Windows Update optional updates (incl. language packs) disappeared

szobanov · 08 Feb 2011

Hello everyone,

I just came to realize the Windows Update window does not show the usual thirty-something available optional updates (last time I checked it was all the language packs and an ATI driver update), only 1 available important update.

Moreover, if I try to select the updates I want to install, the "Optional" tab is completely missing from that window. I haven't hidden any of those updates, nor are they listed as hidden under the appropriate menu.

Have any of you experienced something like this? What should I try to get them back?

Thanks.

PS: I've attached a screenshot of the situation.

PPS: It's been a month or so since I last checked for updates, so I don't exactly know what might've happened that got those updates disabled.

Bill2 · 08 Feb 2011

Click on the "View Update history" in the left panel, you might already have installed them.

Also, have you installed the SP1?

szobanov · 08 Feb 2011

I checked the update history and have no language packs installed. This is also confirmed by the display language settings dialog.

No SP1 either. (Build 7600)

marsmimar · 08 Feb 2011

Hello szobanov and welcome to the Forum.

Have you tried clicking on Restore Hidden Updates?

szobanov · 08 Feb 2011

Hello and thanks. :)

Yup, I have tried that. All it did was restore the 'Browser choice' update under the 'Important' tab.

Bill2 · 08 Feb 2011

Tough. Wonder whether MS is preparing the new build string updates in anticipation of SP1.

In any case, try restarting the windows update service. In an elevated command prompt, type the following one by one and hit Enter after each.

net stop wuauserv

regservr32 %windir\%system32\wups2.dll

net start wuauserv

Now check again. Are you looking for a particular language?

szobanov · 08 Feb 2011

Will try that, thank you.

I'm not looking for any particular language pack, it's just the doubt that something might be messed up. Those updates should be there, along with the driver updates I mentioned before and now they're gone.

I'll post my results with the WU service restart.

Bill2 said:

Tough. Wonder whether MS is preparing the new build string updates in anticipation of SP1.

In any case, try restarting the windows update service. In an elevated command prompt, type the following one by one and hit Enter after each.

net stop wuauserv

regservr32 %windir\%system32\wups2.dll

net start wuauserv

Now check again. Are you looking for a particular language?

Bill2 · 08 Feb 2011

Just noticed you have 64 bit windows. So you need to run regsvr32 from the syswow64 folder. At the elevated command prompt, navigate to the directory syswow64 (c:\windows\syswow64). Then run the regsvr32 command.

szobanov · 08 Feb 2011

Good news!

After restarting the WU service and checking for new available updates all the optional update packs came back, along with 10 important updates for Windows and 1 for Office.

Whether it was the service's restart, or today being patch Tuesday, or both, I don't know. But anyways, all seems to be okay now.

Thanks for your kind help and all the input.

szobanov · 08 Feb 2011

Just a quick sidenote: having installed the aforementioned 11 new 'important' updates sent me back to square one, with no optional and language packs visible, again.

The strange thing is that the .NET Framework 4.0 Client Profile update was not among those 11 important ones, however now it is the only one available again.

I'm kind of puzzled right now.