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How to install only the required updates?

PostPosted: 14.09.2018, 06:30
by printiq
Hi,

I have been having problems using Windows Update since May 2018.
Only some files get updated. I am on Windows 8.1.
My Windows Update History file has also been completely wiped out when I try a few ideas on the web.
Now it cannot find or install any updates.

I downloaded the WSUS offline and realise that it downloaded every update since 2014 from the w63-64/glb directory.
I only want to update those from May 2018 onwards.

Questions...
1) Can I just delete ( cab and msu)files that are dated before May 2018 from the directory before I run the UpdateInstaller.exe?
I can use powershell to check what files have been updated.

2) Will Windows Updates work normally again if I do just (1) ?

Please advise.

Thanks!

Re: How to install only the required updates?

PostPosted: 14.09.2018, 18:03
by Dalai
printiq wrote:I downloaded the WSUS offline and realise that it downloaded every update since 2014 from the w63-64/glb directory.
I only want to update those from May 2018 onwards.

WSUS Offline is meant to download all available updates for the software you select, but it will only install those that are missing on the system UpdateInstaller is executed on. This way all machines are brought to the same patch/update level, regardless of their initial patch level. In other words: you're using the wrong tool for the goal you wish to achive.

1) Can I just delete ( cab and msu)files that are dated before May 2018 from the directory before I run the UpdateInstaller.exe?

You could, if you want to run into trouble the next time you run UpdateGenerator. It will abort the download process because the checksums of the update files are not correct anymore (due to missing files). The better way would be to move those files to a different directory, but is it really worth the hassle? IMO it's not.

2) Will Windows Updates work normally again if I do just (1) ?

Nobody can reliably answer this question, because a) nobody of us knows your system, and b) even if any of us did know your system, we're still talking about MS software.

Regards
Dalai

Re: How to install only the required updates?

PostPosted: 15.09.2018, 20:11
by aker
Also a file date dated before May 2018 does not mean, that the update was released before May 2018. Usually the updates released once per month have file dates from 1 day ago up to 3 months ago.