Uninstall windows 7 service pack. Removing required updates
The article discusses ways to uninstall all updates in Windows 7 at once. Since OS developers have not built in such a function, you cannot do without third-party software.
SpoilerTarget"> Spoiler: Why are updates needed?
Anyone who hears the word “updates” for the first time will say that these are certain measures aimed at improving the product. Their task is to correct bugs and shortcomings in any program, not necessarily in Windows 7. For example, a year after the release of the application, the company decided to improve the interface and released a package of updates that the user must download and install, after which he will see these changes.
Updates in Windows 7 are usually aimed at fixing security problems and compatibility of the operating system with drivers and programs. This also includes compatibility issues with programs that require installation of the Microsoft .Net Framework software platform, etc.
Unfortunately, you cannot avoid problems with updates - after a while they become irrelevant, as new ones appear to replace them. In this regard, a “dump” appears in the partition with installed updates, and you also want to have more free space on your hard drive.
There is only one solution: remove all Windows 7 updates and reinstall only the ones you need. But what if you have a thousand of them? Windows 7 does not have a function that allows you to uninstall all updates at once, so you cannot do without third-party software.
SpoilerTarget"> Spoiler: Problems that may arise during a deupdate
After launch, we see a list of programs available for removal, but there are no updates here. To fix this, click on the “Tools” tab in the top menu and select the options section (Alt + O). In the navigation panel on the left, click on the “All programs” item and check the necessary settings: show system updates, show system components, click “OK” and you will notice significant changes in the list of programs - applications will appear, the name of which will contain the update number.
Select them and click “Delete”. Of course, this method requires certain actions from the user, but you do not have to manually click on each component in the Windows 7 update center.
For various reasons, it may be necessary to remove installed Windows updates. For example, it may happen that after the automatic installation of the next update, some program, equipment stops working, or errors begin to appear.
The reasons may be different: for example, some updates may make changes to the kernel of the Windows 7 or Windows 8 operating system, which may result in some drivers not working properly. In general, there are many options for trouble. And, despite the fact that I recommend installing all updates, or even better, letting the OS do it itself, I see no reason not to tell you how to remove them.
Uninstalling installed updates through the control panel
In order to uninstall updates in the latest versions of Windows 7 and 8, you can use the corresponding item in the Control Panel.
Once complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer. I am sometimes asked if it needs to be rebooted after every remote update. I will answer: I don’t know. It seems that nothing bad will happen if this is done after the desired action has been performed on all the updates, but I am not sure how correct this is, since I can imagine some situations in which not restarting the computer may cause failures when deleting the next one updates.
We figured it out with this method. Let's move on to the next one.
How to Remove Installed Windows Updates Using the Command Prompt
Windows has a tool called the “Offline Update Installer”. By calling it with certain parameters from the command line, you can remove a specific Windows update. In most cases, to remove an installed update, use the following command:
Wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:2222222
in which kb:2222222 is the number of the update that needs to be removed.
And below is complete help on the parameters that can be used in wusa.exe.
That's all about uninstalling updates in the Windows operating system. Let me remind you that at the beginning of the article there was a link to information about disabling automatic updates, if you are suddenly interested in this information.
A good and instructive article on the topic of how to properly remove necessary and unnecessary Windows updates. I don’t know why you will need to remove the necessary updates, but the ones you don’t need may well come in handy. The article was written at the request of visitors.
Before you start uninstalling, you should know that Windows updates are released in order to fix found vulnerabilities in the system and make it better. Therefore, it is not recommended to remove them. It’s another matter if after such updates the system begins to work unstably or you need to free up some space from unused updates (and there are some). But let's talk about all this in order.
First, let's figure out how to properly remove any updates installed in different versions of Windows.
How to remove updates in Windows XP
There is also another way to remove updates in Windows XP.
To do this, go to the Windows folder on the system drive and look for folders there with a blue name, something like this:
As you can see, their name begins with the $ sign. Inside there is a folder spuninst, inside of which there is a file spuninst.exe, which you need to run to remove the update.
How to remove updates in Windows 7
Start -> Control Panel -> select type View By Categories and choose system and safety:
View installed updates
We get a list by selecting and highlighting the update from which you can delete it:
How to remove updates in Windows 8
In the "eight" everything is practically the same as in the "seven". I will show you how to do this only if you select View By Large icons:
You can also remove updates via . This method does NOT work on Windows XP.
Launch and enter the command:
wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:100500
where 100500 is the number of the update to be removed. Of course, you need to know it, and it is also advisable to run the command line as an administrator.
We are done with information about deleting all deletions. Now let's focus on if you need to remove unnecessary updates. Yes, yes, there are some. The fact is that if you have installed Windows for a long time, then it contains a bunch of unnecessary updates. Let's look at an example.
Let's assume that the system is already about 3 years old. All updates are downloaded and installed correctly. But after one update, more and more new ones are released, which often “overlap” old updates with their “patches”. What happens to the old ones that have already been downloaded and have been “blocked” 10 times? Yes, they are in the system, or more specifically, on the system partition of the disk, where there is always not enough space.
I wrote about this a year ago in an article. It doesn't exist in Windows XP. You can read the article in more detail.
In addition to that article, I want to give one recommendation for clearing unnecessary updates (this is not in That article).
So, go to My Computer and click on the system partition (this is where Windows is installed. There is also a special icon there and often this is a disk WITH) with the right mouse button. In the context menu select Properties.
The information collection procedure will begin. We have to wait. How much time? Depends on system load. Sometimes a minute is enough, sometimes ten:
After you have waited and the system has scanned all the files that can be cleaned without loss of functionality, you need to scroll down the list looking for the item “Cleaning Windows updates” and check it. You can also check some other box along the way (for example Memory dump files And Debug Dump Files), fortunately the description is present on all of them (we read and think whether you need it). Then click OK:
If after you have chosen Disk Cleanup and you don’t see an option for uninstalling Windows updates, then click on “Clean up system files”
and in the next window search, install and delete:
Where are Windows updates stored?
Of course, in Windows, updates must be stored somewhere. For all versions (Windows XP, 7, 8) the folder for storing updates is the same. It is located along the path:
System disk -> Windows -> SoftwareDistribution -> Download
This is where all the update folders and files are located:
What is all this for? No, not for deletion. It is wrong to delete from here! This is more for general information, and also so that you can create a backup copy of this folder.
For example, you save everything from here, then you reinstalled Windows, or you went to a friend with a new OS, or some error occurred - in general, there can be many situations. You will simply copy saved updates and will not need to search for or install them. In short, you understand what I'm getting at.
Please understand that not all updates from this backup may be suitable for another system. From seven to eight, of course, it won’t work, but you also need to take into account.
Also, if the update folders or files contain the name express , then you need to know that such updates are not reinstalled.
That's all I have. Now you know how to remove all Windows updates, as well as where they are located, how to disable them and create a backup copy.
All users of modern computerized devices (be it a computer, phone or any other gadget) have at least once encountered a situation where a program or even an operating system asks for an update. In the case of Windows patches(that is, updates) appear almost every day.
On the one side This is good- after all, day by day technologies are becoming more advanced and in order for a computer to keep up with the times, it is necessary to at least occasionally update the programs installed on it and the operating system as a whole.
What does a Windows update provide?
As you know, nothing is perfect in the world. The same can be said about the operation of modern operating systems, including Windows. After the official release of the OS, a lot of time still passes for the system to work equally effectively on all computers.
From time to time, developers receive various complaints from users about the poor performance of the OS. To fix problems, Windows creators have to release patches in the form of files stored on official servers. It is these files that the system downloads, so that it can then use them to solve certain operational problems.
Thus, timely downloading of Windows updates is a kind of guarantee of system performance from the developers.
Why remove updates?
Sorry, loaded updates don't always benefit your computer. This is due to the fact that they sometimes do not fit specific car user. After all, today in the high technology market there is competition among a large number of manufacturers motherboards, video cards, processors and other computer components. These components are created in different factories using at least slightly different source materials, which often leads to problems with Windows on a particular computer.
It is in such cases that updates do not lead to improvement, but on the contrary, deterioration OS performance. This usually happens after installing the so-called optional patches. These updates are usually not important for the system as a whole, but only for some programs. Experienced users most often do not even download patches marked “ Optional"or decide to disable updates altogether, thereby protecting yourself and your computer from unnecessary problems.
Be that as it may, in order to return the system to working condition after the next patch, you need to perform a rollback, namely - removal of such updates.
This can be done in different ways. Let's look at the simplest ones.
Removing patches through the Control Panel
The easiest way to remove patches manually in Windows 7 is to use the system tool. First you need to go to " Windows Update" through Control Panel. The latter is in the menu " Start».
Here you should find the section " Windows Update" and go to it.
To view the list of currently installed patches, follow the “” link located in the left corner of the bottom part of the window.
In the list presented, you will see several patches at once (or maybe in your case there will be only one) that have already been installed on your computer.
All you need is highlight patch, which you want to delete, right-click on its name and select the appropriate item from the drop-down list (you can also just double-click on the name). Please note in advance installation date the patch you are trying to remove. If you roughly remember the day after which your computer began to act up, then select the patch from the list, installed at that very moment. Immediately after this action, the computer should reboot.
If you need to completely remove it right away several patches, then unfortunately, it won’t be possible to do it all at once. This means that it is impossible to select a certain number of patches, so you will have to delete each one in turn.
Using the command line
If for some reason you are unable to remove a particular patch through the Control Panel, or you want to simplify the process uninstalling many updates, you can use command line- she is also capable of performing this task.
To get started, launch it by pressing Win on your keyboard + R and enter the cmd command in the window that appears
In the window that opens, you need to write the command wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:<номер>and click " Enter“(by “number” we mean the number of a particular patch). It can be found in the “” section mentioned above.
You can find out complete information about the capabilities of the wusa.exe program by running the command wusa /?
After entering the command and pressing the Enter button, a window with help information will appear:
If you know for sure (for example, you saw it on some forum) which of the important or optional updates led to problems with your computer, then write exactly its number.
Automatic removal of multiple updates
If your goal is to remove a large number of updates, then it is easier to perform this procedure by creating a file with the extension bat. To do this, open a text editor and create a file containing lines of code like this: wusa /uninstall /quiet /norestart /kb:1234567
Here's what it looks like in an example (a file has been created updatedel.bat):
Keys quite And norestart are needed in order to prevent the removal confirmation window from appearing for each update and automatic reboot.
How to disable updates
If you don't want your Windows to be updated, you can disable this feature in settings. For this:
- Go to again Update Center;
- Go to the section " Settings", which is on the left side of the window;
- To turn off updates, select from the list " Don't check for updates" and then click OK.
Video on the topic
Any update, especially if it affects system files, is a potential threat to system stability. Despite the fact that updates are tested both by Microsoft itself and by administrators themselves, situations when installing an update leads to complete system inoperability do occur from time to time. What to do in this case? We will talk about this in this article.
The main problem, which is also an undoubted advantage, of Windows systems is their diversity. It is almost impossible to calculate the number of possible combinations of hardware and software running on it, therefore, no matter how carefully you test updates, there can always be a combination of hardware and software that turns out to be incompatible with a given update. Most often, problems are associated with third-party drivers or low-level software running at the kernel level.
A separate discussion concerns unlicensed systems. Most often, activation is bypassed by patching and replacing the kernel. This in itself is unsafe and fraught with potential problems, and with updates that affect the kernel, you risk a system failure, which has happened more than once. Various amateur builds available on the Internet are also susceptible to this drawback; many builders immediately include a patched kernel in the system or forcefully launch the activator immediately after installation, without checking the presence and validity of the system key.
This happened last Patch Tuesday. Next security update KB3045999 for Windows 7, when rebooting, it resulted in a “blue screen of death” (BSOD).
Users burst out with further reproaches to Microsoft for releasing “buggy” updates, but it soon became clear that only systems with a patched kernel were susceptible to the error. Nevertheless, the problem also affected quite law-abiding users who were too lazy to assemble it and, in order not to download gigabytes of updates, simply downloaded a suitable assembly from the network.
We will not discuss the moral and legal aspects of using unlicensed software, let everyone decide this issue on their own, but rather consider ways to restore the system.
Installation disc or Windows PE
This is the most accessible, although not the easiest, method. Any disk from a compatible system will do, the only condition is compliance with the bit capacity. You should also remember about backward compatibility, i.e. to restore Windows 7, you can use disks not only from Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2, but also Windows 8 / Server 2012. In some cases, you can try to use a disk from an earlier system, but not all options may be available, for example, It will not be possible to implement the instructions below with a disk from Windows Vista / Server 2008.
If you are using Windows PE, then it must also be based on the current version of the OS or a later one, and the bit depth must also be the same.
Let's boot from the installation disk and on the screen offering OS installation, select the item System Restore.
The utility will detect the installed OS and offer to proceed to automatic system recovery, there are few options here, so click Further.
But there is absolutely no need to wait for the wizard to finish his work, especially since he won’t be able to help us, so on the next screen we click Cancel.
Then take your time and select the link in the window that appears Show additional system recovery options.
Now you have the opportunity to exit to the command line, which you should use.
If you booted from Windows PE, you will be taken to the command line right away.
Then you should clarify which letter the system disk received. With standard markup, this will be the letter D, the letter C will be the service section. To check, let's do:
Once you are sure that it is indeed the system drive, you can proceed to the next steps. Before doing this, it would be a good idea to clarify the name of the problematic update; as a rule, this is easy to do using the Internet. Then we get a list of all installed packages with the following command:
DISM /Image:D:\ /Get-Packages
In the output we find the number of the required update and copy the package name; if it is unknown, then delete all packages with the date of the last update.
To copy the name of a package on the command line, select it and press the key Enter, just right-click to insert.
To remove a package, run the command:
DISM /Image:D:\ /Remove-Package /PackageName:Package_for_KB3045999~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.1
where as an option PackageName specify the package name obtained in the previous step.
Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset
A set of diagnostic and recovery tools ( Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (MSDaRT) is a tool based on ERD Commander from Sysinternals and available through Software Assurance (SA) subscription, but it is not difficult to find on the Internet. To work with Windows 7 you will need at least version 6.5 of MSDaRT, version 8.0 is current
We boot from the MSDaRT disk, remember that compliance with the bit depth is a mandatory requirement, and on the first screen, after selecting the language (in our case, version 8.0 is used), select Diagnostics:
Then Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset:
After which a window will open in front of you with a selection of available tools, we are interested in Hotfix Uninstall or Removing patches.
Working with the wizard is not difficult; select one or more updates and delete them:
As you can see, working with MSDaRT is much more convenient than with the command line, but it requires preparing for possible emergency situations in advance.
In both cases, after removing the problematic update, you should reboot and carefully analyze the reasons for the failure. We hope that this material will help you quickly restore system functionality after an unsuccessful update.
