Where is Windows Update?

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I tried this evening (Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 22H2) to open Windows Update to pause updatges until the end of October.  Windows Update does not open.  IN the Start menu I see Windows Update, and the properties show

%windir%\system32\wuapp.exe startmenu

In my system, I have no wuapp.exe on my C-drive (looking at a directory from 230927 after I installed the September updates) and also the previous day’s Monday backup (before I installed the updates).  I see a wuapp64.exe in two directories, but when I try to run them, nothing happens.  How can I run Windows Update to pause future updates?  Thanks.

I went into Settings and then to Windows Update and changed the date there.  Why dies the Windows Update in the search bar not work?

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Did you use WUmgr to block Windows update ?

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No.  I have not used WUmgr.  I did have a problem with WU and wanting a reboot before all of the patches were installed, and someone suggested using WUmgr.  But I determined that the problem was in WU, where is claimed that a patch was 100A% downloaded when it still has 20-30 minutes of download yet to come.

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 I did have a problem with WU and wanting a reboot before all of the patches were installed.

The old days of not seeing a “restart” button until all the windows updates were installed seems to be gone for good.

Now, after each update is finished, a “restart” button appears under the finished update even though there other updates that are still being simultaneously downloaded/installed.

If you click the first appearing restart button the “restarting” screen pops up but remains until all the other updates are installed.  This can be a long time and will appear that your machine is “hung” or “frozen”, but it’s NOT the case.  It’s just waiting until everything is installed.

Obviously, it’s best to simply wait until all the updates have a restart button showing under the particular update.  At that point, you’ll also notice a slightly larger “Restart” button under the whole group of updates.

Custom desktop Asus TUF X299 Mark 1 16GB RAM i7-7820X
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Coldheart9020, lmacri

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TechTango wrote:

Now, after each update is finished, a “restart” button appears under the finished update even though there other updates that are still being simultaneously downloaded/installed.

Doesn’t happen when using WUmgr. Restart only at the end of all updates.

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Yes, I’m aware of this and use WUmgr for some things myself.  Thanks for mentioning.

Custom desktop Asus TUF X299 Mark 1 16GB RAM i7-7820X
Four 27" 1080p screens 2 over 2.
Laptop Clevo/Sager i7-9750H - 17.3" Full HD 1080p 144Hz, 16GB RAM Win 10 Pro 22H2

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I know that the restart button will appear at the end of the first installed patch that requires a reboot.  What I was seeing (before I realized what was happening) was this – one patch would download, install , and then request a reboot.  The second patch would be listed as 100% downloaded but would not install.  Now I know that the second patch was not installing because it was still being downloaded.  Once it completes download, it installs.

But none of these responses tells me why the “Windows Update” in the start menu does not open; it seems to point to a non-existent executable.

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bsfinkel wrote:

none of these responses tells me why the “Windows Update” in the start menu does not open; it seems to point to a non-existent executable.

Hi bsfinkel:

Could you just clarify how you are trying to start Windows Update? My Win 10 Pro v22H2 OS doesn’t have a shortcut for Windows Update when I open the list of installed programs from the Start button (that includes subfolders like Start | Windows Administrative Tools and Start | Windows System).

When I search for “Windows Update” from the search box next to the Start button the “best match” is “Check for Updates (System settings)” …

… which, unlike the shortcuts for  my installed programs like the example below for my MS Outlook 2019 email client, cannot be right clicked to find the file location of the executable that launches the program.

Am I looking in wrong place on my Start menu, and if not are you sure you didn’t create your own (now corrupted?) shortcut to Windows Update and pin it to your start menu?

If you haven’t already done so you might want to run the DISM command Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth and System File Checker (sfc /scannow) from an elevated command prompt with Administrator rights as instructed in the ghacks.net article Use DISM to Fix Issues SFC Can’t just in case your September 2023 updates corrupted some Windows system files.
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.3448 * Firefox v118.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.23080.2006-1.1.23080.2005 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.3.282-1.0.2158 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7279

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lmacri wrote:

My Win 10 Pro v22H2 doesn’t have a shortcut for Windows Update

On My Windows 10 Pro 22H2 when I search for Windows Update I get ‘Windows Update Settings’ which opens Windows Update. There is also ‘check for updates’ entry

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Alex5723 wrote:

On My Windows 10 Pro 22H2 when I search for Windows Update I get ‘Windows Update Settings’ which opens Windows Update.

Hi Alex5723:

I assume that’s because a search from the taskbar (next to the Start button) remembers the user’s last choice when it recommends the “best choice” for the search results. I normally have “Windows Update Settings” in my search results as my “2nd choice” …

… but regardless, the only choice for “Windows Update Settings” is to “Open” the setting.  There’s no path (target file location) shown for an executable.

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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.3448 * Firefox v118.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.23080.2006-1.1.23080.2005 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.3.282-1.0.2158 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7279

1 user thanked author for this post.

Alex5723

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bsfinkel wrote:

… IN the Start menu I see Windows Update, and the properties show %windir%\system32\wuapp.exe startmenu

Hi bsfinkel:

Also note that if I search my C:\Windows\System32 folder for wu*.exe that there is no executable found named wuapp.exe.

According to the WindowsReport article What to do if Windows cannot find wuapp.exe :

“…However, the update settings in Win 10 are a little different. Microsoft removed the ‘wuapp.exe’ file from Windows 10. So Win 10 includes update options within the Settings app instead of Control Panel. As such, a “Windows cannot find wuapp.exe” error message pops up when users enter ‘wuapp.exe’ in Run. That error message can also pop up when users click Windows Update in older versions of Internet Explorer (IE 11 no longer includes a Windows Update option) …”

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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.3448 * Firefox v118.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.23080.2006-1.1.23080.2005 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.3.282-1.0.2158 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7279

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Windows Update does not open

I use a desktop shortcut to open Windows Update.  Might work, but just guessing.

Make this shortcut and double click it.

Right click on the desktop, select “New” then “Shortcut”.  Paste this in the “Web Document” Tab:

ms-settings:windowsupdate

Custom desktop Asus TUF X299 Mark 1 16GB RAM i7-7820X
Four 27" 1080p screens 2 over 2.
Laptop Clevo/Sager i7-9750H - 17.3" Full HD 1080p 144Hz, 16GB RAM Win 10 Pro 22H2

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When I enter     Windows Update   into the search box at the bottom left of the desktop, I get a Windows Update App that I can [try to]  open.  I have attached a shot from my camera; I can’t use screen capture because when I open the capture app, the search pop-up window vanishes.

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Click on the Settings App (gear icon)
Click on Windows Update on the left bottom.

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