Bypass WSUS to install Windows updates

While trying to setup a Windows 2012 cluster (to be used by Hyper-V) I ran into an issue where the cluster validation tool failed. it said that the MPIO software versions were different on the nodes. Upon searching the net, I found the solution was to install all Windows updates.

Unfortunately our WSUS server was not working properly. Every time I would run “Download and install Updates” manually on the Hyper-V Server 2012 (core) using the server configuration screen (no GUI) I would get a message that all updates are already installed.

I had to bypass WSUS by running these commands:

REG ADD “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU” /v UseWUServer /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
net stop “Windows Update”
net start “Windows Update”

After this I was able to check and install updates manually.

Notes:

1. There is no need to delete or modify this key after you are done installing the updates directly. After a reboot or whenever the Group policy gets re-applied, the key will change back to 1 (enabling WSUS again)

2. There is another tool available called WUinstall I used it on another server. It has a switch to bypass WSUS temporarily and install updates from the internet. Note that this software is available on a “Trial” basis only. I hear at some point in the past, they had a free version also….but I could not find that free version.

9 Comments

Nyx

December 22, 2016 at 3:45 pm Reply

Many thanks!!

Flemming Varmer

January 3, 2017 at 2:10 am Reply

ABC-Update do just that and more. And it is 100% free.
If MS Update is chosen as source of update then the tool change the mentioned registry key and restore it afterwards.
ABC-Update can also push updates to machines in a network.

Dino

January 3, 2017 at 1:37 pm Reply

Awesome, it work great

Alejo

January 20, 2017 at 4:37 am Reply

it works for us .. thanks a lot

Dimarc67

March 29, 2017 at 2:10 pm Reply

Nice work-around.

It didn’t like “Windows Update” as a service name. Using “wuauserv” instead works fine.

GripGrog

April 19, 2017 at 4:29 pm Reply

Trial…..Trial basis. Not Trail

Rajeev

April 25, 2017 at 11:57 am Reply

Thanks for correcting the typo

Black

July 18, 2017 at 12:41 pm Reply

Thank You, Worked like a charm

Jean Bonaparte

January 8, 2019 at 3:29 pm Reply

Run Regedit as administrator >
“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate > Modofy \ DoNotConnectToWindowsUpdateInternetLocations = 0”

Remember to go back there and replace 0 with 1 after