6000002 Guide to using WUMGR for Windows 10 and 11 updates

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[Susan Bradley]

Topic: Guide to Using WuMgr for Windows 10 Updates @ AskWoody

WuMgr for Windows 10 Explanation

WuMgr is third-party software created by DavidXanatos and performs Windows Update Management. It is an alternate method for Windows update operations. This topic is a short explanation on how to use WuMgr (Update Manager for Windows) to either install Windows updates or hide them.

Part I will deal with downloading and executing WUMgr.

Part II will show how to install Windows updates.

Part III will show how to hide Windows updates.

Part I Downloading and Executing WuMgr

WuMgr is located at this address:
https://github.com/DavidXanatos/wumgr

Select Release 1.1

Select WuMgr_v1.1b.zip

Save file:

Extract files:

I extracted files here:

The executable file is here. Click on it to run it.

Part II Installing Updates from WuMgr

There are six selections for WuMgr from left to right they are:
Circle: Search
Down arrow: Download
Down arrow with box: Install
Trash: Uninstall
Eye: Hide
Chain: Links

Select the circle on the far left.

Check the update you wish to install.
Select the box with the down arrow.

The update will download and install.

Part III Hiding Updates in WuMgr

When you hide an update in WuMgr, the update is prevented from installing.

Select the circle on the far left.

Check the update you wish to hide.
Select the eye with the line through it.

The update will be hidden.

Here is a discussion thread on the platform that may be of help.

 

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

• This topic was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by Susan Bradley.
• This topic was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by Susan Bradley.
• This topic was modified 8 months ago by Susan Bradley.

11 users thanked author for this post.

ejb, a, opti1, groveokgotwood, Juice, AlphaCharlie, BigBadSteve, samak, lmacri, Perq, Alex5723

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Replies

Thank you! I understand WUMgr better now.

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Ok, help me to understand. Up to this point I have been using wushowhide to do the monthly updates on a Win10 Home machine with great success.

I wish to give WuMgr a run this time around.

1.  Does metered connection need to be set to off prior to running WuMgr? and can it be          permanently be left off after the reboot?

2.  Do we need to resume updates in Settings/Update & Security if previously paused for a set period?

 

Cheers

 

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Over on the “wumgr options panel settings for Win10 Pro. What do you use?”  thread I posted my settings.

Once WuMgr is set up properly you won’t even see the Windows update screen, and don’t need to use metered connection.

The only time you will see any updates offered is when you run WuMgr. Then you can pick which ones you want to install, and install them. If you want to hide the ones you don’t want, you can. But then you have to examine them the next month, if still there.

Once you have the updates you chose installed, then that is all you have to do until the next month.

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

Matador

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Matador wrote:

Does metered connection need to be set to off

Do not change any existing settings. WuMgr does its own thing independent of WU settings.

Run WuMgr and click the search button (arrows forming a circle).
You will see a list of available updates and can select any and choose an action for those.

cheers, Paul

1 user thanked author for this post.

Matador

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Thanks for your feedback.

I did find that resume updates (previously setting was paused) had to be in effect in WU for  WuMgr to show all available updates, otherwise only the Defender definitions was listed and nothing else.

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

Paul T

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In WuMgr under the Auto Update tab I have the following settings greyed out.

Block Access to WU Servers

Notification Only

Download Only

Scheduled Installation

Does anyone have a clue why?

Cheers

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Do you use a 3rd party Windows hacking tool that changes Windows, WU settings ? Don’t.

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Not to my knowledge.

I’m new to WuMgr and have only performed tasks on it on 1 occasion, installed the March updates. I previously used wushowhide and ‘pause updates’ for xx days setting in Win10 Home with good success rates.

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Mine also looks like that. I think that’s just the way it works with Win10 Home.

I vaguely remember that other types of Win10 (Pro etc) may be slightly different with some options not greyed out. Maybe someone else could confirm.

Windows 10 Home 22H2, Acer Aspire TC-1660 desktop + LibreOffice, non-techie

1 user thanked author for this post.

Matador

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It’s the same for me on W10 Home with no registry hacks.

cheers, Paul

2 users thanked author for this post.

Matador, Alex5723

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I had to do a reinstall of Win10 and started doing updates via WUMGR.

2022-04 Update for Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems (KB4023057)
seems to be stuck on In Progress. It doesn’t help if I do a restart

which won’t let the following install
2022-05 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5013942)

The Trash icon is grayed out so I can’t delete 2022-04 Update

Any thoughts? that might help?

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Stuck updates are usually self healing if you leave them long enough. I’ve seen reports of over 8 hours here.

cheers, Paul

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36 hrs to self heal, what a pain.

Thanks for getting back to me

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Hello Susan and all your team,

I fully admit that I’m not conversant in using wumgr as I’m not able to download the updates ( “authorization failed”  “access denied “etc…

Thus I raise the white flag and ask you how to uninstall this software ?

I tried through Windows without success. I have a 5-year old ASUS portable PC with Win 10, 64 bits) which was updated with standard MS Windows updates through the end of April.

I tried through CC Cleaner: the file is unknown

And trying to erase the file gets me a note like: Unable to uninstall this file is used in another application. Although I had gotten out of wumgr and erased its shortcut…

Many thanks for your help.

And thanks for all your work in this Newsletter which is a great help.

Courteously yours,

Genaker

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What file are you accessing? it should be wumgr.exe and it is neither uninstalled nor installed. It is extracted from a .zip file.

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

1 user thanked author for this post.

genaker

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Thanks for your reply Geekdom

After a while I found a way to uninstall by stopping the process through the Task Manager. It flabergasted the MS updates a short while until I restarted the PC. Now they’re doing their bit downloading themselves.

I will use another Update manager in the future, as this one is short on On-line help for my software abilities

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Several points:

• You didn’t mention specifically what you were uninstalling, leading me to believe that you were attempting to uninstall WuMgr. In the future, provide information on what Microsoft Update you are uninstalling such as the identifying number. Help us by providing complete information.
• There’s much information out there on WuMgr.  Here is an internet seach example where the search term is “using WuMgr”:
  https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffhp&q=using+wumgr&atb=v311-1&ia=web
• Figure out what tool you want to use for your Microsoft Updates, whatever it may be, and learn how to use it effectively.

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

1 user thanked author for this post.

genaker

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Hello Geekdom,

Thanks so much for today’s mail. This is exactly the kind of research I was going to make on the forum. You must have telepathic abilities : enjoy them !

Have an EXCELLENT day.

Genaker

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Genaker wrote:

I will use another Update manager in the future, as this one is short on On-line help for my software abilities

@genaker, here are two other programs that are intended to provide the kind of control over Windows updating that you seek: the Windows Update MiniTool and the Windows Automatic Updates Manager. WUMT is the grandaddy of these applications, and WUMgr is explicitly modeled on it. You may have better success with one of these two.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out with either of these alternatives.

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

1 user thanked author for this post.

genaker

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Hello Cybertooth,

Thanks so much for your help, I will follow up on this trail !

Genaker

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

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One thing to (possibly) watch out for: early this month, I brought a Windows 10 laptop up to version 21H2. IIRC, the previous installed version was 2004, meaning that (if I understand these things) my Windows 10 was now out of support. Instead of going through the usual patch/updating process, to get 21H2 I had to go to a Microsoft page to download the new version.

With this as background, I note that the next time I looked at the laptop, Windows was telling me that some updates were required, as if WUMGR had been disabled. Launching the program confirmed that, indeed, the radio button in the Auto Update tab down on the left was now UNselected.

Selecting that radio button again brought the updating process back to the desired state (meaning: with the user in control of the process).

When moving to a new version of Windows 10, make sure to keep an eye out for the possible disabling of WUMGR, perhaps if the one you currently have has gone out of support.

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

1 user thanked author for this post.

genaker

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Thanks for the tip ! I will look into that pretty soon, as I had not expected your kind of reply.

Excellent day to you

Genaker

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

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Cybertooth wrote:

When moving to a new version of Windows 10, make sure to keep an eye out for the possible disabling of WUMGR

WUmgr is a portable app.
There is no way Windows update can tamper with any settings in WUmgr.
The settings are in Windows update.

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Question: If a user checks the radio button to disable automatic updating in WUMgr, does that affect any Windows Registry values?

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

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WuMgr is based on Windows Update Agent API that lets you find and install missing updates on your computer.

I think that WUmgr disables Windows Update service.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

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Thanks, @Alex5723.

Disabling the Windows Update service, sounds like it would be something that would change a Registry value, is that right?

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

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I have a question about using WuMgr as a portable app. I have it installed on my Win 10 Pro HP laptop and run it on that machine, but I am getting a new Win 10 Pro Thinkpad and want to be able to install it and set it to control updates before I first go online with the new laptop. So, I’d like to download the portable version onto a thumb drive from my HP laptop and then be able to run it on the new laptop.

I also can’t remember if I downloaded the version I now have from MajorGeeks or from the github site above. Is there a specific version that I’d need for it to be portable?

Thanks!

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The download of WuMgr is already portable. Just  unzip and run.

I am using version 1.1b.

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

LHiggins

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Great – so can I download it onto a thumb drive and then drag the zip file over to my new laptop and unzip it to use? Or can it be unzipped on the thumb drive and just run from there?

Thanks!!

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It can be unzipped on either or both drives.

As long as you can see the wumgr.exe file in Windows Explorer, you can run the program. Best to run as an administrator.

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

LHiggins

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Cybertooth wrote:

Thanks, @Alex5723.

Disabling the Windows Update service, sounds like it would be something that would change a Registry value, is that right?

 

No that I know of.

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I’m puzzled: if a Registry value isn’t changed by clicking on the WUMgr radio button to disable Windows Update, then how else would Windows know not to download/install updates without the user’s specifically requesting it?

As (maybe) a backup for this idea: the screenshot that you showed above, isn’t that from GPE, and if so, doesn’t GPE work on/with the Registry to apply the user’s selections?

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

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Cybertooth wrote:

I’m puzzled: if a Registry value isn’t changed by clicking on the WUMgr radio button to disable Windows Update, then how else would Windows know not to download/install updates without the user’s specifically requesting it?

Actually, it does change a value in the registry.

It changes the NoAutoUpdate value under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU from 0 to 1

3 users thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth, Alex5723, samak

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Running a “trial” Windows 11 PC here, and would like to run with WuMgr. I’ve searched around, but can’t find any mention of how the “regular” Windows update option(s) should be set, i.e. paused, resumed – and any other settings which might affect the proper operation of WuMgr. Thanks in advance –

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You can leave the regular Windows Update options at default values. By adjusting settings in WUMgr, you will basically be instructing Windows to ignore those defaults, as WUMgr works by disabling Windows Update services/processes.

See the replies here and here upthread.

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

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Is the current WuMgr v1.1 (rel. 11-Dec-2019) compatible with Windows 11? All the documentation I’ve been able to find says it requires Windows 10 but I believe some of the Win 11 users in this forum have said that they use WuMgr to manage their Windows updates.

If not, is Windows Update MiniTool v22.x a good alternative for Win 11 users?
————
Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.3448 * Firefox v118.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.23080.2006-1.1.23090.2007 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.3.282-1.0.2158 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7279

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@lmacri, I’ve been using WuMgr v1.1 since February on a PC that’s on Windows 11 Home, with no apparent problems. Seems to work just as well there as on Win10.

I have little experience with WUMT on any edition/version of Windows. If you try it, let us know if that, too, works on Windows 11.

Good luck!

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

1 user thanked author for this post.

lmacri

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I use it on both W10 and 11 without issue.

cheers, Paul

3 users thanked author for this post.

CR2, Peter-B UK, lmacri

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Good morning all from the UK,

We have two Windows desktop PC’s running Windows 11 Home (22H2). I downloaded the WuMgr at the weekend as suggested by this website.

All appears to be running OK as yesterday managed to hide certain updates and install those recommended by Susan Bradley.

One thing I am a bit concerned with is how what changes this software makes to the computer. As the software doesn’t install therefore no uninstall option either but I’ve read where people have just deleted the wumgr application/executable file to return to using the standard built-in Windows Updates but the built-in WU no longer functions! This has unnerved me somewhat to be honest.

Does anybody know exactly what changes this software makes to PCs’ (e.g changes to registry file / group policies etc.)? Obviously it must some changes to be able to hide software updates that are deemed to be avoided. Has anybody got a definitive step by step instructions on how to remove this piece of software if needed?

Any information would be most welcome as don’t feel comfortable having software which might causes issues down the road.

Thanks in anticipation.

Peter

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WuMgr is just a front end for Windows Update. It gives you instant access to updates and options to install / hide / wait, unlike Windows Update itself.
There is nothing to install and no changes to do / undo, unless you use WuMgr to disable Windows Update (which I do).

cheers, Paul

1 user thanked author for this post.

lmacri

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Hi Paul T

Many thanks for your reply. I’m more thinking about if I want to remove WuMgr at some point in the future. Surely WuMgr must change a Windows setting somewhere for the software to have the ability to hide updates (and those hidden updates to then not appear when running the built-in Windows Updates) as the built-in Windows Update doesn’t have the ability to hide and unhide updates.

I don’t think I’ve disabled Windows update (I’m guessing that would be a setting in the “Auto Update” tab. Have attached screenshots of my current setting.

Thanks again

Kind regards

Peter

 

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Peter-B UK wrote:

remove WuMgr at some point in the future. Surely WuMgr must change a Windows setting somewhere

WUmgr is a portable app with no install, no settings changes…
To remove the app you just have to delete the folder you saved it in.

The app is just front end to Windows Update .

2 users thanked author for this post.

CR2, Peter-B UK

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There’s an echo in here…    😉

cheers, Paul

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Thanks for the replies guys

It just un-nerved me somewhat reading this thread on this site https://github.com/DavidXanatos/wumgr/issues/109

and this thread on another site https://www.tenforums.com/software-apps/186990-how-uninstall-wumgr.html

Regards

Peter

 

 

 

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

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In WuMgr, I should have simply unselected “Disable Automatic Updates”

The ten forums post explained that they had forgotten what they did when using WuMgr. No mysteries there.

cheers, Paul

2 users thanked author for this post.

lmacri, Cybertooth

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Thanks Paul,

Yes, so it’s worth users knowing that if they wish to remove the WuMgr application from their PC and that they were using the “Disable Automatic Updates” option, that they need to go into the Auto Update tab and ensure that “Disable Automatic Updates” is unselected and then also check that the “Hide WU Setting Page” box is  unselected and then do a reboot before they delete the folder containing the application.

So does anybody know what changes does WuMgr make to Windows when users select “Disable Automatic Updates”? Possibly a change to the registry and/or group policy file(s)? Surely it must make a change of some sort to system settings?

Thanks and kind regards

Peter

2 users thanked author for this post.

samak, lmacri

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The “Disable AU” setting disables a couple of services (UsoSvc, WaaSMedicSvc).
The “Hide Update Page” setting adds a registry value (SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\SettingsPageVisibility”, “hide:windowsupdate”).

This can all be found in the source code (GPO.cs) on the WuMgr github page. No mysteries there.  🙂

cheers, Paul

2 users thanked author for this post.

lorenzok1, Alex5723

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Thanks Paul.

Ah! so the answer was found in the C# source code (not all users including myself have ever dabbled in C#). Therefore it was a bit of a mystery to me, as I personally would not think to look in nor be able to follow C# source code to find the answers (and I’m sure that I’m not alone in that one) 🙂

Many thanks for confirming that using the “Disable Automatic Update” option in WuMgr disables a couple of Windows services and adds a registry value 🙂

Thanks again and regards

Peter

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

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Peter-B UK wrote:

So does anybody know what changes does WuMgr make to Windows when users select “Disable Automatic Updates”? Possibly a change to the registry and/or group policy file(s)? Surely it must make a change of some sort to system settings?

I’d like to know the answer to that question as well.

Windows 10 Home 22H2, Acer Aspire TC-1660 desktop + LibreOffice, non-techie

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Thanks, this “resolved” my issue with the KB5034441 update, now its simply just hidden.

Didn’t want to hassle over resizing the Windows recovery partition, thanks Microsoft!

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Excuse me-what about for windows 11? Lately, my wushowhide didn’t detect the july updates for the month and today the july updates forced themselves onto my pc without my permission.

Is the WUShowhide expired or not working anymore and is there an easier and efficient program I can use like that one to hide updates I don’t want?

1 user thanked author for this post.

cmar6

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Did you have Windows Update on “Pause”?
Windows Update and wushowhide both use the Windows Update Service to scan for updates. If you use Pause, you disable the Windows Update Service and neither WU or wushowhide can scan for updates.

wushowhide still works in my Win10 and Win11.

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“for windows 11? Lately, my wushowhide didn’t detect the july updates for the month and today the july updates forced themselves onto my pc without my permission.
Is the WUShowhide expired or not working anymore and is there an easier and efficient program I can use like that one to hide updates I don’t want?”

I had a similar result for 7/2024 Win 11 23H2 using WUShowhide.

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Were you using Pause in Settings\Windows Update?
If you were, it was preventing WUMgr (and wushowhide) from scanning for updates, and when the Pause period ended the updates were immediately downloaded/installed.

If you use WUMgr/wushowhide, do not set Pause in Windows Update. Let WUMgr control the updates.

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( clicked Text tab and deleted all the html)

I take it that on Windows 11 we no longer use Wushowhide with Wumgr?

Also, which are the updates we should hide for Win 11 Pro 23H2?
My installation is Win11 Pro 23H2, build 22631.3880 (2/2024)

I need to ask as I kept track of only the updates to avoid for Win10 22H2.

Some of the updates I saw (might be wrong list for Win11): KB5034441 KB5034440
KB4023057 KB5032190 ? KB5034122 KB5034275 KB5001716

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Refer to Susan’s Master Patch List for updates to install or hide.

If you use WUMgr, you do not need to use wushowhide. WUMgr scans for updates, hides updates, and controls the download/install of the patches.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Peter-B UK, cmar6

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Is there an easy way to set up the WUMGR so I can hide the updates for windows update and is it easy to understand?

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Read the instructions in the first post. They are easy to follow.

cheers, Paul

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Okay, but just in case I’m gonna save my stuff on a usb drive before downloading it. If the WUMGR is a good substitute to help me hide updates even lenovo type, then it’ll be a big help so I don’t get caught off guard.

I’ll be sure to download it this week and try to download 23h2. I still have to install that system version.

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megan wrote:

If the WUMGR is a good substitute to help me hide updates even lenovo type,…

I don’t believe that WUMgr will help you hide updates that come from Lenovo, only updates that come to you via Windows Update/Microsoft Update.

The name WUMgr stands for Windows Update Manager.

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It will catch/hide any drivers (Lenovo and others) that come through Windows Update.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Peter-B UK, Bob99

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Then I’ll use it to hide the windows updates.

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PKCano wrote:

It will catch/hide any drivers (Lenovo and others) that come through Windows Update.

Thanks for the reminder about the drivers that can come from WU!  😉

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WUmgr hidden updates (Lenovo Y530):

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Thanks, PK, that’s the first time I’ve looked at Susan’s Master Patch List. Looking back to Jan 2024 (my Windows installation USB was 2/2024), only the first two listed below seem to be “don’t install.” The other four with ? are mentioned, but she doesn’t say not to install, just describes problems associated with them. I’m not sure how to handle those, especially KB5034440, which isn’t mentioned at all.
Avoid KB5001716 KB5034441 KB5033375 ? KB5008383 ? KB5025885 ? KB5014754 ?

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Okay-I figured it out. It was quite easy. I’ll test it when I have to install an update, but I tested it out after following the steps and it is very easy.

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Superb introduction to WuMgr from SB. Wumgr seems to be working out much better for me on Win 11 than WUShowHide, though latter is still fine on Win 10.

One question about WuMgr History: I’ve got many failed updates. How to remove them from the window?

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The results are just a display of the Windows logs. Nothing you can to about them.

cheers, Paul

2 users thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth, cmar6

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Alright-Been working well to hide and install updates. :3 Nice for wushowhide to have a backup to help hide those pesky updates.

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The other two icons in WuMgr (trash can and linis)–what are they used for?

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It appears that WuMgr is the popular alternative for when the wushowhide mechanism is retired. I have read Susan’s Topic 6000002 Guide to using WUMGR and understand how to download the portable version and make ready for use.

I am left with a bit of confusion as to how to proceed from there and have a few questions I hope someone can help with.

First, no mention is made by Susan of the need to do anything with the Options and Auto Update tabs in the lower left of WuMgr. Does that mean that those settings are fine as is as downloaded and extracted? No need to update anything on those tabs?

Next, I am curious as to what, if anything, needs to be done with Group Policy settings that may have been in use in conjunction with wushowhide. I can list several of the Group Policy choices that may have been enabled at one time or another (see my list below).

Do not include drivers with Windows Updates
Configure Automatic Updates
Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received
Select when Quality Updates are received
Select the Target Feature Update version

Do any or all of these need to be returned to “Not enabled”? Will their presence affect the behavior of WuMgr in any way? Should any of the above Group Policies be retained?

Also a similar question regarding whether the network connection is set to “metered” or not? Would a “metered” setting need to be unset in order for WuMgr to function or is WuMgr function oblivious to that?

I actually have read a lot of posts beyond Susan’s initial WuMgr topic, but I just get more confused as to where the line is drawn between native Windows Update and the WuMgr tool. Please forgive whatever dense spots are making this hard for me. I have been using Group Policy along with wushowhide for so long with absolute success that I can’t shake my ingrained paradigms. While wushowhide may appear primitive, that is what made it so easy for me to understand.

My questions likely seem pretty dumb, so please be patient with them. I know I will need to move on from wushowhide. BTW – I have both Win10 Pro and Win11 Pro. And yes, I do use Macrium to create system images before allowing updates.

1 user thanked author for this post.

opti1

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WUmgr runs Windows update so any settings in GPEdit / Registry .. that implies to Windows update is honored by WUmgr.

With Pro version there is no need for pause, metered… just set Notify=2 (notify don’t download / install).

* These are my WUmgr settings (notification only means Notify=2).

4 users thanked author for this post.

opti1, TechTango, castiel, Cybertooth

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Alex5723, your reply is exactly what I was looking for! Your reply is the direct answer I had hoped for and your screen shots are very helpful.

There have been a lot of threads and posts, but everyone seems to have a slight twist for how they do things and that was confusing to me.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Alex5723

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cmar6 wrote:

The other two icons in WuMgr (trash can and linis)–what are they used for?

@cmar6, I just now saw your post. Sorry you had to wait this long for a reply.

Of the two icons you mention, the trash can is used to uninstall a previously installed update that you don’t want, while the links seem to copy the update’s direct download links to your Windows clipboard.

I’d never even tried the links icon until tonight (so that I could provide an answer), and so the URLs look unfamiliar to me. These start with http://tlu.dl.delivery.mp.microsoft.com/filestreamingservice/files/ followed by random-looking strings of characters, which I’m guessing are for specific update files or versions of files. (Note that, curiously, the address is http:// and not https:// —that was not a typo on my part.)

The trash icon is active only if you have selected (put a check mark in the box for) a patch from the Installed Updates list in the right panel, while the links icon is active if you select an installed update to uninstall or an available (not-yet-installed) update from the list that shows up when you tell WUMgr to search for updates.

Hope this helps!

 

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opti1, Alex5723

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Is there a guide or help file for WuMgr, which I’ve started to use for Windows 11? I find the process hit or miss compared to WuShowHide for Windows 10. In WuMgr, after Search for updates, how does one control which updates to download and which to get rid of?

Also, which boxes or options should be chosen? Is download separate from install?

Here are some of the options: Group updates; Offline mode; Manual download/install; Included superseded; Block access to WU servers; Disable Automatic updates; Download only; Disable Store update; Include drivers.

And most important of all, what’s the difference between Trashcan icon and eye icon?

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cmar6 wrote:

Is there a guide or help file for WuMgr, which I’ve started to use for Windows 11?

You’re looking at it in the thread you’re reading! 🙂

Susan’s first post above contains a link to another very useful AskWoody thread on WUMgr, started by @geekdom. Sadly, the program’s developer has not seen fit to create a formal manual or even a help file.

To answer your question about how to control which updates to download, you would do that once WUMgr draws up the list of available updates. All you need to do is to put check marks on the ones you want and not on the ones you’re not interested in. At this point, you get the option either to simply download the update, or to go ahead and also install it. I’ve always just told it to go ahead and install the ones I want, it’s one less step.

Regarding the options to set, this post of mine from the other WUMgr thread gives a rundown of the settings that I use. You can also go into the Internet Archive for this excellent discussion of WUMgr from a site that’s no longer in operation.

 

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cmar6 wrote:

And most important of all, what’s the difference between Trashcan icon and eye icon?

Trashcan = delete, Crossed-out eyeball = hide/unhide toggle.

As pointed out above, the various icons are only active (i.e. not grayed out) when you’ve selected (i.e. checked) an item in the right-hand panel.

Another item to consider is, if you ever want to use WuMgr to actually “install” an update, the ’Manual’ Download/Install box must be checked.

Another very important point!

When you start WuMgr you need to click the refresh button in order for it to update these categories.

Before refresh.

After refresh.

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Another item to consider is, if you ever want to use WuMgr to actually “<em class=”gdbbx-bbcode-italic”>install” an update, the <span class=”gdbbx-bbcode-font-color”>’Manual’ Download/Install</span> box must be checked.

Mine is unchecked and I can still check for updates and then select which updates to download/install.

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cmar6, opti1

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n0ads wrote:

’Manual’ Download/Install box must be checked.

No, it does not.

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Thanks, as always, for the valuable info from Woody experts Alex and Cybertooth.

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Cybertooth

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OK, so I took WuMgr for a trial run on my Win11 Pro system. Displayed updates and downloaded & installed an update. So far so good.

But could not help myself to visit Windows Update in Settings. Was hoping that would be in sync with what was done with WuMgr, but the update I installed with WuMgr showed as waiting for download & install in Windows Update in Settings.

Then I thought (hoped) that the next time Windows Update checked for updates that things would sync up and the waiting update (installed by WuMgr) would disappear and show in Update History. But it did not.

That kind of unsettles me as Windows Update and wushowhide would always match up and be in sync.

Is it simply expected behavior for a patch installed via WuMgr to not be reflected in Windows Update in Settings?

I am expecting people to say if using WuMgr to forget that Windows Update in Settings even exists (???).

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I think I realized part of the answer to my questions. I am guessing much like manually downloading and installing an update from the Microsoft Update Catalog which I believe would not show in Settings > Windows Update > View History, the same would be true when installing via WuMgr (does not show in Settings > Windows Update > View History) ???

What remains unclear to me is why an update already installed via WuMgr would continue to show in Settings > Windows Update as ready to download and install even though already installed via WuMgr – especially after subsequent Check for Updates have occurred.

I would think when Windows Update subsequently checked for updates, it would have seen that particular update had already been installed (???). Instead it continues to show as “download & install”.

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castiel wrote:

I would think when Windows Update subsequently checked for updates, it would have seen that particular update had already been installed (???). Instead it continues to show as “download & install”.

WUmgr has a bug in ‘register Microsoft update’ setting. It doesn’t register properly updates.

Instead of checking ‘history’ you check ‘uninstall updates’

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castiel

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castiel wrote:

I am expecting people to say if using WuMgr to forget that Windows Update in Settings even exists (???).

That’s indeed the case with me. I never go into the Windows Update UI anymore and have no idea what it might show or not show there.  🙂

Actually, I couldn’t do it even if I wanted to: my WUMgr settings have a check in the box for “Hide WU Settings Page”.

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Alex5723, castiel

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Cybertooth wrote:

my WUMgr settings have a check in the box for “Hide WU Settings Page”.

Its ok with Pro versions where you can change update settings using GPEdit.
Home users don’t have this luxury and need WU settings for pause, metered…

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Cybertooth

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