Fix: Windows Update not showing/missing button on Win 10/11

Milan Stanojevic
by Milan Stanojevic
Windows & Software Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about PCs ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Read more
Updated:
Posted: January 2021
Affiliate Disclosure
  • If the Windows update button is missing from your device, the OS might have a bug.
  • When Windows update does not show in Settings, you can't force-download certain features.
  • If you haven't disabled the Check for updates option, tweaking a few settings should help.
  • You should start with a system check-up using a dedicated system optimization software. 
check for updates button is missing

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Keeping your system up to date is quite important, but many users reported the Check for updates button is missing on their Windows 10 PC. This can be a big problem since it can leave your PC vulnerable, but there’s a way to fix this issue.

If you have problems with Windows Update not showing on your device, you might not be able to download the latest updates manually.

Additionally, here are some similar problems that users reported:

  • Windows 10 windows update missing from settings – Your group policy settings can sometimes affect Windows Update, so if you’re having this problem, check your policy settings and restore them to default.
  • Also, Windows Update button not working – This is a variation of the previous issue, and in most cases, it can be fixed by restarting the necessary Windows Update components.
  • Next, Windows Update not showing in Control Panel
  • Windows 10 Update not showing in Services (Many reported that the Windows Update Service is not running at all.)
  • Windows Update not listed in History
  • Then, Windows Update registry key missing (Windows 10)
  • Finally, Check online for updates is missing on Windows 11

As you can see, there are many manifestations, but the outcome remains the same. If Windows Update is not showing or is missing completely, you can install the latest features or security patches.

Of course, having a dedicated Windows 10 update fix tool at hand is always a good idea, but we have many other solutions for you to try.

What do I do if the Check for updates button isn’t on Windows 10?

  1. Use a debugging software
  2. Check your group policy
  3. Modify your registry
  4. Reset Windows Update components
  5. Run Windows Update troubleshooter
  6. Run Windows Update from Command Prompt
  7. Check your policies
  8. Create a new user account
  9. Perform an in-place upgrade

1. Use a debugging software

One of the easiest ways to quickly troubleshoot the problem, even if you don’t know the cause, is to use a system restoring and optimization software such as Restoro.

It is possible that some corrupted files or faulty registry entries cause an abnormal system performance.

Restoro will look into that and fix any bugs that might have hidden the updates button.

At the same time, the tool will also optimize other processes that affect your system’s performance in order to improve it and prevent similar events in the future.

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2. Check your group policy

  1. Press Windows Key + R and enter gpedit.msc. Now press Enter or click OK.
    group policy editor check for updates
  2. Local Group Policy Editor will now open. In the left pane, go to the Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel.
  3. In the right pane, double-click the Settings Page Visibility to open its properties.
    group policy missing check for updates
  4. Select Not Configured and click OK to save changes.
    check for updates missing policy editor

After doing that, you should be able to check for updates manually on Windows 10. Several users suggested setting the policy to Disabled in Step 3, so you might want to try that as well.

3. Modify your registry

  1. Press Windows Key + R and type regedit in the Run dialog. Now press Enter or click OK.
    run check for updates missing
  2. In the left pane, navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer.
  3. In the right pane, look for SettingsPageVisibility and delete it. (Alternatively, you can remove all entries from the Value Data field and save changes.)
    regedit key missing check for updates

After doing that, you should be able to check for updates manually on Windows 10.

This solution will achieve the same results as the previous one, and it should be used only if no results have been reached so far.

4. Reset Windows Update components

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. To do that, right-click the Start Button and choose Command Prompt (Admin). )You can also use PowerShell (Admin).)
  2. When Command Prompt opens, run the following commands:
    • taskkill /f /fi "SERVICES eq wuauserv"
    • net stop cryptSvc
    • net stop bits
    • net stop msiserver
    • ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
    • rmdir C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDataStore
    • rmdir C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDownload

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After doing that, check if the problem is still there. If the issue persists, you can also try running the following set of commands:

  • Net Stop bits
  • Net Stop wuauserv
  • Net Stop appidsvc
  • Net Stop cryptsvc
  • Ren %systemroot%SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
  • Ren %systemroot%system32catroot2 catroot2.bak
  • Net Start bits
  • Net Start wuauserv
  • Net Start appidsvc
  • Net Start cryptsvc

If this seems too complicated or too tedious, you can always create a Windows Update reset script and run it to automatically reset all the necessary components.

5. Run Windows Update troubleshooter

If you’re having problems with the missing Check for updates button on Windows 10, the issue might be related to a temporary glitch on your system. To fix the problem, it’s advised to run a Windows Update troubleshooter.

Windows comes with various troubleshooters, and these troubleshooters are designed to automatically fix minor problems and glitches that you can encounter. To run a Windows Update troubleshooter, you just need to do the following:

  1. Open the Settings app and navigate to the Update & Security section.
  2. Choose Troubleshoot from the left pane. Select Windows Update from the list on the right and click the Run the troubleshooter button.
    check for udpates troubleshooter
  3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the troubleshooter.

Once the troubleshooter is finished, check if the problem is still there. Keep in mind that the troubleshooter might not be the most effective solution, but it can work sometimes, so feel free to try it out.

6. Run Windows Update from Command Prompt

Sometimes you might not be able to check for updates, and if that’s the case, you should try this workaround. According to users, if you have a problem with missing the Check for updates button, perhaps you can open Windows Update from the Command Prompt. To do that, just follow these steps:

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. Run the following command: powershell.exe -command “(New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.AutoUpdate).DetectNow()”

If everything is in order, Windows Update should now start. If nothing happens, it means that this solution doesn’t work, so you can move to the next one.

7. Check your policies

  1. Open Group Policy Editor. (We showed you how to do that in a previous step.)
  2. Now navigate to Computer configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Updates. In the right pane, check the state of all policies. Make sure that all policies are set to Not configured. If a certain policy is enabled or disabled, change it to Not configured.
    policies missing check for updates
  3. Now go to User configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Updates and make sure that all policies are set to Not configured.

After making these changes, check if the problem is still there.

8. Create a new user account

  1. Open the Settings app and navigate to the Accounts section.
  2. Select Family & other people from the left pane. Now go to Add someone else to this PC.
    check for udpates troubleshooter
  3. Choose I don’t have this person’s sign-in information > Add a user without a Microsoft account.
    new username missing check for updates
  4. Now you just have to enter the desired username for the new account and click Next.

After creating a new user account, switch to it and check if the problem is still there. If the issue doesn’t appear on a new account, we advise you to move all your personal files to the new account and start using it instead of your old one.

9. Perform an in-place upgrade

  1. Download and run the Media Creation Tool.
  2. Once it opens, choose to Upgrade this PC now and click Next.
  3. Now select Download and install updates (recommended) and click Next.
  4. Follow the instructions on the screen until you reach Ready to install screen. Click on Change what to keep.
  5. Be sure to select Keep personal files and apps option and click Next.
  6. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the upgrade process.

An in-place upgrade will reinstall your system and update it to the latest version while keeping all your files and applications intact.

Once the process is finished, you’ll have the latest version of Windows installed and the problem with Windows Update should be resolved.

If the Check for updates button is missing on your PC, you might not be able to download the latest updates, but we hope that you solved the problem by using one of our solutions.

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