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How-To Geek Forums / Windows XP

Automatic Updates

(16 posts)
  • Started 5 years ago by zouleous
  • Latest reply from taybay
  • Topic Viewed 7517 times

zouleous
Posts: 37

Does anyone happen to know the executeable that windows runs when it is scheduled to do an automatic update? I'd like to be able to force an update check via automatic update. Obviously I could schedule it to do an automatic update at the end of the hour and just wait. But is there a way to just run a file or command to do it? Thanks

Posted 5 years ago #
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michael
michael
Posts: 568

Open Security Center, and change settings for Windows Updates.

--
Mike

Posted 5 years ago #
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zouleous
Posts: 37

Huh? Maybe I wasn't clear. I'm not trying to change any settings. I'm trying to find out how to force an automatic update at any given time. Not sure how else to explain it.

Posted 5 years ago #
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michael
michael
Posts: 568

Oh right. You would have to go to http://windowsupdate.com to download the updates manually. Is that any help?

--
Mike

Posted 5 years ago #
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taybay
taybay
Posts: 521

If you go to Control Panel/Windows Update there is a button in the left sidebar to check for updates immediately.

Posted 5 years ago #
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zouleous
Posts: 37

no...let's pretend windowsupdate.com didn't exist. There has to be an executeable somewhere in the \windows directory that is run by the scheduler within automatic updates.

Posted 5 years ago #
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zouleous
Posts: 37

Taybay, that link just launches your browser to windowsupdate.com. It does not use the automatic update engine.

Posted 5 years ago #
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michael
michael
Posts: 568

Oh right. Try using Task Scheduler? And then disabling Windows Update at checking / downloading automagically?

--
Mike

Posted 5 years ago #
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taybay
taybay
Posts: 521

Eh I just realized that this isn't in the Vista section. In vista it checks without a browser. I've looked around for a run command.. you may be out of luck. I'll let you know if I find something.

Posted 5 years ago #
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taybay
taybay
Posts: 521

Alright I may have found something. Try C:\Windows\System32\wuauclt.exe . I'm in vista so you may not have it. I tried it and it did nothing but that may be because I'm completely updated.

Posted 5 years ago #
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zouleous
Posts: 37

Yeah thanks Taybay. I ran it on XP and it also does nothing. I'm not sure what that means. I'm pretty sure that's the automatic update program itself. I was able to find some information on it at this KB:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/903262/en-us

I wish I knew what all the command line switches were for the program. I tried typing wuauclt.exe /? and got nothing.

Posted 5 years ago #
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michael
michael
Posts: 568

I did that, and nothing happened. I have no updates at all though.

--
Mike

Posted 5 years ago #
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zouleous
Posts: 37

When you run the program it may be checking for updates. I'm not sure and it's hard to tell since automatic updater runs in the background and shows no GUI unless it finds an update. The thing is I'm pretty sure this particular system does need updates so I'm guessing there is a switch you need to run with wuauclt.exe. I just don't know what the available switches are. Anyone know how to find this out?

Posted 5 years ago #
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michael
michael
Posts: 568

Yeah. Open CMD, type in "wuauclt /?" and see if that helps you.

--
Mike

Posted 5 years ago #
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zouleous
Posts: 37

As I stated a few posts ago I have already tried that. It does nothing.

Posted 5 years ago #
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taybay
taybay
Posts: 521

Try putting "wuauclt.exe /detectnow" into the command line.

Posted 5 years ago #
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