Silently Uninstalling Windows Updates via Command Line in Windows 10

After reviewing the following tutorial thread:
Uninstall Windows Update in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Windows Update Activation Tutorials

I've decided that the information contained within is not entirely accurate (at a minimum, it is no longer accurate). The tutorial states that you can use the following to remove an update via the command line:

wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:XXXXXX /quiet

I'm not entirely sure this command line was vetted when the tutorial was created, because /quiet is not an option via the command line in Windows 10 (in fact, you will receive an error 87 - the parameter is incorrect).

I then considered using DISM /online /get-packages to find the specific KB article I'm looking for, then use DISM.exe /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName: /quiet /norestart to remove the update in question. However, this particular update (KB3210721) was not listed in the DISM packages, even though it is listed when using the PowerShell Get-Hotfix cmdlet or by using wmic qfe list brief /format:table.

Anyone know of an actual method to remove Windows Updates on Windows 10 silently EVERYTIME? Thanks in advance!

(Oh, and thank you, Microsoft, for removing the /quiet switch. Unnecessary change that screws the administrator, truly worthy of your brand).

Brink said:

Hello wkizzlejr, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)

The "/quiet" switch is still showing as being valid on my system. I'm not sure why you're getting an invalid parameter error. Could you post a screenshot showing the command in the command prompt to see if anything may stand out?

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ler-in-windows

Apologies for the time between responses. I did isolate the issue:

Apparently, Microsoft allows for a /quiet uninstall from the command line still - but ONLY when you provide the actual update file. If you attempt to uninstall by KB article, you cannot use the /quiet switch. In fact, if you look at your screen shot above, you'll see that the /quiet switch is not present when providing /uninstall / KB:

This differs from Windows 7, which allowed /quiet in both cases.

I would love to hear Microsoft's explanation regarding this.

Brink said:

I don't have any updates to uninstall yet to test this with, but it did work with the /quiet parameter at the time the tutorial was created.

If KB3210721 wasn't listed using the command below, then that could be why you got the error when trying to uninstall that KB number.

wmic qfe list brief /format:table

Thanks for your assistance, Brink. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest that it worked in the past. Honestly, this feels like such an unnecessary and unfortunate change that it begs the question whether or not Microsoft is even aware of it.

I will say that if you log into a Windows 7 asset and type Wusa.exe from the command line, you'll notice that the help prompt shows /uninstall for both file and KB article on the same line with the /quiet parameter listed, rather than the two separate listings shown by Windows 10. Unfortunately, this might suggest that the change is deliberate.