Quick Way To See Installed Updates | Neat Net Tricks Remembered

drcard
Software Review Panel

Posts: 581

Quick Way To See Installed Updates Aug 18, 2021 8:11:12 GMT -5

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Post by drcard on Aug 18, 2021 8:11:12 GMT -5

Quick Way To See Installed Updates

Overview:

Situations arise where you need to know what Windows updates have been installed and when those updates were installed, such as did the problem start the same day the update was installed? or no, I haven’t installed that bad update yet. There is a quick way to see what updates have been installed with a PowerShell command applet. Instructions for Windows 10 on how to use this PowerShell command follow.

PowerShell Command To Show Installed Updates

• Right click the Start menu icon and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) to open a PowerShell window as an administrator. OK the UAC box and PowerShell will open.
• At the prompt type in get-hotfix and press the Enter key.
• The list of hotfixes (updates) will be displayed with installed dates.

The updates listed will be only those updates that have successfully installed on the current version. Example: My current version is 21H1 and my list shows only updates since that version upgrade. It does not show updates to a previous version such as 20H1.

This command applet is only in PowerShell and that command will not work in a Command Prompt.

HTH, Dana:)) 👨‍🔬

Peter
Software Review Panel

Posts: 174

Quick Way To See Installed Updates Aug 18, 2021 11:00:51 GMT -5

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Post by Peter on Aug 18, 2021 11:00:51 GMT -5

Aug 18, 2021 8:11:12 GMT -5 drcard said:

Quick Way To See Installed Updates

Hi Dr Card:

Thank you for your wonderful series of excellent hints, tips and essential bits of information. And congratulations on the fossil exploration. I am always boggled by the ancient history of life on the planet, almost all of it unimaginably long before our very existence!

On to more mundane issues. I tried out the Installed Updates hint on both my Win 7 and Win 10 computers.

On the Win 7, it gave a very long list, showing Updates and Security updates, going back to Sept 2020. There were 5 columns:
Source (the computer name)
Description (either Update or Security Update)
HotFixID (the most recent one being KB2841134)
Installed by (either My computer-name/Peter or NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM)
Installed on (date and time, but only once in a while)

On the Win 10 computer, there are the same column headings. They also go back to Sept 2020, everyone had the date attached to it, and all the HotFidID's are also KB numbers.

I am glad to have this hint, as it does give me a way to see what updates I have. But I am curious about the difference in the report that you show on your computer as compared to mine. I wonder if you have any thoughts about the different results. Not very important, of course; simply interesting.

And thank you, as always, for your very helpful postings.

Peter

Last Edit: Aug 18, 2021 11:05:15 GMT -5 by Peter

Cheers,

Peter

drcard
Software Review Panel

Posts: 581

Quick Way To See Installed Updates Aug 18, 2021 12:16:58 GMT -5

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Post by drcard on Aug 18, 2021 12:16:58 GMT -5

Hi Peter,

But I am curious about the difference in the report that you show on your computer as compared to mine. I wonder if you have any thoughts about the different results.

Not sure what you mean. The 20H1 and 21H1 are versions of Windows 10. When there are significant changes Microsoft calls it a version upGrade (not an upDate). Between versions upgrades Microsoft issues "hotfixes" (updates) to fix flaws found in the last upgraded version. These updates (which will always be KB articles) that show are the current updates on the current version. If you type winver in the Search bar and press the Enter key you will see the version you currently have. Unfortunately, the current version doesn't show in that get-hotfix results.

HTH, Dana:)) 👨‍🔬