This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(41.6, 99%, 14%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EGD%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I have a server 2016 VM that used to have Skype for business server 2015 installed. Skype was removed some time ago and is no longer listed in programs and features, PDQ inventory does not list is as an installed package, however, Windows update keeps saying I need to install patches for Skype for business. Obviously these updates fail and go into the retry loop. Why is it still saying these patches are needed and how do I stop them?
I should add, Windows update identifies these patches as needed and yes, I could tell it to ignore them. However, we use a 3rd party patch manager which also identifies these patches as needed. I need to stop them being listed as required, not just ignore them.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(112.00000000000001, 24%, 20%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EJM%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
@Gareth Davies
It's possible that there are still some leftover registry keys or files related to Skype for Business on your server, which is causing Windows Update to detect it as an installed package. One way to check for this is to use the Registry Editor to search for any Skype for Business-related keys.
To do this, follow these steps: 1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. 2. Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor. 3. Press Ctrl + F to open the Find dialog box. 4. Type "Skype for Business" in the search box and click Find Next. 5. If any keys are found, delete them. If you're not comfortable editing the registry, you can also try using the Microsoft Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter to remove any leftover files or registry keys related to Skype for Business.
I looked in the registry before raising the question, I was concerned because a lot of the entries are tied in with SQL server so there could be collateral damage in deleting these.
The Microsoft Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter is for Windows 10, it looks like it is a gamble using it on Windows 11 or any server OS.
I carefully went through the registry, cherry picking a safe route, I also did a snapshot of the machine just in case. Looks like I managed to delete the keys that were making it think it needed the updates without damaging anything else.
Hi @Gareth Davies
Thanks for your feedback above which shared more information and glad to know that your issue is resolved now! Since our forum has the policy that The question author cannot accept their own answer. They can only accept answers by others, and according to the scenario introduced here: Answering your own questions on Microsoft Q&AI would make a brief summary of this post so that other forum members could easily find useful information here:
[Skype for business patches listed but Skype not installed - Summary]
Issue Symptom:
Skype for Business was removed some time ago but Windows update keeps saying I need to install patches for Skype for business.
Solution:
Carefully pick through the registry, delete keys that are specifically and exclusively Skype for Business Server.
Reference Links:
If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.
Hi @JimmyYang-MSFT Thank you for summarizing the solution. I have accepted it as the answer
@JimmyYang-MSFT
Thank you for the suggestion, as I said above, the Microsoft Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter appears to be specifically for Windows 10, it is reported to cause some issues with Windows 11 and is NOT supported on Server OS variants so I would avoid it in this instance.
Cleaning the registry was the solution, however if anyone else is having this issue be very careful DO NOT use a registry cleaner as these can be indiscriminate and nuke all references to the target application. In the case of Skype for Business Server this can include registry entries for SQL Server and would cause issues for any SQL Server install(s) on the machine.
Carefully pick through the registry, delete keys that are specifically and exclusively Skype for Business Server. I deleted one then ran a Windows update check until it no longer said it needed the updates for Skype. Once I got there I stopped deleting registry keys.
I am only going to accept this entry as the answer because it is what resolved the issue, @JimmyYang-MSFT did provide the right advice, but it needed to be quantified/qualified rather than accepted as is.