How to Check for Windows Updates Using PowerShell

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To check for Windows updates using PowerShell, ask the built-in Windows Update Agent to search. It needs no extra module and no admin rights:

$searcher = (New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Session).CreateUpdateSearcher()
$searcher.Search("IsInstalled=0 and IsHidden=0").Updates | Select-Object Title

Below I list what’s waiting with KB numbers, show when Windows last checked, find where updates come from and check other PCs. I ran each check in PowerShell 7.6 and Windows PowerShell 5.1 on Windows 11.

Check for available Windows updates

The search contacts Windows Update, just like the Check for updates button in Settings. Here I print the category and KB number of each update:

$searcher = (New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Session).CreateUpdateSearcher()
$result = $searcher.Search("IsInstalled=0 and IsHidden=0")

"Available updates: $($result.Updates.Count)"
foreach ($update in $result.Updates) {
    $category = ($update.Categories | Select-Object -First 1).Name
    if ($update.Type -eq 2) { "  [$category] Driver update" }
    else { "  [$category] KB$($update.KBArticleIDs -join ', KB')" }
}

Output:

Available updates: 3
  [Definition Updates] KB2267602
  [Drivers] Driver update
  [Drivers] Driver update
PowerShell check for Windows updates with the Windows Update Agent
Three updates are waiting: a Defender definition update and two drivers (PowerShell 7)

The search can take a minute or two. I print driver updates without their titles because titles name the hardware maker. To install what you find, see installing Windows updates with PowerShell.

Filter software and driver updates

The search string works like a filter. Type=’Software’ and Type=’Driver’ split the results:

$searcher = (New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Session).CreateUpdateSearcher()
$software = $searcher.Search("IsInstalled=0 and IsHidden=0 and Type='Software'")
$drivers = $searcher.Search("IsInstalled=0 and IsHidden=0 and Type='Driver'")

"Software updates: $($software.Updates.Count)"
"Driver updates:   $($drivers.Updates.Count)"

Output:

Software updates: 1
Driver updates:   2

Other useful criteria are BrowseOnly=0 for important updates only, and IsInstalled=1 for installed ones. Microsoft lists them all in the IUpdateSearcher.Search reference.

See when Windows last checked for updates

The AutoUpdate object remembers the last successful search and the last successful install:

$results = (New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.AutoUpdate).Results

"Last successful check:   $($results.LastSearchSuccessDate.ToString('yyyy-MM-dd'))"
"Last successful install: $($results.LastInstallationSuccessDate.ToString('yyyy-MM-dd'))"

Output:

Last successful check:   2026-09-28
Last successful install: 2026-09-28
PowerShell last successful Windows Update check and install date
Windows last checked and installed updates on the same day (Windows PowerShell 5.1)

If the last check is weeks old, the Windows Update service may be stuck or blocked. That’s worth a look before anything else.

Check where updates come from

On work PCs, updates often come from a company WSUS server instead of Microsoft. This shows the default source and whether a WSUS policy is set:

$default = (New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.ServiceManager).Services |
    Where-Object IsDefaultAUService
$key = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
$policy = Get-ItemProperty -Path $key -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

"Updates come from:  $($default.Name)"
"WSUS server policy: $(if ($policy.WUServer) { 'Yes' } else { 'No' })"

Output:

Updates come from:  Microsoft Update
WSUS server policy: No
PowerShell check the Windows Update source and WSUS policy
This PC gets updates straight from Microsoft Update, with no WSUS policy (PowerShell 7)

Microsoft Update also covers other Microsoft products. With WSUS, you only see the updates your IT team has approved.

Check for updates on remote computers

Searching works over PowerShell remoting, as long as you’re an administrator on the remote PC:

Invoke-Command -ComputerName PC-SALES-07, PC-SALES-08 -ScriptBlock {
    $searcher = (New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Session).CreateUpdateSearcher()
    "$env:COMPUTERNAME: $($searcher.Search('IsInstalled=0 and IsHidden=0').Updates.Count) updates"
}

Downloading and installing don’t work remotely, though. Microsoft’s Using WUA from a remote computer lists what’s allowed, so run installs as a scheduled task on each PC.

Check for updates with PSWindowsUpdate

PSWindowsUpdate is a popular community module from the PowerShell Gallery. It isn’t made by Microsoft, but it wraps the same agent in simple cmdlets:

Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Scope CurrentUser
Get-WindowsUpdate

Get-WindowsUpdate needs an elevated window. If you can’t install modules on a PC, the built-in method above does the same check.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check for Windows updates with PowerShell?

Create an update searcher with (New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Session).CreateUpdateSearcher() and run Search("IsInstalled=0 and IsHidden=0").

Do I need admin rights to check for updates?

No. Searching works in a normal window. Installing updates needs admin rights.

How do I see when Windows last checked for updates?

Read (New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.AutoUpdate).Results.LastSearchSuccessDate.

Can I check for updates on a remote computer?

Yes. Run the search inside Invoke-Command. You must be an administrator on that computer.

Is PSWindowsUpdate a Microsoft module?

No, it’s a community module from the PowerShell Gallery. The built-in Windows Update Agent needs no install.

Keep going with Windows maintenance: