Key Takeaways
- To hide or unhide Windows updates, download Microsoft’s Show or Hide updates tool.
- To hide an update in the tool, select Next > Hide Updates, choose the update to hide, and click “Next.”
- To unhide an update in the tool, select Next > Show Hidden Updates, choose the update to bring back, and click “Next.”
If you don’t wish to install a specific update on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, it’s possible to hide (and later unhide) that update on your Windows Update screen. We’ll show you how to do that using both graphical and command-line methods.
Why Should You Hide an Update?
There are multiple reasons you might want to hide an update.
It’s possible a specific update conflicts with your PC’s drivers, so you’ll want to hold off on installing that update. Another reason is that an update might break your software’s features. Sometimes, Windows updates are problematic on their own, causing various system issues.
In all these scenarios, you might want to hide the update so it doesn’t appear on the Windows Update screen, so that you or Windows don’t end up installing it.
The easiest way to hide and show Windows updates is by using Microsoft’s own Show or Hide updates tool. This tool shows you the available updates and lets you pick the ones you want to hide or show.
To use this method, download the Show or Hide updates tool and double-click the downloaded file to launch it. You don’t have to install the tool to use it; it’s a portable app.
Hide Updates
On the first screen, select “Next.”
Wait while it scans the available updates. This shouldn’t take too long. Then, click “Hide Updates.”
On the following page, select the update to hide (you can choose multiple updates if you want). Then, click “Next.”
Wait for the tool to finish hiding the selected updates, and you’re all set.
Show Updates
Select “Next” on the first screen. Wait for it to find the available updates, then choose “Show Hidden Updates.”
Select the currently hidden updates you’d like to unhide. Then, at the bottom, click “Next.”
Wait while the tool makes the selected updates visible in Windows Update, and you’re set.
Hide or Show Updates Using PowerShell
If you like command line methods, you can use a cmdlet in PowerShell to hide and show Windows updates.
To use this method, open the Start Menu, find PowerShell, and click “Run as Administrator.” In the User Account Control (UAC) prompt, choose “Yes.”
Hide Updates
In PowerShell, type the following command and press Enter. This installs a module that lets you hide and show system updates:
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate
To confirm its installation, type Y and press Enter.
Next, input the following command and press Enter:
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
Then, type Y, and press Enter. Now you’re ready to begin.
You can view the available Windows updates by running the following command:
Get-WindowsUpdate
Then use the following command to hide a specific update. Replace KBUpdate with the KB ID of the update to hide, then run the command with Enter:
Hide-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID KBUpdate
After, type Y to confirm the action and press Enter.
Show Updates
Unlike the Show or Hide updates tool, PowerShell doesn’t let you see your hidden updates. You must know the update ID to unhide it with this utility.
On the PowerShell window, type the following command and press Enter:
Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate
Then, type Y and press Enter.
To show a hidden update, use the following command. Replace KBUpdate with the KB ID of the update to unhide, then press Enter to run it:
Show-WindowsUpdate -KBArticleID KBNUMBER
Then, type Y and press Enter.
It’s generally best to keep Windows up to date, so don’t hide updates without a good reason. The same goes for your programs; keep your Windows apps running the latest version.
