How to I stop MoUsoCoreWorker.exe from running or get it to run & end?

When I woke my PC up in the morning, MoUsoCoreWorker.exe was listed in powercfg output. Less then an hour later, it's not listed. I'm not sure if that time varies.

I then opened Windows Update, but didn't check for updates as I have updates paused, then I went to Windows Security and checked for updates and still no MoUsoCoreWorker.exe reported in powercfg output.

UPDATE:
I had to restart my PC for unrelated reasons and MoUsoCoreWorker.exe wasn't in the powercfg output.

Matthew Wai said:

You may use the following PowerShell command to check for updates:

Code:

(new-object -com "Microsoft.Update.Session").CreateupdateSearcher().Search("IsInstalled=0 and IsHidden=0").Updates|FT -property Title

It will just display the updates but not download/install them.

..........

Very cool Matthew. Is there a way to make it show optional PREVIEW updates? Or does it already show optional PREVIEW updates and I have none pending installation? ...... which would be surprising to me.

@steve108: just tried it on my production desktop and it showed an (optional) driver update as my only outstanding item. So it appears that -- on this system at least -- the answer to your question "Does it already show optional updates...?" is "Yes!"
HTH,
--Ed--

@steve108: OK, now I understand. I don't see any mechanism to distinguish and block updates by category. Maybe @Matthew Wai can shed more light on this specific issue? I still use WUMT and/or WUMgr to handle update selection prior to download/install myself. Recently, in fact, WUMT has proved instrumental in lifting a recurring logjam on Defender updates on an old (2012) Lenovo laptop. =e=

steve108 said:

1. I asked the wrong question. I meant to ask "Is there a way to show pending PREVIEW updates"

Steve, Ed,

I have a PS script that includes Previews. For example, it currently shows me 2021-05 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems (KB5003214)

I think it will show that even if updates are paused but I never use pause so cannot be certain.

Perhaps you'd like to try it.

draft v1.ps1

Code:

$Session = new-object -com "Microsoft.Update.Session"
$ctr = "(IsInstalled=0 and DeploymentAction=*)"
$Result = $Session.CreateupdateSearcher().Search($ctr).Updates
$Result | Select Title,Identity,IsHidden,LastDeploymentChangeTime,KBArticleIDs,IsInstalled,MaxDownloadSize,Description,SupportUrl | Format-List -Property Title,@{l='UpdateID';e={$_.Identity.UpdateID}},@{l='PublishedDate';e={$_.LastDeploymentChangeTime.ToString('yyyy-MM-dd')}},@{l='KBArticle';e={$_.KBArticleIDs}},IsHidden,IsInstalled,MaxDownloadSize,Description,SupportUrl

The code looks a bit messy because I'm experimenting with output options and have not done any tidying up.
But it runs reliably and gives me correct results.
In case of word wrapping issues with the post, note that it has 4 lines beginning

Code:

$Session = ...
$ctr = ...
$Result = ...
$Result | ...

Sample output

Code:

Title           : 2021-05 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems (KB5003214)
UpdateID        : 9cf27d23-e3ca-47ff-8ccc-4df99d5326fb
PublishedDate   : 2021-05-25
KBArticle       : 5003214
IsHidden        : False
IsInstalled     : False
MaxDownloadSize : 110423184013
Description     : Install this update to resolve issues in Windows. For a complete listing of the issues that are
                  included in this update, see the associated Microsoft Knowledge Base article for more information.
                  After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.
SupportUrl      : https://support.microsoft.com/help/5003214

I call it a draft because I'm actually trying to emulate in PS what I have previously used PSWindowsUpdate and then VBS for and I'm not interested in its current interim state. I intend to complete late in the year 202* but might well be late.
It is mainly based on abbodi's response in start-wuscan cmdlet is not available ... - MSDocs as well as some other MSDocs references.

Best of luck,
Denis