How to check for updates without “Check for updates” button?

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[misuser8]

When Windows Update is configured to “Notify for download and auto install” via group policy editor and there is at least one pending update “Check for updates” button is no longer available, Windows Update only displays “Download” button.

If a pending update is a “Security Intelligence update” sometimes Windows Defender (or whatever Windows 10 built-in antivirus is called) installs exact same version or a newer version of that update automatically but in such cases Windows Update does not update the queue and displays “Security Intelligence” update that has been already installed as pending.

If you click “Download” button and check “Reliability Monitor” afterwards the updates done by Windows Defender and by Windows Update will be reported separately.

If the version of pending “Security Intelligence” update was the same as the version installed by Windows Defender then it is reported as successfully installed twice.

If the version installed by Windows Defender is newer than that in Windows Update queue then 2nd installation attempt done by Windows Update is reported as failed.

Is there the way to check for updates in such situations without “Check for updates” button or make Windows Update display “Check for updates” button alongside with “Download” button?

• This topic was modified 4 months ago by misuser8.
• This topic was modified 4 months ago by misuser8.
• This topic was modified 4 months ago by misuser8.

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Download WuMgr to your hard disk.
Run WuMgr.
Click the Refresh button (round arrows).
View the list of available updates and choose to hide / install any or all updates.

I only use WuMgr to update my machines.
WuMgr Guide

cheers, Paul

2 users thanked author for this post.

windbg, Alex5723

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I also have Windows Update set to Notify and use wushowhide to manage individual updates. When there is a pending update and the “Check for Updates” button is not available you can use wushowhide to see if there is anything else besides the updates that are pending in the queue. Run wushowhide (click Advanced and uncheck box to apply repairs automatically) and let it scan for updates. When the scan finishes click the choice to Hide updates. It will show any available updates. Then you can exit without hiding anything (assuming you were only interested in scan results).

If Windows Update only shows ” Security Intelligence Update for Microsoft Defender Antivirus – KB2267602″ as pending there is no harm in letting it install even if the system has already done that automatically.  After that the “Check for Updates” button will reappear.  My practice is to run wushowhide AFTER the pending Defender update has been installed and WU reports it is now up to date.  If the wushowhide scan indicates that a newer Defender update is available and there is nothing else that I want to hide first then I can comfortably click “Check for Updates” and WU will then install the newer Defender update.

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