Windows Update doesn't find any updates (no error)

This is something I have been neglecting for quite a long time now.

I'm on Windows 10 Pro x64 2004

I believe I originally installed it via upgrade in 11/2020.

I don't get errors or anything. It just only finds the Windows Malicious Software Tool, and like hardly anything else. It picks up no security updates or anything like that.

My understanding is that security updates have been being published by Microsoft for Windows 10 2004 until 12/2021. So I have missed over a year of updates.

I have disabled automatic updates and use WuMgr. This always worked until the 2004 upgrade (I think ).

I have done everything, sfc /scannow, Windows Update reset tools, deleting the Software Distribution folder, turning automatic updates back on, etc. Nothing has solved this.

I found these users with what I think is the same problem (although these are quite old now):

answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-10-cant-find-updates/30b18bef-bb47-4999-a6e9-22c152196251
forums.tomshardware.com/threads/windows-10-cant-find-updates.3156462


Control Panel:




WuMgr, after checking for updates, and it finds nothing:




PowerShell systeminfo:

Code:

Host Name:                 WIN-10BLPX6N58W
OS Name:                   Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
OS Version:                10.0.19041 N/A Build 19041
OS Manufacturer:           Microsoft Corporation
OS Configuration:          Standalone Workstation
OS Build Type:             Multiprocessor Free
Registered Owner:          Admin
Registered Organization:
Product ID:                00331-10000-00001-AA432
Original Install Date:     11/28/2020, 11:02:56 PM
System Boot Time:          8/29/2022, 11:53:34 AM
System Manufacturer:       VMware, Inc.
System Model:              VMware7,1
System Type:               x64-based PC
Processor(s):              2 Processor(s) Installed.
                           [01]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 158 Stepping 13 GenuineIntel ~3696 Mhz
                           [02]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 158 Stepping 13 GenuineIntel ~3696 Mhz
BIOS Version:              VMware, Inc. VMW71.00V.0.B64.1903020819, 3/2/2019
Windows Directory:         C:\WINDOWS
System Directory:          C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device:               \Device\HarddiskVolume3
System Locale:             en-us;English (United States)
Input Locale:              en-us;English (United States)
Time Zone:                 (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Total Physical Memory:     57,343 MB
Available Physical Memory: 54,987 MB
Virtual Memory: Max Size:  57,343 MB
Virtual Memory: Available: 55,308 MB
Virtual Memory: In Use:    2,035 MB
Page File Location(s):     N/A
Domain:                    WORKGROUP
Logon Server:              \\WIN-10BLPX6N58W
Hotfix(s):                 8 Hotfix(s) Installed.
                           [01]: KB5007289
                           [02]: KB4537759
                           [03]: KB4557968
                           [04]: KB4580325
                           [05]: KB4586864
                           [06]: KB4589212
                           [07]: KB4598481
                           [08]: KB4586781
Network Card(s):           1 NIC(s) Installed.
                           [01]: vmxnet3 Ethernet Adapter
                                 Connection Name: Ethernet0
                                 DHCP Enabled:    No
                                 IP address(es)
                                 [01]: XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX
                                 [02]: XXXX::XXXX:XXXX:XXXX:XXXX
Hyper-V Requirements:      A hypervisor has been detected. Features required for Hyper-V will not be displayed.

(This is in fact a VPS running on a HyperVisor.)

I'm guessing the best thing is just to install 21H2. (It does in fact find the feature update to 21H2; it's one of the hidden updates in the above WuMgr screen capture.) But I'm not ready to do that yet for reasons that it serves no purpose to get into here. There's still over a year's worth of security updates that it's just not finding.

I seem to remember trying to install an update manually and getting a message that said that the update was not for my version of Windows, even though I was certain it was for Windows 10 x64 2004.

I'm at a loss... has anyone run into anything like this before and manage to fix it?

You are correct about December 2021 - that is when Windows 10 2004 reached "End of Servicing" so it is expected that you would no longer be receiving updates.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-US/lif...d-of-servicing

One of the screenshots shows a partial build of 19041, but I'm interested in knowing the remainder of the build number. If you go into Settings > System > About, you should be able to find it there. I'm expecting to see 19041.1415.

My suggestion would be to consider either an upgrade or clean install to the latest edition of Windows 10.

Although you should be able to roll back if there is any problem, I'm always a fan of creating a system image backup "just in case".

Thanks for the reply!

Well that's something. Mine says 19041.630.



See, that's the problem. Windows update is not finding any updates, and has never patched the OS, so it's stuck at the version of the ISO (19041.630) that was originally used to upgrade to 2004.

Again, I get no errors, checking for updates just shows that Windows is up to date, when it clearly isn't.

- - - Updated - - -

I tried installing the December 2021 update manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog



Download is windows10.0-kb5008212-x64_aef75b014bf6a8b9f858533d9dafb07c6f6fb741.msu

When I run it, this is the result:



WTH?

What could cause that?

Something is broken, somewhere. But where? I'm at a loss.

I'm using UltraUXThemePatcher, I wonder if that might be the issue? (It shouldn't.)

- - - Updated - - -

I don't think this is solvable, since a Google search doesn't show any results for this:

www.google.com/search?q=%22windows+10+standalone+installer%22+%22the+update+is+not+applicable+to+your+computer%22&n ewwindow=1&source=hp&uact=5&oq=%22windows+10+standalone+installer%22+%22the+update+is+not+applicable +to+your+computer%22

It gives one result, and that result doesn't appear to be applicable to this problem. (At least I don't think.)

- - - Updated - - -

I have the "show windows version on the desktop" turned on. There, it says:

Windows 10 Pro
Build 19041.vb_release.191206-1406

- - - Updated - - -

Just to try it again, I ran DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and sfc /scannow, even though this resets UltraUXThemePatcher, Classic Task Manager, and Customizer God system tray custom icons.

As expected, sfc /scannow finds "corrupt" files (the above patched ones), resets them, then passes after reboot.

It has no effect on the issue.

First run:



Ran Reset Windows Update Tool (option 2).



Reboot

Second run:



No effect:







The only thing I can think of right now, is that I'm using a commercial VPS that is running on a hypervisor. Is it possible that there's a windows version in the hypervisor that Windows Update is able to see, and it's set to the wrong version? (I can't access the hypervisor, the VPS support staff would have to do it for me, if this applies in any way.)

I know for certain that before I installed the upgrade to 2004 via ISO image, Windows 10 was updating normally and correctly. (I can't remember the version of Windows 10 I upgraded from.) I had the above mentioned custom system patches installed (UltraUXThemePatcher, Classic Task Manager, and Customizer God system tray icons) and it still worked.

Another thing I remember... after the 2004 updates, running Windows Update (in WuMgr) would take a very long time to search for updates (like 10 - 20 minutes). It would behave the same though... it wouldn't find any updates. Starting in some recent months (possibly after December 2021), the long search for updates stopped, but it still has the same issue of not finding any updates.

So other than the hypervisor thing, I'm at a complete loss.

Again, I know I should just update to 21H2, but I would really like to know what happened, and how to solve this in 2004. Plus, the same issue might still just exist in 21H2 on this system after the upgrade.

Any ideas on what could be going on are VERY much appreciated.

Wow, that's pretty interesting. It's not quite back to the original release, but that build takes you to the Nov 10, 2020 updates.



In the meantime, as always, dalchina has provided some good ideas. I'd suggest giving those a try.

Let us know how it goes. I'm curious about this one.

I just did a clean Windows 10 install using an old iso on a USB and have a similar issue. It gives me no options to update and also says I'm missing critical updates. Quite hilarious.
I got a few updates initially and then it stopped.

I got tired of trying to fix the update mechanism after a number of different attempts and went and downloaded Windows 10 November 2021 Update install file.
It's running now, we'll see if it works ...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10

- - - Updated - - -

Sineira said:

I got tired of trying to fix the update mechanism after a number of different attempts and went and downloaded Windows 10 November 2021 Update install file.
It's running now, we'll see if it works ...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10

Didn't work. Completely reinstalled the OS, again.

I don't know what it is about upgrade installations. I know that many people prefer upgrades because they don't need to reinstall their apps, but I do clean installs about 95+ percent of the time. I guess that I just have this organization of my data thing down to such a science that I can do a complete reinstall with all apps in less time than it takes Windows to do an upgrade installation .

The exception is some of the latest upgrades which are basically just enablement packages. Those are insanely fast.

hsehestedt said:

I don't know what it is about upgrade installations. I know that many people prefer upgrades because they don't need to reinstall their apps, but I do clean installs about 95+ percent of the time. I guess that I just have this organization of my data thing down to such a science that I can do a complete reinstall with all apps in less time than it takes Windows to do an upgrade installation .

The exception is some of the latest upgrades which are basically just enablement packages. Those are insanely fast.

The thing is I originally did a clean install with an older ISO and it failed to upgrade to the latest version.
So I had to redo the clean install with a new ISO.
Very irritating.
Not to mention all the issues I had getting the install to accept the new drive as a place where I actually could install a new OS.
There are TONS of bugs in these installers.

And modern UEFI BIOSes, can someone take them out behind a shed and dispose of them please?
Way to much "automatic" shit I can't control failing and wasting time.