WUAUCLT - CMD

Overview

wuauclt is a Windows utility command that stands for Windows Update AutoUpdate Client. This command-line tool allows users to interact with the Windows Update service, enabling functions such as searching for updates, installing updates, and changing update settings. It is primarily used in scripting and administrative tasks to manage Windows updates programmatically or in batch scripts.

Syntax

wuauclt [Options]

The command does not require positional parameters, but it is used with various options to specify the action to be taken.

Options/Flags

/DetectNow: This option initiates an immediate detection cycle to check for new updates. It doesn’t start an installation.
/ReportNow: Sends all queued reporting events to the server immediately.
/ResetAuthorization: Resets the authorization cookie. Use this in conjunction with /DetectNow to ensure fresh detection results.
/ResetEulas: Resets the end user license agreement flags.
/ShowWindowsUpdate: Opens the Windows Update window to show available updates.
/ShowWUAutoScan: Shows the Automatic Updates scanning frequency and allows the user to schedule it.
/UpdateNow: Initiates download and install of updates immediately.

Examples

Check for Updates:
Check for new updates without waiting for the scheduled time:
```
wuauclt /DetectNow
```
Force Update Reporting:
Manually trigger the immediate sending of queued reporting events to the Windows Update server:
```
wuauclt /ReportNow
```
Reset and Check for Updates:
Reset the authorization and check for new updates immediately:
```
wuauclt /ResetAuthorization /DetectNow
```

Common Issues

Command not Recognizing Flags: Some versions of Windows may not recognize certain flags due to different update settings or configurations. Ensure the command is run in an elevated command prompt.
No Visible Change After Execution: wuauclt often runs operations in the background without much feedback. Use Windows Update logs for debugging or verifying operations.

Integration

Combine wuauclt with other Windows CMD commands to schedule and automate update tasks. For example, to create a scheduled task that checks for updates every night, you could use the schtasks command:

schtasks /create /tn "Daily Update Check" /tr "cmd /c wuauclt /DetectNow" /sc daily /st 03:00

schtasks: Allows scheduling automated tasks in Windows.
powershell: Modern command-line shell including cmdlets that can handle Windows updates more comprehensively, like Get-WindowsUpdate.

For more on managing Windows updates programmatically or via the command line, refer to Microsoft’s official documentation: Manage Windows Updates with PowerShell and Task Scheduler.