WSUS/reset-windows-update-agent/readme.md

Reset Windows Update Components (PowerShell)

Two maintained scripts to fix stuck Windows Update on Windows 10/11 and Server:

• cleanlight.ps1 — quick cache cleanup (fast, minimal).
• cleanFull.ps1 — full component reset (deeper, reversible).

What each script does

• cleanlight.ps1

  • Stops wuauserv
  • Deletes %WINDIR%\SoftwareDistribution\Download and ...\Datastore
  • Restarts wuauserv
  • Log: C:\Windows\Temp\Wuauserv_Cleanup.log

• cleanFull.ps1

  • Stops wuauserv, bits, cryptSvc, msiserver
  • Renames %WINDIR%\SoftwareDistribution → SoftwareDistribution.old
  • Renames %WINDIR%\System32\catroot2 → catroot2.old
  • Restarts services
  • Log: C:\Windows\Temp\WUA_Reset.log

Note: Both approaches reset the local Windows Update history view. The first scan afterward can be longer.

Requirements

• Run as Administrator on the affected device.
• Use 64-bit PowerShell path.
• Close the Windows Update UI before running.

Usage

# Light cleanup
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\Scripts\cleanlight.ps1

# Full reset
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\Scripts\cleanFull.ps1

After running

• Trigger a scan: USOClient StartScan (Win10/11) or wait for the next schedule.
• Optionally delete *.old folders after a few days if disk space matters.
• Check logs (paths above) if issues persist; see also C:\Windows\WindowsUpdate.log and C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log.