Windows update is missing from services.msc

You may have malware which deleted it. Copy and paste this into notepad. Save it as a reg file then dbl click on it to import it into the registry

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\wuauserv]

"PreshutdownTimeout"=dword:036ee800

"DisplayName"="@%systemroot%\system32\wuaueng.dll,-105"

"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,\

  74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\

  00,76,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,73,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2d,00,\

  6b,00,20,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,73,00,76,00,63,00,73,00,00,00

"Description"="@%systemroot%\system32\wuaueng.dll,-106"

"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"

"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001

"Start"=dword:00000002

"DelayedAutoStart"=dword:00000001

"Type"=dword:00000020

"DependOnService"=hex(7):72,00,70,00,63,00,73,00,73,00,00,00,00,00

"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001

"RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,41,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,50,00,72,\

  00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,\

  65,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,47,00,6c,00,6f,00,62,00,61,00,6c,00,50,00,72,00,69,\

  00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,\

  61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,50,00,72,\

  00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,54,00,63,00,\

  62,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,\

  00,41,00,73,00,73,00,69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,\

  79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\

  00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,72,00,73,00,6f,00,\

  6e,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,\

  00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,00,72,00,65,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,51,00,\

  75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,\

  00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,68,00,75,00,74,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,6e,00,50,00,\

  72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00

"FailureActions"=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\

  00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\wuauserv\Parameters]

"ServiceDll"=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,\

  00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,\

  77,00,75,00,61,00,75,00,65,00,6e,00,67,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00

"ServiceMain"="WUServiceMain"

"ServiceDllUnloadOnStop"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\wuauserv\Security]

"Security"=hex:01,00,14,80,78,00,00,00,84,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,02,\

  00,1c,00,01,00,00,00,02,80,14,00,ff,00,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,\

  00,00,02,00,48,00,03,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,9d,00,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,\

  05,0b,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,05,20,00,00,00,\

  20,02,00,00,00,00,14,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,\

  01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00

Some details are missing in J.D.D.'s answer. You must include all text from "Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00..." to the end in the Notepad file, with a blank line after ""Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00". It doesn't matter what you call the notepad file provided it has a .reg extension. I used Update.reg and saved it to my desktop.

You must run the registry editor. Do this as explained by Anthony Knox, i.e. Go to Start> All Programs> Accessories then right click on Command Promp and click Run as Administrator. Then type type regedit.

I had to delete the existing wuauserv service before replacing it. To delete the existing wuauserv servicein the Registry Editor navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv, right click on wuauserv and select delete. When I simply installed the new registry keys without deleting the existing one, the Windows Update Service still did not work.

Then in Registry Editor choose File> Import, find the new file (Update.reg) and double click on it to import it into the registry. If you return to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv you will see the new entries.

I had 185 updates to install!

I had the same issue and spent time looking at all the different possible solutions on offer. I think i hit luck as the first one worked for me and was very easy.

Go to Start> All Programs> Accessories then right click on Command Promp and click Run as Administrator

At the command prompt type type regsvr32 wuaueng.dll Click on OK wait a few seconds, then click on OK in the RegSvr32 dialog box.

Then at the command prompt type regedit then click on OK Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv Look for a DeleteFlag value and, if it exists, right-click on it and select Delete.

Restart the computer, go to windows update and hopefully it works. I had 109 updates to install!!

Windows 7 Pro x64

good day to you sir.  do you have a similar fix for windows 10?  I followed your link and only saw fix for windows 7.  I am running windows 10 x 64.  Tried to use Windows update diagnostic and repair tool and got the error message saying "windows update is either missing or corrupt.   I did a windows+r "services.msc" and scrolled down and the "windows update" is not there.  I did an sfc /scannow and said it repaired some things,   printed out log but not sure what all the information means.  Looked again for missing file and it is still not there.  I have been trying to install windows 10 anniversary edition (5th attempt) and always get stuck at same place (around 70%)

any suggestions?

Or get the REG file (download) from here:

Fix #20 "Restore Missing Windows Update Service (wuauserv) to Services MMC" from this link:

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/misc-registry-fixes-for-windows-7-xp-vista/

Note: .REG files have plain-text content, can be viewed using a text editor like Notepad, just in case you want to check the contents before merging the file.