Every time y'all run across that a new update is coming to your Windows ten PC, you always wait something fresh and new. And you must already know that the utility to make that happen is Windows Update.

The tool is designed to automatically start downloading updates as long as your system has a stable internet connection, although, in some situations, y'all have to start the procedure yourself. It's pretty easy and straightforward: Check for updates >> Download them >> Install them.

Usually, Windows keeps a record of every update that is installed on your Windows 10 computer, whether information technology'due south a quality, feature, driver, or security update. This gives you lot an idea of what you have and don't have.

You lot also have the option to uninstall individual updates whenever you're battling with compatibility issues and conflicts.

Going back and forth with Windows Update should probably be the terminal thing y'all signed up for on Windows x. But the reality is that every Windows component encounters issues, even something equally disquisitional as Windows updates. Some updates might fail, and your update history volition be populated with them. If yous don't want to meet these failed updates once more, you take to articulate the entire update history.

Y'all might also want to clear the history if the updates it contains are very old and you want to be able to keep track of the new updates.

Note that clearing the update history isn't the same as uninstalling those updates.

This commodity volition be walking you through different methods of clearing the Windows update history.

"How do I view the Windows update history?"

You lot can view your update history through the Settings application, Command Panel, and Command Prompt. You'll observe out how to use these apps beneath.

Using the Settings awarding

First, you lot have to open up the application:

  1. Become to your taskbar and right-click on the Windows logo (the First carte du jour).
  2. Later on the menu appears, click on Settings.
  3. Alternatively, you can press the Windows and I keyboard buttons to open up the Settings application.

Next, go to the Windows Update page and view your history. Hither'south how:

  1. Once you go to the home page of the Settings application, click on Update & Security.
  2. On the next screen, where you run into Windows Update, scroll downward and click on "View update history."
  3. You'll at present be taken to the "View update history" folio, where you lot'll see the listing of updates that Windows Update attempted to install, if they were installed, and the dates the download and installation processes were initiated. Updates are classified into dissimilar categories, such as Quality Updates, Feature Updates, Driver Updates, Definition Updates (for Windows Defender), and Other Updates.
  4. Each update description doubles as a link that will redirect you to Microsoft's website, where you can find out well-nigh the update. Their KB numbers are likewise indicated in brackets.

Going through Control Panel

  1. Become to the taskbar and right-click on the Start push button.
  2. Select Run once the menu on the right side of your screen appears.
  3. You tin can open up the Run dialog box a lot faster if y'all punch the Windows and R keyboard buttons together.
  4. After Run shows up, type "control panel" (don't add the quotes) into the text box and hitting the Enter primal.
  5. Later on the Control Panel window opens, get to Programs and click on Uninstall a Program.
  6. When you encounter the Programs and Features window, head to the left pane and click on View Installed Updates.
  7. Every update that has been installed on your system will at present be displayed.
  8. If you expand the window, you lot'll notice more details, such as the update'south publisher, the program that was updated, the update version, and the engagement it was installed.
  9. Note that yous'll only see updates that were installed successfully on this page, dissimilar on the View Updates History folio in the Settings awarding, which also shows failed updates.

Checking installed updates in the Command Prompt

  1. Activate the search function in the Start menu surface area past clicking on the magnifying drinking glass in the taskbar or by pressing the Windows and Due south keyboard buttons together.

Tip: You can keep the search box open by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting Search >> Show search box.

  1. Blazon "cmd" (don't add the quotes) into the search box.
  2. Once Control Prompt appears in the search results, right-click it and select Run equally Administrator from the context carte.
  3. Click on Yes in the UAC pop-up.
  4. Once the Command Prompt opens, blazon "systeminfo.exe" (don't add together the quotes) and hit the Enter keyboard button.
  5. The Command Prompt volition now list the detailed info of your organisation.
  6. Scroll down to Hotfix(s) to find the updates installed on your arrangement.
  7. Annotation that with the Command Prompt, you lot'll simply see the KB numbers of the updates, not their names and versions. You can go to Microsoft'due south website to find out what each KB number represents.

Using Windows PowerShell

  1. Get to the taskbar and right-click the Windows logo (First menu push button).
  2. Click on Windows PowerShell (Admin) one time yous come across the Power User menu.
  3. Click on the Yeah push button when the User Account Command dialog window appears.
  4. Once the Windows PowerShell window opens, type "Go-Hotfix" (don't add the quotes) and hit the Enter keyboard button.
  5. You'll now see a listing of updates. Windows PowerShell volition give you a cursory description of each update, similar telling yous if it'south a security update or not. Yous'll too observe the KB number and the date the update was installed.
  6. If you want further details most the update, type "Go-Hotfix KBNUMBER" (don't add the quotes) and hit Enter. Make sure y'all add the KB number of the update you want to check.

"How do I clear the Windows update history?"

Now that you know how to view your update history, you can get on to immigration it.

Earlier y'all start, yous should annotation that the update history gives you a itemize that y'all tin can ever go back to for troubleshooting purposes. If you have failed updates that you no longer want to come across, yous have to clear the entire history. Yous should counterbalance the cons of losing your update history against the prospect of not seeing a few failed updates and consider if the sacrifice is worth it.

Microsoft did not provide any quick option that yous can tap to articulate the update history. Y'all tin can only view the updates on the View Update History page and that'due south that. However, immigration the folder that holds the update history files gets rid of the record.

There are different ways to do that. Y'all tin use the Command Prompt, a batch file, or File Explorer. We'll be walking you through each process.

Before you lot employ any of the methods nosotros've mentioned, you lot demand to stop the services related to the Windows Update utility. This is considering, at whatsoever given time that these services are running, they're utilizing the SoftwareDistribution folder, which holds the files you want to delete. When these services are using the binder, yous can't brand changes to it.

So, follow these steps to stop the services:

  1. Summon the search box in the Start menu surface area by clicking on the magnifying drinking glass in the taskbar or past pressing the Windows and S keyboard buttons at the same time.
  2. Once the search box appears, type "services".
  3. Click on Services in the search results.
  4. Once the Services awarding shows upward, locate the following services:

Groundwork Intelligent Transfer Service

Windows Update service

  1. Click on each service, and so go to the left side of the window and click on Stop.

You lot can also stop the services using the Command Prompt:

  1. In the search box, blazon "cmd" (don't add together the quotes).
  2. Once Command Prompt appears in the search results, right-click it and select Run equally Administrator from the context menu.
  3. Click on Yeah in the UAC pop-up.
  4. In one case the Command Prompt opens, blazon the following lines and hit Enter after typing each:

net finish wuauserv

internet stop $.25

Later clearing the update history, you lot can restart the services by going to the Services awarding and clicking on Start afterward selecting each service. You tin can also get to the Command Prompt and type the post-obit lines while hit Enter after typing each:

net terminate wuauserv

net cease bits

Utilize the Command Prompt

You can now follow the steps below to clear the update history using the Command Prompt. You're basically deleting a folder in the SoftwareDistribution binder. Here nosotros become:

  1. Open the Control Prompt every bit an administrator.
  2. Once the Command Prompt opens, type "C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs\edb.log" (don't add together the quotes) and then hit Enter.

Quick annotation: If yous're running Windows x on a drive other than the C drive, and then supervene upon C with the letter of that drive.

  1. Caput over to the View Update History page and check if the entire history is cleared. If not, move on to the next step.

Clear the update history via File Explorer

Before you start, make sure the Windows Update services are stopped. Now, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the Showtime push button.
  2. Click on File Explorer after you meet the Ability User menu on the left side of your screen.
  3. You can also tap the Windows logo and E keyboard buttons simultaneously to launch File Explorer.
  4. Once File Explorer opens, go to the left pane and click on This PC.
  5. Navigate to the right side of the window now and double-click your local bulldoze where Windows is installed.
  6. Later the drive opens, locate the Windows folder and open it.
  7. In the Windows folder, open up the SoftwareDistribution folder.
  8. Now, look for the DataStore folder and open it.
  9. In one case the contents of the DataStore folder appear, select the Logs binder and the "DataStore.edb" file and delete them.
  10. Restart the Windows Update services you stopped earlier, then check the View Update History page to confirm whether the history has been cleared.

Clear the update history by using a BAT file

  1. Go to the Start carte, search for Notepad, and and then launch information technology.
  2. After Notepad shows upwards, type or copy and paste the following text:

@echo off

powershell -windowstyle hidden -control "Outset-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/southward,/c,cyberspace stop usosvc & net stop wuauserv & del %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs\edb.log & del /f /q C:\ProgramData\USOPrivate\UpdateStore\* & net start usosvc & cyberspace first wuauserv & UsoClient.exe RefreshSettings' -Verb runAs"

  1. Get to the top of the window, click on File, and then select "Salvage as". Y'all tin can also tap the Ctrl, Shift, and S keyboard buttons together.
  2. Once the Salvage As dialog box opens, save the file using a .bat extension. For instance, you tin save it as deleteupdatehistory.bat. Any name you cull, make sure the file extension is .bat.
  3. After saving the file, go to the location where you saved information technology and double-click it. Click on Yes in the UAC pop-up.
  4. The BAT file will at present cease the Windows Update services and clear the update history.

Conclusion

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Clearing the update history should at present be a piece of cake for you. As we mentioned, you actually don't accept to clear the history unless you're sure you'll never need the records in the time to come. If you're worried about system slowdowns, go for Auslogics BoostSpeed. The tool volition make sure your organisation is free of junk files and other entities that might affect performance.

If you have questions about the update history or want to share your experience, delight feel gratuitous to employ the comments section that follows.