It is best practice to keep your Windows updated to the latest version, and updating Windows is relatively straightforward. If you face any Windows Update issues, you can force update your Windows to the latest version.
Sometimes, due to inaccessibility to the internet on your PC, you may encounter Windows Update not working, or your Windows update may have been paused due to a change in the network. Today, in this article, we will guide you on how to install Windows 11 manually. Please follow these instructions step-by-step.
Windows Update
Microsoft regularly pushes updates that don’t add new features but include optimizations, fixes, and performance improvements. These updates are primarily Cumulative Updates, also known as Quality Updates.
- Quality Update: These are monthly updates that bring fixes, improvements, security enhancements, and sometimes new features.
- Optional Update: These bring driver and product updates and are not considered critical.
- Feature Update: These come quarterly and bring new features to enhance the experience.
They also release feature updates that bring significant changes to Windows 11, which are generally released quarterly. Additionally, Windows Update brings the latest patch updates to drivers.
Update Windows via Settings
This is the easiest way to update Windows directly from the Windows Settings.
- Open Windows Settings (Windows + I).
- Go to Windows Update from the left sidebar.
- Then, on the top-right, you will see a button for “Check for Updates.” Click on it.
- If an update is available, click “Download” and “Install.”
- Now, it will ask you to restart your computer. Click on “Restart” to finish installing the Windows Update.
Install Windows 11 Update with Installation Assistant
If your Windows 11 is eligible for the Windows 11 Update:
- Download the Microsoft Installation Assistant Tool from the Microsoft Software Support download page.
- Double-click to start the installation, then click “Accept and Install” to begin the installation.
- After that, it will start scanning for the latest updates, and then you can follow the on-screen instructions to install the Windows 11 Update to the latest version.
Manually Install Windows 11 Update via Microsoft Update Catalog
If you cannot update your Windows through the Windows Update settings, there is another way to do it. Follow these steps:
- Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog website on your device.
- Search for the Knowledge number (this is the update; if you need clarification on it, check the Update History Tracker).
- You will find two versions of the same update: ARM64 and x64. For a standard PC, download the x64 version and do not download the ARM-based version.
- Click on the Download button for the package .msc.
- After downloading the .msc file, double-click on it to start the installer on your device.
- Once you finish installing, click on Yes and then Restart to finish installing the Windows Update.
Manually Install Windows 11 Update via CMD (Command Prompt)
This method is quite similar to the previous guide. Here, we will be using the same Microsoft Update Catalog but updating the Windows 11 update through Command Prompt. Follow these steps:
- Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog and search for the Knowledge base number.
- Once you find the correct update you want to download, click Download for Cumulative update to install.
- Click on the .msc package and after which it needs to be updated to Windows 11.
- After downloading the .msc package, open Windows Start and search for Command Prompt.
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator and enter this command: wusa path-location. (You have to replace the path-location with the path-location of the .msc package you downloaded and saved on your computer.)
- Execute this command: wusa c:\PATH\TO\UPDATE.msu /quiet /norestart and shutdown /r /t 00.
- That is it! Your computer will restart and update your Windows to the updated version.
Update Windows 11 using PowerShell
You can also use the PowerShell module to download and update Windows to the latest version.
- Open Windows Start and search for PowerShell as Administrator.
- Next, execute this command: Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate.
- After that, enter Y and then A.
- Now, execute these commands one by one:
- Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
- Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate
- Get-WindowsUpdate
- For these two commands, you need to execute the number of KB with the Knowledge base number to upgrade. You can find it on the Windows Update Catalog.
- Install-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID KBNUMBER
- Install-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID KB5015814
- Now, enter A to confirm your action to confirm installation and hit enter.
- Install-WindowsUpdate
- Lastly, execute A and Y to confirm your action to finish the installation and restart.
- That is it! Optionally, you can execute this command to get the previously installed Windows Update: Get-WUHistory.
Windows 11 Optional Update
These updates do not appear in Windows Updates. Primarily, these updates are released to Microsoft and other products to update to the latest version. Many consider this to be necessary because third-party peripherals work better with updates.
- Open Windows Settings, then go to Windows Update from the left sidebar.
- After that, go to Advanced Options, and then, under Additional Options, you have the option for Optional Update.
- Click on it, and then it will show you all available Optional updates.
- Check the checkbox for the update you want to install on your device.
- Next, click on Download and Install.
- That is it. Once it installs, it may ask you to restart to finish installations.
Windows 11 Feature Update
If your installed Windows 11 has reached its EOS (End of Service), the update will happen automatically.
- Open Windows Settings, and go to Windows Update from the left sidebar.
- Next, click on Check for Update, and if the update is available, then click on Download and Install now.
- Once the update finishes downloading, click on Restart Now.
- That is it!
