Windows Update Settings via Registry Entries and their effect on the patching activity

Policies and Registry Entries Affecting Windows Remediation Job

In some customer environments, policies and registry settings may impact the Windows remediation process. Below are common registry entries that should be reviewed and analyzed for troubleshooting:

Windows Update Registry Entries, The following key registry settings are located under:

 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU

1. No Auto Update

   • Registry Entry: NoAutoUpdate

   • Value: 1

   • Description: Disables automatic updates. Windows will not check for or download updates automatically.

2. Auto Update - Download Only

   • Registry Entry: AUOptions

   • Value: 2

   • Description: Windows checks for and downloads updates but does not install them automatically.

3. Auto Update - Notify Before Download and Install

   • Registry Entry: AUOptions

   • Value: 3

   • Description: Windows notifies users of available updates but does not download them until approved.

4. Auto Update - Scheduled Install

   • Registry Entry: AUOptions

   • Value: 4

   • Description: Windows downloads and installs updates at a scheduled time set by the user.

5. Auto Update - Download, Install, and Restart

   • Registry Entry: AUOptions

   • Value: 5

   • Description: Windows checks for, downloads, and installs updates automatically, and restarts if necessary.

Identifying Applied Policies Using Group Policy Results

If Windows Update settings show a red asterisk ( * ), it indicates that policies are applied. To find them, follow these steps:

1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell with administrative privileges.

2. Run the command:

   gpresult /h gpresult.html

3. Open the generated gpresult.html file in a web browser.

4. Navigate to the Computer Details section to review applied Group Policy Objects.

The gpresult.html file will be located in the directory where you run the gpresult command unless you specify a different path. Here are the steps to generate and locate the file:

In my device it is: C:\Users\Administrator

The report similar to the below will be shown and we can use to find all the applied policies in one place

By reviewing these settings and policies, administrators can identify and resolve issues affecting Windows remediation jobs.