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How to Check for Windows Updates (Windows 10 & 11)
Learn how to check for Windows updates in Windows 10 and 11, view update history, and fix common reasons your computer cannot check properly today.
Informational for Windows users, IT teams, and MSPs checking for updates or troubleshooting when update checks do not work
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If you are asking how do I check for Windows updates, the fastest answer is: open Settings, go to Windows Update, and click Check for updates. That is the main built-in path in Windows 11, and in Windows 10 the path is very similar through the Windows Update section in Settings.
Sometimes that check does not work the way people expect. A PC may fail to check, get stuck, say it is up to date too early, or need a restart before detection catches up. This page covers both the normal steps and the most common reasons update checks go wrong.
Use Microsoft's Windows Update troubleshooting guidance as the primary reference for current built-in repair steps when update checks fail or get stuck. Microsoft Support: Windows Update troubleshooter
What You'll Get
- Check for updates quickly in Windows 10 and Windows 11
- Find update history and understand the difference between installed and failed update records
- Work through the most common reasons Windows will not check properly
How do I check for Windows updates?
Direct answer: open Settings, go to Windows Update, and click Check for updates.
If you are on Windows 10, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, then click Check for updates.
This is the main answer for searches like how do you check for updates, how can I check for Windows updates, and how to check for updates on my computer. For most home and small-business PCs, Settings is the right place to start.
How to check for updates on Windows 10 and Windows 11
The basic workflow is simple, but the menu labels differ slightly between Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11
- Open Settings.
- Select Windows Update.
- Click Check for updates.
- If updates are found, let Windows download or install them.
- Restart if Windows asks you to finish the update.
Windows 10
- Open Settings.
- Select Update & Security.
- Select Windows Update.
- Click Check for updates.
- Restart if prompted.
This covers common searches like how to check Windows 10 for updates, how to check updates on Windows 10, how to check for win 10 updates, and how do I check for updates on Windows 10.
| Method | Where to find it | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Settings app | Settings > Windows Update, or Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update in Windows 10 | Normal manual update checks |
| Update history | Inside the Windows Update section in Settings | Reviewing installed and failed update records |
| PowerShell | PowerShell or Terminal | Quick checks, service status, and deeper troubleshooting |
How to check Windows Update history
If you need to know what already happened, open the Windows Update area in Settings and look for Update history or View update history.
That screen helps you separate two different questions:
- Installed updates: updates Windows says were installed successfully.
- Failed updates: updates that tried to install but did not finish correctly.
This is useful for people searching how to check Windows update history after a restart, a failed patch, or a confusing "up to date" message.
Other ways to check for Windows updates
Most people should use Settings first, but there are a few other useful checks.
- PowerShell: commands like
Get-Service wuauservcan confirm whether the Windows Update service is running, andGet-HotFixcan show installed hotfix records. - Windows Update logs: if the update process looks broken,
Get-WindowsUpdateLogcan help generate a readable Windows Update log for troubleshooting. - Command line: advanced users may use Terminal or Command Prompt for service checks, but the Settings app is still the simplest place to start.
If you want a quick command-line check without digging into deeper repair steps yet, this short PowerShell sequence confirms the Windows Update service path and shows recent installed hotfixes.
PS> Get-Service wuauserv, bits | Select-Object Name, Status, StartType
PS> Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 10 HotFixID, InstalledOnIf you already know the problem is no longer just a normal check, the next useful pages are where are Windows 11 update logs and update requires restart.
Why can't my computer check for updates?
If Windows will not check at all, the cause is usually one of a few common problems:
- No internet connection: the PC cannot reach Microsoft Update or the configured update source.
- Windows Update service stopped: the update service is not running correctly.
- Update service stuck: Windows Update is hung in a bad state and needs a restart.
- Pending restart: Windows is waiting for a reboot before it can scan cleanly again.
- Corrupted update cache: cached update files or metadata are stuck or damaged.
- Group policy or managed device rules: the computer is controlled by work or school policy, WSUS, or another management tool.
Caution: if the PC is work-managed, do not assume the update process is broken just because the normal home-PC path looks different. Some managed devices use policies, maintenance windows, or internal update sources that change what the user can see or do.
When the issue looks more like a real servicing failure than a simple missed check, move next to Windows Update fails to install or Windows Update failures.
How to fix Windows not checking for updates
Use these steps in order before you try deeper repair work.
- Restart the PC. A pending reboot can block the next scan.
- Check the internet connection. Make sure the device is actually online.
- Run the Windows Update troubleshooter. Use Microsoft's built-in repair flow first.
- Restart the Windows Update service. If the service is stuck, restarting it can help.
- Clear the update cache carefully if needed. In some cases, the
SoftwareDistributioncache needs to be reset, but this is a troubleshooting step, not the first thing most users should do.
For the current built-in repair path, use Microsoft's Windows Update troubleshooter guidance before you move into deeper manual cleanup.
If those steps do not help, the problem may be deeper than a normal manual update check. That is when it helps to review logs, update history, reboot state, and whether the device is managed by policy.
For the restart-specific side of that workflow, see why updates require a restart in Windows. For the evidence side, see Windows Update logs.
Why Windows says you're up to date when you're not
This is one of the most common Windows Update frustrations. The message can be technically true for one moment and still not reflect the full situation you care about.
- Delayed scans: the device has not refreshed its update detection recently enough.
- Pending reboot: the update may be downloaded or staged, but Windows still needs a restart to finish.
- Update detection issues: Windows is not evaluating current applicability correctly yet.
- Reporting delays: the UI or a management tool is showing older state.
That mismatch is one reason teams end up on pages like patch report not accurate and RMM patch report wrong. PatchReporter helps by making it easier to verify actual update state, reboot state, and patch evidence across endpoints instead of trusting one "up to date" message in isolation.
If the problem is tied to restart-required state rather than reporting alone, see update requires restart.
Common mistakes when checking for updates
- Opening Windows Update but not actually clicking Check for updates.
- Relying on the status message only instead of checking history and reboot state too.
- Ignoring a required restart after updates were found or installed.
- Confusing update history with current update status.