Where to find Windows Update on your computer

Windows Update lives in your Settings app, not in a separate program. On Windows 10 or 11, press the Windows key and the letter I together (Windows + I) to open Settings, then select Update & Security on the left side. On Windows 11, it's called System instead, and you'll see Windows Update listed there.

Once you're in the Windows Update section, you'll see a button that says Check for updates. Click it, and Windows will connect to Microsoft's servers to see if new updates exist for your system. This takes a few minutes — your computer is downloading a list of what's available, not the updates themselves yet.

You don't need to do anything else while it checks. Windows will tell you when it's done and show you what it found.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings by pressing Windows + I, then go to Update & Security (Windows 10) or System (Windows 11) to find Windows Update.
  • Click the Check for updates button and wait a few minutes while Windows connects to Microsoft's servers.
  • Windows will show you how many updates are waiting and ask whether you want to install them now or schedule them for later.
  • Most updates install automatically after you restart, but security updates sometimes need a restart before they take effect.
  • If Windows says your system is up to date, no new updates are waiting — you can check again next week or next month.

What happens after Windows finds updates

When the check finishes, Windows shows you one of three messages: "You're up to date," "Updates are available," or "Updates are being installed." If updates are waiting, Windows tells you how many and what type — usually a mix of security patches, driver updates, and feature improvements.

You can choose to install them right away or schedule them for a specific time. If you pick a later time, Windows remembers your choice and installs them when you restart your computer on that date. This is useful if you're in the middle of work and don't want to restart when ready.

Some updates require a restart to finish installing. Windows will warn you before it restarts, and you can delay the restart for a few hours if you need to save work first. Security updates almost always need a restart to take effect.

Why Windows Update sometimes shows nothing new

If Windows says you're up to date, it means Microsoft has no new updates waiting for your specific version of Windows and your hardware. This doesn't mean your computer is broken or that you're missing something — it just means the last time you checked (or the last time Windows checked automatically), everything was current.

Windows checks for updates automatically in the background, usually once a week. You don't have to manually check at all if you don't want to. But if you haven't restarted your computer in several weeks, checking manually can catch updates that are waiting to install.

How to turn on automatic updates if they're off

By default, Windows Update is turned on and checks for updates automatically. But if someone has disabled it on your computer, you can turn it back on in the same Settings screen. In Update & Security (or System on Windows 11), look for Advanced options and make sure the toggle for Receive updates for other Microsoft products is on if you want driver updates too.

On older Windows 10 systems, you might see an option called Pause updates. If it's active, click it to unpause and let updates resume. Windows will then check for updates on its regular schedule without you having to do anything.

What to do if Windows Update gets stuck

Occasionally Windows Update hangs or shows the same message for hours. If the Check for updates button doesn't respond after five minutes, close Settings and try again. If it still doesn't work, restart your computer and open Settings again — this clears out whatever was stuck in memory.

If restarting doesn't help and you see an error code, write down the code and search for it on Microsoft's support site. Error codes are specific to what went wrong, and Microsoft's documentation explains what each one means and how to fix it. Common codes like 0x80070005 or 0x80073701 have known solutions that take 10 to 15 minutes to work through.

Understanding update types and what they do

Security updates patch holes in Windows that hackers could use to break in. These are the most important kind and should be installed as soon as Windows offers them. Quality updates fix bugs that make Windows crash or behave oddly. Feature updates add new tools or change how Windows looks — these are less urgent but still worth installing.

Windows groups these together and installs them all at once. You can't pick and choose which ones to install. If you want to know what's in a specific update before you install it, Microsoft publishes release notes for each one on their website, but most people don't need to read them — just install what Windows offers.

How often you should check for updates

Since Windows checks automatically, you don't need to manually check more than once a month. If you want to be more careful, checking once a week takes two minutes and ensures nothing is waiting. If you rarely restart your computer, checking before a planned restart is a good habit — it catches updates that have been sitting in the queue.

The only time you should check more often is if you've heard about a major security problem in the news. In those cases, Microsoft usually releases a patch within days, and checking manually ensures you get it as soon as it's available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to restart my computer right after Windows installs updates?

Not when ready. Windows will ask you to restart and give you the option to delay for a few hours. You can keep working and restart when it's convenient. However, security updates don't fully protect your computer until after the restart, so don't delay longer than a day or two.

What if I see an update that I don't recognize?

Windows updates are always from Microsoft and are always safe to install. If you see something that looks suspicious or has a strange name, it's probably a driver update for hardware like your printer or graphics card. You can safely install it — Windows only offers updates it has tested for your system.

Can I turn off Windows Update completely?

You can pause updates for up to 35 days using the Advanced options in Settings, but you cannot turn them off permanently on Windows 10 or 11 Home. Turning off updates leaves your computer vulnerable to hackers. If you need to pause updates for a specific reason, use the pause feature instead.

Why does Windows Update sometimes take a long time?

Large updates with new features can take 20 to 30 minutes to read and install, especially on slower internet. Security and quality updates usually finish in 5 to 10 minutes. Don't turn off your computer while an update is installing — let it finish, even if it seems slow.

What's the difference between checking for updates and installing them?

Checking tells Windows to look at Microsoft's servers and see what's available. Installing actually downloads and sets up those updates on your computer. You can check without installing, but Windows will ask you to install before the updates take effect.