR&LDR version of those KB#s.

· IGNORE : see [KUC-StateRemarks] for detail.

· KEEP : You should not or cannot remove this package.

· OK : I like those .

· OK/ADD : The package is missing; you could add it, but needn’t.

· OK/GDR : Keep this normal update to avoid Windows message: ’new updates are available’.

· OK/IGNORE : The package is copied from the reference because you checked ‘do not ignore any’ and irrelevant.

· OK/INFO : The package is installed; there may be some additional actions to perform.

· OK/LDR : Keep this “BF” update to avoid Windows message: ’new updates are available’.

· OK/REMOVE : You can remove this package. Look at [KUC-StateRemarks] for detail.
(Example: LDR “BF” version of this package is installed; you can remove the GDR version.)

· REMOVE : You get the KUC-state under several circumstances.
1. The OS marked this package as “Superseded” (in column [State]).
2. You have installed an update that was designed for the RTM version of windows or witch is included in service pack 1 (SP1).
3. This package is superseded and all of the superseding updates are installed.
In all these cases, you can remove the package.

· REMOVE/ADD : Normally you get this KUC-State, if you have installed a package in a lower version than that of the reference. So first remove the old and then add the new version.

• REMOVE/FORCED : You get this KUC-State, if you decide to remove/ignore packages for features you do not want.

· REMOVELATER : Most common reason for this KUC-State is: This package is superseded but not all superseding updates are installed!

· unknown : I hate those .
New updates -not found in the reference- are also listed here.
If you get one of those and it is not a new update, please tell me, I may be able to add it to the reference. New updates will be included in the next release.

· … More to come on next releases

I also added some routines to handle special cases like » only install 2615701, if 2619234 is installed «, or » not integratable «, » don’t integrate «, .

Installation:
Just place the file in a folder you like. I suggest to use the folder C:\WU.
KUC does not make any changes to your System.

Execution:

To run/use the program, you have two choices:

Choice 1. Create the packages.txt your own, on a computer, you want or from a wim-image, you like. Then run KUC and tell him were to find the packages.txt file.

Command to create the packages.txt file for online systems:
dism /online /get-packages /format:table /English >Packages.txt

Command to create the packages.txt file for offline images:
dism /imagepath:D:\Offlinepath /get-packages /format:table /English >Packages.txt
(Replace D:\offlinepath as you need)

Choice 2. Let KUC generate the packages.txt file of your online system.
(Not possible for server-core or wim-images.)
To do this you must run KUC as administrator . (KUC cannot run dism without this right.)

With the first choice you are able to check the [KUC-State] of computers of friends,
of computers that do not support KUC or of installation images.

KUC searches for windows additions that you have installed on your system.

If an addition is installed “ found ”, the search for missing updates of this addition is automatically selected. All missing updates will be added to the output file with [KUC-State] “ADD”.

If an addition is not installed “ not found ” you can decide if you want to add it or leave it.

1. Leave it unchecked: All not needed packages will get the [KUC-State] “REMOVE”

2. Check it: The installation package of this addition and all superseding packages will be placed in the output file with [KUC-State] “ADD”.

All additions will be marked in the [KUC-Type] column.

Note: Not every addition can be integrated. For example “Management Framework” needs .Net 4.0, which is not available in most foundation wims. [KUC-StateRemarks] will inform you.

Note: All labels and checkboxes have tool-tips. So just move your cursor over them.

Don’t ignore any packages of the reference:
KUC normally ignores some packages of the reference with low relevance. This option should only be checked for special propose.

check for missing IE8 updates:
If IE9 is not found you cannot change this. KUC will search for missing IE8 updates.
If IE9 is found and the box is unchecked, IE8 updates will be treated as removable.
If IE9 is found and this box is checked KUC will search for missing IE8 updates.

check for missing RSAT (Remote Server Admin Tool) updates:

If RSAT is found, you cannot change this. If RSAT is not found and the box is unchecked, remaining RSAT updates will be marked as removable.
If you check the box, KUC will search for missing RSAT updates. Since RSAT updates are normal updates on servers, you cannot uncheck this box there. If you cannot install RSAT on a special foundation, this box is disabled.

AD LDS = Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services

VPC = Virtual PC

WIF = Windows Identity Foundation

WUA = Windows Update Agent

ADFS = Active Directory Federation Services

Media Server = just guess

ServerBPA = BPA for server foundation

BPA = Best Practice Analyzer

SystemReadiness = Tool for checking updates (registry and installation)

WinHelp = Utility to view help files created in Windows Help format.

Fmapi = File Management API

MSAgent = Microsoft Agent

NTBackup = the old NTBackup/Restore utility for Windows 7

BrowserChoice = User will be asked what browser he wants

ClientBPA = BPA for client foundation

disable AMD CorePark. = Update that disables AMD Core Parking

check for ALL Server Additions:

If the foundation is server, you select all possible server additions by one click.

check for ALL other Additions:

You can select all possible other additions by one click here.

After you make your decisions KUC starts to run and gives you a first overview of your installation.

Not installed Additions are red ; installed are blue .

KUC found 341 packages (not updates) in your windows installation and 1075 in the reference (+10 extra -95 ignored (depending on your former decisions). KUC also found 761 packages that are not present. Moreover, Oh-Oh 2 packages have a BAD KUC-State.
4 packages for IE8, 5 for IE9, 30 for VPC, 2 for WIF and five for the other additions are found in the input file.

There are +9 new packages for IE9, +4 new for VPC and +3 new for WIF. Nothing new could be found for the other additions. (“disable AMD CorePark.” is new; but was not selected).

Now let’s have a look on the 2. Option Window.

KUC found 767 packages to and 13 to remove in your input file.
273 input packages have no Category (No Cat.) +612 (to add) and -10 (to remove).

20 input packages are for drivers +82 (to add) –3 (to remove).

1 input package is for Media +12 (to add). (Windows Media Player network share and/or Media Center).

2 input packages are for Group Policy +12 (to add) and none to remove.

Some options are disabled. This depends on the foundation and the additions that are installed.
Note that the Vmdriver checkbox is disabled due to VPC is installed.

You do not have any “BF” packages (you did not use “force LDR installation”). There are +232 packages to add and -0 to remove.

Since you have no “BF” there are obviously no GDR/LDR combos.

You did not install any packages for the features IIS, MSMQ, NFS, SNMP or SUA.

As you can see KUC selected only the features that have been installed before.

Also, note that some updates belong to more than one category.

Select Check Options 2:

check for superseded updates:
KUC gives you an overview about all superseded updates installed on the test system. All no longer needed updates will get [KUC-State] “REMOVE”.

Note: This is a very important checking. Some users are wondering, why they get so much packages marked as “missing” on their systems, even if they had installed all of SoLoR updates.
If this box is unchecked, ALL missing updates (superseded or not) will be placed in the output file with [KUC-State] “ADD”. Therefore, if you do not want superseded updates leave this box checked.

use “GDR/LDR” to keep to avoid ‘update available’:

Some superseded updates will popup with ‘update available’ message if they are not installed. KUC takes care the this small number of updates are not removed form your system.

check for ‘force LDR install’ packages:
(This option is only checkable, if the ‘check for superseded updates’ option is selected.)
If you do not check this box ‘force LDR-installation’ packages will be ignored.

KUC check for updates that are present as GDR and LDR:
(This option is only checkable, if the ‘check for superseded updates’ and the ‘force LDR install’ option are selected.)

If you use a “force LDR-installation“-method to install updates, sometimes updates are present in GDR and LDR version. Normally there is no reason to keep both.
Depending on the number of GDR/LDR combos, KUC will propose a checking now.

Note: This is a very important checking, too. Users are often wondering, why KUC adds both (normal and BF_) versions to the output file. You can control this with this check box.
If this box is unchecked KUC assumes, that you want both, the GDR and the LDR version of a package. Therefore, KUC adds both of them to the output file. Also if KUC finds both versions installed he does not mark the GDR version as removable.
If this box is checked, KUC will find GDR versions that you can remove and will only add the LDR (BF_) version of missing updates to the output.