Windows Update - Reset

How to Reset Windows Update in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8​

   Information

This will show you how to reset Windows Update view update history, and how to reset and re-register Windows Update Components if you are having a problem updating with Windows Update.

OPTION ONE

To Only Reset Windows Update History

   Note

Resetting Windows Update using this option will clear the view update history details list (cache).

This will not actually uninstall any of your currently installed Windows Update. They will just not be listed anymore. Any new Windows Update installed after the reset will show up in the view update history list as normal though.

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download this file below.
Reset_Windows_Update_History.bat


Download


2. Save the .bat file to your Desktop.

3. Right click or press and hold on the downloaded .bat file, and click/tap on Run as administrator.

4. If prompted by UAC click/tap on Run, then Yes/Continue (if administrator) or type in administrator's password (if standard user).

5. You will now see an elevated command prompt open and run. When it's finished, it will close automatically.

6. If opened, close and reopen Windows Update to verify that it has been reset.




7. Resetting the Windows Update history will also restore the default language packs being listed in Windows Upate again in the Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise editions after you check for updates next.

OPTION TWO

To Reset and Re-register Windows Update Components

NOTE: This option is the Windows version of: How do I reset Windows Update components?. It will reset Windows Update Components and re-register the BITS files and the Windows Update files to help fix Windows Update errors. This option will not clear the view update history details list as it does in OPTION ONE above.
1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download this file below.
Reset_Reregister_Windows_Update_Components.bat


Download


2. Save the .bat file to your Desktop.

3. Right click or press and hold on the downloaded .bat file, and click/tap on Run as administrator.

4. If prompted by UAC click on Run, then Yes/Continue (if administrator) or type in administrator's password (if standard user).

5. You will now see an elevated command prompt open and run. When it's finished, it will close automatically.

6. Restart the computer afterwards to apply.

7. If this still does not help, then run the Microsoft Fix it tool here:
How do I reset Windows Update components?

See also: Unable to install updates in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2

OPTION THREE

To Reset and Re-register Windows Update Components AND Reset Update History in One Easy Click

   Note

This option combines OPTION ONE and OPTION TWO above in one .bat file.

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download this file below.
Reset_Windows_Update_Full.bat


Download



2. Save the .bat file to your Desktop.

3. Right click or press and hold on the downloaded .bat file, and click/tap on Run as administrator.

4. If prompted by UAC click/tap on Run, then Yes/Continue (if administrator) or type in administrator's password (if standard user).

5. You will now see an elevated command prompt open and run. When it's finished, it will close automatically.

6. Restart the computer afterwards to apply.

7. If this still does not help, then run the Microsoft Fix it tool here:

Download



How do I reset Windows Update components?

See also: Unable to install updates in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• Windows Update Error 80246008 in Windows 7 - Fix
• How to Create a "Windows Update" Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Change the Windows Update Settings in Windows 7
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• How to Uninstall a Windows Update in Windows 7
• How to Hide or Restore Hidden Windows Updates in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Create a Installed Windows Updates Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Create a Windows Update Troubleshoot Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Uninstalling Windows Updates in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable Access to Windows Updates in Windows 7
• How to View Windows Update History Details in Windows 7 and Windows 8
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• How to Enable or Disable the Windows Update "Who can install updates" Setting
• How to Download the Standalone MSU Installer File of a Windows Update
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• How to Use DISM to Fix Component Store Corruption in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

 

[iseeuu]

Another awesome tutorial. Had no idea this could even be done!

Cheers!
Robert

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Robert. Thank you.

 

[theog]

Nice one,Shawn.

Will do all MS update or just win?

Ray.

 

[Capt.Jack Sparrow]

Good one !! Thanks Shawn !!

 

[Brink]

Nice one,Shawn.

Will do all MS update or just win?

Ray.

Hello Ray,

It basically just deletes the "View update history", then re-registers all Windows Update DLL files to usually solve any update failures or errors. Essentially a reset if Windows Update goes out in Windows 7.

 

[Dave76]

Nice tutorial, this will be very handy

Thanks Shawn

 

[Bill2]

Nice one, Shawn! Handy.

 

[theog]

Nice one,Shawn.

Will do all MS update or just win?

Ray.

Hello Ray,

It basically just deletes the "View update history", then re-registers all Windows Update DLL files to usually solve any update failures or errors. Essentially a reset if Windows Update goes out in Windows 7.

Hi Shawn

I am going down my Charlotte's over the weekend, Charlotte has a MS Office update play up.
Tool will be coming with me.
Ray.

 

[Brink]

Very nice.

 

[schill13]

System could not find file

I ran the updater and also manually and this particular file could not be found.

rmdir %windir%\softwaredistribution /s /q

 

[Brink]

Hello Schill, and welcome to Seven Forums.

That would indicate that the "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution" folder has already been deleted, and you can just continue on to the next command. Be sure that you are doing this in a elevated command prompt (run as administrator).

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[schill13]

Thank you Shawn, I did that and it still not working. I also noticed I cannot do a backup or an image. I get same error, 0x8007003

 

[Brink]

Schill,

For this 0x8007003 error, see if this may be able to help.

Error message when you try to download updates from Windows Update on a computer that is running Windows Vista: "Error 0x80070003 The system cannot find the path specified"

 

[schill13]

I am running Windows 7 Ultimate

 

[Brink]

It's the same in Windows 7 as well.

 

[rifiy]

Very nice

 

[dew1]

Thank you Brink

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Rifiy and Dew.

 

[schill13]

Thank you Brink, I still have the same problem. I can't do updates, imaging, or backups.
Still get 0x80070003 error.