Microsoft makes available updates for Windows 10 in the regular basis to patch any security hole and to improve the functionality of the operating system. However, even now that updates are mandatory to keep devices always up to date, sometimes updates may not appear for download on your computer for a long time.
Although Windows Update is the preferred method to get updates, Microsoft also allows users to manually download new patches as they become available through the 'Microsoft Update Catalog' website. While mainly a resource for IT administrators who need to test updates before pushing them to devices in their network, you can use the Update Catalog to quickly download a new update if it's not showing for you in Windows Update as an alternative option.
If you perform a fresh install of Windows 10 Creators Update, for example, the version installed is 15063.0. A recently updated system will display 15063.413 as of this writing. How to install the Windows 10 update version 1903 (April 2019 Update) with Media Creation Tools Go to Windows 10 upgrade tool download page here. Click the Download tool now button. Double-click the MediaCreationTool1809.exe file to begin the upgrade process. Click the Accept button to agree to. This is the option using which you can manually install a driver in your Windows 10 machine. Click on this option. Just follow the on screen instructions and keep moving forward accordingly. You will see two options: either select a driver from a target location or make a search of compatible drivers. Download Windows Updates manually. Select your operating system and click on the link to be taken to its download page. Click on the download button to download and save the Windows Update to your computer. This way, you will be able to install the update manually on any one or more of your computers, as long as it applies to the installed operating system or software. If you have Windows 10 Pro, Methods 4 and 5 are the best way to resolve this as Windows would always ask you to before downloading updates. Another way would be to use a 3rd party app like Stop Updates10. Which allows you to disable Windows 10 Updates with a single click.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to find, download, and install updates manually on your device.
How to download cumulative updates
It's important to note that the Microsoft Update Catalog doesn't list anything, instead it's a search page, where you must know exactly the update you want to download.
The easiest way to find an update is knowing its Knowledge Base reference number. For example, on October 11th, Microsoft released Windows 10 build 14393.321, which Knowledge Base reference was KB3194798. You can find the references when we publish a new article about a new update, or when you visit the Windows 10 Update History website. Then do the following:
Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
Quick Tip: If you can't access the site using Microsoft Edge, you can also try opening a new InPrivate window, which should let you get through.
Do a search for the update using the KB number for the update you want. For example, KB3194798.
Click the Download button for the 64-bit or 32-bit version of the update. If you don't know your system type, do the following:
- Open Settings.
- Click on System.
- Click on About.
See System type.
A pop-up window will appear with a direct download link, click it to download the .msu file.
How to install cumulative updates
While you can simply double-click the .msu file to install a new update for Windows 10, you may prefer to include options, such as to prevent the operating system from restarting to finish applying the update, which is something you can do using Command Prompt.
Install Win 10 Updates Manually
- Use the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open the Power User menu and select Command Prompt (admin).
Type the following command and press Enter:
wusa C:PATH-TO-UPDATENAME-OF-UPDATE.msu /quiet /norestartNote: We're adding the /quiet /norestart switches to prevent the operating system from restarting your computer after installing the update, but later on, you must manually reboot your device to finish applying the update.
Quick Tip: If the name of the update turns to be very long, simply begin typing 'Windows10.0-kb' and the hit the Tab key to autocomplete the name.
Wrapping things up
The Microsoft Update Catalog website works best using Internet Explorer, but recent changes that removes ActiveX requirement now allows users to access the site using Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Additionally, alongside cumulative updates, you can also download the latest updates for certain device drivers, and Surface updates.
It's worth pointing out that even though sometimes updates won't get through because of a problem on your computer, there will be other times when an update won't show up because it's not compatible with your system. If you install a patch that is not working correctly, you can always use our guide to uninstall a problematic update.
While we're focusing this guide on Windows 10, the same concept shown here works to download and install updates on previous versions of the operating system, including Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.
Install Windows 10 Manually
More Windows 10 resources
For more help articles, coverage, and answers on Windows 10, you can visit the following resources:
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