How to Manually Reinstall & Fix Windows Update

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Windows Update Agent is a program on your Windows operating system responsible for downloading and installing Windows updates directly from Microsoft's servers. If Update Agent gets damaged, a manual-install file is available from Microsoft to replace it. A few steps must be taken before it can be installed on a computer that already has an up-to-date version of Agent, as Windows will not install it if it detects the original installation.

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Step 1

Download the Windows Update Agent install package from the Microsoft website in one of two versions, the x86 or x64 (see Resources for links). If you are running 32-bit Windows, download the x86 version; 64-bit users should download the x64 version.

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Step 2

Open the Start menu.

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Step 3

Type "WindowsUpdateAgent20-ABC.exe /wuforce" in the Windows Search box, replacing "ABC" with either "x86" or "x64," depending on what version you downloaded. The "/wuforce" entry forces Windows to reinstall the Windows Update Agent regardless of the version currently installed.

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Step 4

Press "Enter" to start the installation process. Once the process is finished, the Windows Automatic Update Agent will be fully repaired and restored.

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