Windows 7 / Getting Started

How to Script Update Installations

Windows 7 opens MSU files with the Windows Update Standalone Installer (Wusa.exe). To install an update from a script, run the script with administrative privileges, call Wusa, and provide the path to the MSU file. For example, you can install an update named Windows6.1-KB961367-x86.MSU in the current directory by running the following command.

wusa Windows6.1-KB961367-x86.MSU

Additionally, Wusa supports the following standard command-line options:

  • /?, /h, or /help Displays the command-line options.
  • /quiet Quiet mode. This is the same as unattended mode, but no status or error messages are displayed. Use quiet mode when installing an update as part of a script.
  • /norestart Does not restart when installation has completed. Use this parameter when installing multiple updates simultaneously. All but the last update installed should have the /norestart parameter.

Scripting is not usually the best way to install updates on an ongoing basis. Instead, you should use Automatic Updates, WSUS, or Configuration Manager 2007 R2. However, you might create a script to install updates on new computers or to install updates on computers that cannot participate in your standard update distribution method.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Software Updates
  2. Methods for Deploying Updates
  3. Windows Update Client
  4. Windows Server Update Services
  5. System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2
  6. Manually Installing, Scripting, and Removing Updates
  7. Overview of Windows 7 Update Files
  8. How to Script Update Installations
  9. How to Remove Updates
  10. Deploying Updates to New Computers
  11. Other Reasons to Use a Private Network for New Computers
  12. Managing BITS
  13. BITS Behavior
  14. BITS Group Policy Settings
  15. Configuring the Maximum Bandwidth Served For Peer Client Requests Policy
  16. Managing BITS with Windows PowerShell
  17. Windows Update Group Policy Settings
  18. Configuring Windows Update to Use a Proxy Server
  19. Tools for Auditing Software Updates
  20. The MBSA Console
  21. MBSACLI
  22. Scheduling MBSA
  23. Troubleshooting the Windows Update Client
  24. The Process of Updating Network Software
  25. Assembling the Update Team
  26. Inventorying Software
  27. Creating an Update Process
  28. Discovering Updates
  29. Evaluating Updates
  30. Speeding the Update Process
  31. Retrieving Updates
  32. Testing Updates
  33. Installing Updates
  34. Removing Updates
  35. Auditing Updates
  36. How Microsoft Distributes Updates
  37. Security Updates
  38. Update Rollups
  39. Service Packs
  40. Microsoft Product Life Cycles