Windows Update Services Missing from Services.msc [Fix]

You must have found this guide because your Windows Update services are missing. This may mean you can no longer perform essential updates on your computer.

Usually, you can stop, start, and manage the update service from Window’s Services app as necessary. This guide will show you all you need to resolve this problem.

Why is Windows Update services missing on my computer?

From interaction with readers, we gather that any of the following elements may cause the problem:

• Malware or system corruption – Malware or system corruption can sometimes affect system services, including Windows Update.
• Disabled or stopped service – It’s possible that the Windows Update service has been disabled or stopped.
• Group Policy settings – If you’re using a version of Windows managed by a group policy, the Windows Update service may be disabled or restricted by policy settings.
• System-specific issues – In rare cases, specific system configurations or modifications can cause the Windows Update service to go missing.

What do I do if Windows Update services is missing?

Before exploring the solutions we suggest, you may try these workarounds:

• Restart the system – A reboot is often strong enough to fix minor glitches and should be your first call.
• Scan for viruses – We recommend ruling out the possibility of the error due to malware by scanning with an efficient antivirus.

Once your Windows Update services missing issue continues, proceed to the solutions below.

1. Run the update troubleshooter

1. Open the Settings app by pressing Windows Key + I.
2. Select Troubleshoot from the right pane.
   
3. Select Other troubleshooters.
   
4. Click Run in front of the Windows update option.
   
5. Apply the recommended fixes and restart the computer if prompted, then verify if Windows Update services are still missing.

2. Restore the Windows Update registry key

NOTE

We recommend backing up your registry before making any changes since these may alter important PC functions.

1. Press Window + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type regedit and hit Enter to open your Registry Editor.
   
3. Navigate to the path below:
   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv
   
4. Right-click wuauserv, select Export, and save the file on your computer, then delete the wuauserv folder.
   
5. Open the Notepad application and paste the script below in it:
   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv]
"DependOnService"=hex(7):72,00,70,00,63,00,73,00,73,00,00,00,00,00
"Description"="@%systemroot%\system32\wuaueng.dll,-106"
"DisplayName"="@%systemroot%\system32\wuaueng.dll,-105"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"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
"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,00,65,00,74,00,73,00,76,00,63,00,73,00,20,00,2d,00,70,00,00,\
00
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"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,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,44,00,65,\
00,62,00,75,00,67,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,\
00,00,53,00,65,00,42,00,61,00,63,00,6b,00,75,00,70,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\
00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,52,00,65,00,73,00,74,00,\
6f,00,72,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,\
00,53,00,65,00,53,00,65,00,63,00,75,00,72,00,69,00,74,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,\
69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,54,00,61,00,6b,\
00,65,00,4f,00,77,00,6e,00,65,00,72,00,73,00,68,00,69,00,70,00,50,00,72,00,\
69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4c,00,6f,00,61,\
00,64,00,44,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,\
6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,4d,00,61,00,6e,00,61,00,67,00,65,\
00,56,00,6f,00,6c,00,75,00,6d,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,\
65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00
"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000003
"SvcHostSplitDisable"=dword:00000001
"SvcMemHardLimitInMB"=dword:000000f6
"SvcMemMidLimitInMB"=dword:000000a7
"SvcMemSoftLimitInMB"=dword:00000058
"Type"=dword:00000020
[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
"ServiceDllUnloadOnStop"=dword:00000001
"ServiceMain"="WUServiceMain"
[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
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv\TriggerInfo]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv\TriggerInfo\0]
"Type"=dword:00000005
"Action"=dword:00000001
"Guid"=hex:e6,ca,9f,65,db,5b,a9,4d,b1,ff,ca,2a,17,8d,46,e0
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv\TriggerInfo\1]
"Type"=dword:00000005
"Action"=dword:00000001
"Guid"=hex:c8,46,fb,54,89,f0,4c,46,b1,fd,59,d1,b6,2c,3b,50
6. Click File, Save as, and save the file with a .reg extension.
   
7. Double-click on the .reg file you just created and let it run.
8. Restart your computer and verify the missing Windows Update services are restored.

3. Use the DISM and SFC tools

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type cmd and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
   
3. Type the script below and hit Enter to run it.
   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   
4. When the script executes, type the sfc script below and hit Enter.
   
5. Wait for the process to complete, restart your computer, and verify it fixes the missing Windows Update services.

Any of the fixes we have introduced in this guide should suffice. As a last resort in rare situations, you should reinstall Windows 11. Note that you will lose important files in the process, so you must back up whatever must remain in a safe location.

That is all you need to know about the service error. Please let us know what worked for you in the comments section below.