asked on

Windows 11 is trying to install Windows 10 updates?

Windows 11 PC shows Windows 10 updates and of course cannot install them. How do I get rid of them in the list? Rebooted several times. Computer is brand new. Setting up 4 identical brand new Dell Optiplex 3000 and only 1 of them is giving me this problem. Cannot check for new updates, because it wants to install the 4 Windows 10 updates.

Seth Simmons

do they go away when you try to install? if you select install, the installer would fail detecting the wrong OS and might go away from windows update

failing that, from an elevated command prompt, run...

net stop wuauserv
del c:\windows\softwaredistribution\*.* /s/q

Open in new window

reboot and check again

Jason Johanknecht

ASKER

That got rid of them, and allowed me to check for updates. But the same updates are back and still obviously won't install.

Jason Johanknecht

ASKER

Did a shutdown, and now the Windows 10 updates are gone and Windows 11 updates are installing. I did several reboots without it helping. Why did a Shutdown fix things?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

David Johnson, CD

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial

Hello There

Stop the Windows Update service, then delete the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder that holds the updates.

Steve

How odd you’re the 3rd person i’ve heard of with this issue.

At this point I’m not aware of anyone who has found out the cause as getting it working is the priority, and the classic fix to updates (as posted by my fellow experts above) does appear to fix it.

As noted above however, you do need a proper shutdown/reboot rather than the quick restart that has become the default.

If anyone has chance to investigate before fixing it, recommend noting he update numbers that are trying to install and checking event viewer to see if it gives us any clues. Also note the errors when trying (and failing) to install them.

My guess is that these are win 10 > win 11 upgrades rather than a clean win 11 install, and thats confused the update catalogue, but its little more than a guess at this point.

Jason Johanknecht

ASKER

Dell optiplex 3000 gen 2. All 4 of the identical computers are brand new with windows 10 installed. At initial startup you choose upgrade to windows 11 and the process begins without ever seeing windows 10. the upgrade image is already on the drive as the update takes only minutes to perform. Only 1 of those computers had the issue, but Yes they started as windows 10. It could have been the lone issue was kept in windows 10 and we said install windows 11 after the OS loaded and started to check for updates. As we have been doing updates on other computers in the shop at same time. I will guess that happened. Thanks everyone for the responses.

Jason Johanknecht

ASKER

Dave, in response to restart isn't a full shutdown... We have been seeing that a shutdown is only hibernation now, and that only a restart resolves issue a full shutdown used to. Can you share more information on those differences, as that has been a topic a lot of techs I talk to lately are very confused on.