How to remove MS updates that do not install?

My system tray contains a small shield that represents pending updates that apparently have been downloaded but not installed. Over the last few weeks, numerous attempts to install these have always failed.

Now, I want to remove them and try again but not automatically this time.

Is there a way to remove MS updates that do not install successfully?

 

If you know the update numbers (eg: KB929969) you can try to delete them with Add & Remove Programs (check the "Show updates" box at the top of Add & Remove Programs). That is assuming they got installed far enough to show up there.

Alternatively you can uninstall them my finding the Uninstall folder (eg: C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB929969$\spuninst) and run the spuninst.exe file within it. If the uninstaller doesn't find anything to uninstall, just delete the folder (eg: C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB929969$).

 

here is a small free uninstaller ,if you know the update.


http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/myuninst.html

 

This does exactly what Add/Remove does, does it not??

dmullen
From the sounds of it, the updates have not actually been installed. Just downloaded and failed.

If you connect to the Windows update site you can view the downloaded patches and then re-download them.

 

You can also hide/ignore updates at the update site, though I don't know if that would help.

I once let the box come up (when it was nagging me about an update that wouldn't install) unchecked the update and then clicked next. I believe it then asked me if I wanted it to keep telling me I don't have that update and I click no.

You could always turn off automatic updates, but then you'll want to check the update site a lot more.....

 

Thanks for the responses. So far, no luck. Cannot find the three updates that are pending and redownloading them just resulted in errors in trying to install them. I may run SFC /Scannow tomorrow in the hopes that something is missing in Windows and causing this problem.

 

I have found that automatic updating is "for the birds!" It interferes with normal use of the Internet and you have no idea what is being downloaded. I simply do a manual check for pending updates on a regular, personally established schedule. I am disciplined to do this just as I am for running necessary application updates.

{redoak}