Windows Updates/Patches

Search, Download & Install Windows Updates

Because of the Windows Update dilemma with different Windows versions, I wrote the following script that should works on Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022 and maybe higher.

$MSUpdateSearcher = New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Searcher
$Updates = $MSUpdateSearcher.Search("IsInstalled=0 AND IsHidden=0").Updates
 
$MSUpdateCollection = New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.UpdateColl
foreach($Update in $Updates) {
    $MSUpdateCollection.Add($Update) | Out-Null
}
 
if($MSUpdateCollection.Count -gt 0) {
    Write-Host "Accept EULA, if is necessary."
    foreach($Update in $MSUpdateCollection) {
        if($Update.EulaAccepted -eq 0) {$Update.AcceptEula()}
    }
 
    Write-Host "Download the selected updates."
    $MSUpdateSession = New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Session
    $MSUpdateDownloader = $MSUpdateSession.CreateUpdateDownloader()
    $MSUpdateDownloader.Updates = $MSUpdateCollection
    $MSUpdateDownloader.Download()
 
    Write-Host "Install the downloaded updates."
    $MSUpdateInstaller = New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Installer
    $MSUpdateInstaller.Updates = $MSUpdateCollection
    $InstallResult = $MSUpdateInstaller.Install()
 
    if ($InstallResult.RebootRequired) {
        Restart-Computer -Force
    }
}

Windows Update Dilemma

Windows Server 2019

Microsoft ships with Windows Server 2019 the PowerShell-Module "WindowsUpdateProvider" that is handy and this works like following:

Import-Module WindowsUpdateProvider
$availableUpdates = Start-WUScan
if ($availableUpdates.Count -gt 0) {
    Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format HH:mm:ss)] Following $($availableUpdates.Count) Updates are about to be installed:"
    $availableUpdates | Format-Table Title, MsrcSeverity 
    $null = Install-WUUpdates -Updates $availableUpdates
    Write-Host "[$(Get-Date -Format HH:mm:ss)] $($availableUpdates.Count) Updates has been succesfully installed"
}

Windows Server 2016

Microsoft said on Windows Server 2016 you should use the CIM-Class MSFT_WUOperationsSession like following:

$cimInstance = New-CimInstance -Namespace root/Microsoft/Windows/WindowsUpdate -ClassName MSFT_WUOperationsSession
$updateScanResult = Invoke-CimMethod -InputObject $cimInstance -MethodName ScanForUpdates -Arguments @{SearchCriteria = "IsInstalled=0"; OnlineScan = $true }
$availableUpdates = $updateScanResult.Updates
Invoke-CimMethod -InputObject $cimInstance -MethodName ApplyApplicableUpdates

Remove Windows Update

 wusa /uninstall /kb:<KB-Number>