Is there an Windows Update API to search and install updates?

Question

Windows Update API:

• Is there an API available to check for Windows updates and install them?
• Specifically, I am looking for an API that allows me to query for a specific update (e.g., KB5052105) to check its availability and then proceed with the installation.

Answer 1

Hello，

Yes, there is a Windows Update API that you can use to programmatically search for, download, and install Windows updates. This functionality is provided by the Windows Update Agent (WUA) API, which exposes a set of COM interfaces that allow you to interact with the Windows Update service.

Here are some key points regarding the API:

1. Windows Update Agent API:

 • The WUA API makes use of COM interfaces such as IUpdateSearcher, IUpdateDownloader, and IUpdateInstaller.

 • IUpdateSearcher lets you perform queries against the update catalog. You can craft a search query to filter available updates – for example, you might search for updates with a title or description that includes “KB5052105”.

 • Once an update is identified, IUpdateDownloader can be used to download it, and IUpdateInstaller provides the functionality to install the update.

2. Querying for a Specific Update:

 • To check for the availability of a specific update (like KB5052105), you would typically create an instance of IUpdateSearcher using CoCreateInstance.

 • Use the Search method with an appropriate search criteria string. For example, you could use criteria that match the KB article number (e.g., "Title contains 'KB5052105'" or a similar filter based on update metadata).

 • Review the resulting collection of updates to verify whether the desired update is available and applicable.

3. Installation Process:

 • After confirming the availability of the update, instantiate the IUpdateDownloader to download the update if it isn’t already present locally.

 • Finally, call IUpdateInstaller to install the downloaded update. Keep in mind that performing installations requires that your process run with administrative privileges.

4. Additional Considerations:

 • Ensure that the system has the latest Windows Update Agent, which is normally present on current Windows versions.

 • The Windows Update API operations generally require elevated permissions, so make sure your application or script is running in the appropriate security context.

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