Windows 10 manually install updates (6 ways)

You have at least six different methods to update Windows 10 manually, and in this tutorial, I'll show you how.

Key Points:
To update Windows 10 manually, open Settings > Update & security > Windows Update, and click “Check for updates.”
You can also download updates manually from the “Microsoft Update Catalog” website and then apply them by running the “.msu” file or through Command Prompt.
Alternatively, you can use the “PSWindowsUpdate” module to install updates from PowerShell on Windows 10.

UPDATED 10/25/2023: On Windows 10, cumulative updates (or quality updates) are essential to fix bugs, patch security vulnerabilities, and improve system performance. Although the Windows Update service regularly applies updates automatically, sometimes, you may still need to check and install them manually for many reasons.

For example, after performing a clean install of Windows 10 or when the device hasn’t been online for a long time, it may be missing some important improvements. Another scenario is when Windows Update is not working, and you need to apply the latest packages manually to resolve the issue. You need to install a newer driver update for a device. Or you want to upgrade to a new version of the operating system.

Whatever the reason it might be, Windows 10 includes at least six ways to download and apply system updates using the Windows Update settings, Microsoft Update Catalog website, Command Prompt, and PowerShell.

Microsoft offers three main types of updates, including quality, optional, and feature updates. “Quality updates” are available every month, and they include security and non-security fixes and improvements. “Optional updates” are not critical but necessary, and they include drivers and product updates. Finally, “feature updates” are new versions of Windows 10 that the company releases once a year, and they can include new features and significant changes.

In this guide, I will teach you the different ways to download and install cumulative updates on Windows 10. In addition, I’ll outline the steps to install optional and feature updates.

1. From Windows Update
2. From Microsoft Update Catalog
3. From Command Prompt
4. From PowerShell
5. Install optional updates on Windows 10
6. Install feature updates on Windows 10

Update Windows 10 manually

On Windows 10, you can manually update the system, drivers, and applications in at least six ways, and here’s how.

1. From Windows Update

To download and install updates with Windows Update, use these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 10.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Windows Update.
Click the “Check for updates” button to download the latest updates available.
(Optional) Click the “Download and install” option to apply a preview update.
Quick note: A preview is an optional update that includes all the non-security patches that Microsoft plans to release in the next Patch Tuesday rollout. You are not required to download these updates during the preview period.
Click the Restart now button.

Once you complete the steps, if an update is available, it will download and install automatically on your computer.

2. From Microsoft Update Catalog

To download and install Windows 10 updates manually, use these steps:

Open Microsoft Update Catalog website.
Search for the knowledge base number of the update – for example, KB5030211.
Quick tip: If you do not know the latest update reference number, you can check the update history tracker.
Click the Download button for the “Cumulative Update” to install.
Quick note: The page usually lists many versions of a particular package, including ARM64, x64, x86, and the one for Windows Server. The package you have to download will depend on your system configuration. However, most of the time, you want to download the “x64” version, which is the 64-bit version of the update. Of course, if you have a 32-bit version of Windows 10, then download the x86 option. You can determine the system architecture on Settings > System > About.
Click the link to download the “.msu” package.
Click the Close button.
Double-click the “.msu” file.
Click the Yes button to install the update.
Click the Restart now button.

After you complete the steps, the cumulative update will apply to Windows 11.

3. From Command Prompt

While Command Prompt does not have a mechanism to check for updates, you can use the console to install a .msu package to update the system with the latest fixes.

To install updates of Windows 10 from Command Prompt, use these steps:

Open Microsoft Update Catalog website.
Search for the knowledge base number of the update – for example, KB5030211.
Click the Download button for the “Cumulative Update” to install.
Click the link to download the “.msu” package.
Click the Close button.
Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to install a new update on Windows 10 and press Enter:
```
wusa c:\PATH\TO\UPDATE.msu /quiet /norestart
```
In the command, update the path with the location and name of the .msu update package. This example installs the KB5030211 update:
```
wusa c:\Users\USERACCOUNT\Downloads\windows10.0-KB5030211-x64.msu /quiet /norestart
```
Type the following command to confirm the update was installed correctly and press Enter:
```
wmic qfe list brief /format:table
```
Quick note: Updates can take a long time to install. As a result, you should allow around five to ten minutes before running this command. If the update doesn’t apply to your system configuration, the command won’t do anything. Once the update appears in the list, you can proceed to restart the device.
Type the following command to restart the device and press Enter:
```
shutdown /r /t 00
```

After you complete the steps, the quality update will install quietly, and the device will restart to finish applying the changes on Windows 10.

The website offers “Cumulative Updates” and “Dynamic Cumulative Updates.” Usually, the dynamic updates are designed for organizations to ensure devices get the latest feature contents and preserve previous features on demand and language packs. You should always choose the regular “Cumulative Updates” for home and small office environments.

4. From PowerShell

Alternatively, you can also install a PowerShell module to manage updates on Windows 10 using the “PSWindowsUpdate” module.

To update Windows 10 from PowerShell, use these steps:

Open Start.
Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to install the PowerShell module and press Enter:
```
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate
```
Type “A” to accept and install the module and press Enter.
Type the following command to check for Windows 10 updates with PowerShell and press Enter:
```
Get-WindowsUpdate
```
Type the following command to select, download, and install a specific update and press Enter:
```
Install-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID KBNUMBER
```
In the command, make sure to replace KBNUMBER with the update number you want to install. This example downloads and applies the KB2267602 update for Microsoft Defender:
```
Install-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID KB2267602
```
Type A to confirm the installation and press Enter.
(Optional) Type the following command to install available updates and press Enter:
```
Install-WindowsUpdate
```
Quick note: When using this command, you will be applying system updates as well as optional updates that may include driver updates.
Type “A” to confirm the installation and press Enter.
(Optional) Type the following command to view a list of previously installed updates and press Enter:
```
Get-WUHistory
```

Once you complete the steps, the Windows 10 updates will download and install on your device.

5. Install optional updates

Optional updates are not critical to Windows 10, but they may be necessary for other functionalities. Usually, these updates are available for Microsoft and non-Microsoft products, feature updates, and third-party drivers (such as printers, cameras, network adapters, graphics cards, and other USB or Bluetooth peripherals).

To install optional updates on Windows 10, use these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Windows Update.
Click the “View optional updates” option.
Quick note: If the option isn’t available, then Windows Update doesn’t have any additional drivers for your device.
Click the category to see the optional updates. For example, Driver updates.
Check the optional updates to install.
Click the “Download and install” button.

After you complete the steps, Windows Update will download and install the packages on your computer.

In the previous versions, you were also able to install optional driver updates using Device Manager. However, the option has been removed, and now, all the updates are available through the Windows Update settings page.

6. Install feature updates

Feature updates are technically new versions of Windows 10 that include new features and significant changes. These updates are optional, and you must install them manually to upgrade to a new version.

The instructions below provide an overview of the installation process. However, since these updates may cause problems during and after installation, you should create a full backup before proceeding if something goes wrong and you need to roll back.

To install a feature update on Windows 10, use these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 10.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Windows Update.
Click the “Check for updates” button (if applicable).
If your device is compatible with Windows 11 and has the upgrade notification, click the “Stay on Windows 10 for now” option to get the version 22H2 upgrade option.
Under the “Feature update to Windows 10, version 22H2” section, click the “Download and Install now” button.
Click the Restart now button.

In addition to Windows Update, you can also install feature updates using the Media Creation Tool using an in-place upgrade or clean installation. Also, you can use the Update Assistant, which is a tool that allows you to install a new feature update using an in-place upgrade.

Update October 25, 2023: These instructions have been updated to ensure they’re still accurate and reflect new changes.

Advertisement

Windows 10 manually install updates (6 ways)

You have at least six different methods to update Windows 10 manually, and in this tutorial, I'll show you how.