How to Update Windows 11 Manually: Step-by-Step Guide

If you plan to update a specific program or a security patch, a manual update is the best solution. It may also prove useful if you have disabled automatic updates or if the device is having update problems.

Without regular updates, your device could be vulnerable to security threats and performance issues. To keep your device up-to-date with the latest features, you can use the following methods to perform Windows 11 manual updates.

From Settings

The first and easiest method to manually download updates is to check for it in Settings. By using the Windows Update tool, users can search and download everything Windows related, from security patches to bug fixes and even the latest version of Windows. 

• Press the Windows key + I to open Settings
• Click on the Windows Update tab

• Inside, click on Check for updates button

If an update is available, Windows will then start downloading the available updates on your device

If you wish to download additional optional updates, 

• From the Windows Update panel, click on
• Advance Options> Optional Updates

• If updates are available, check mark the updates you want to download

• Click on Download & Install to start the process

You may need to restart your device to complete the update

Windows Update Catalog

Another method to update Windows manually is through an ISO package from Windows Update Catalog. The process requires you to download the ISO from Microsoft’s website and manually install them on your device. 

This option is also the best way to install updates if the internet is not accessible on the device.

To check for the latest version of Windows, check the release history and note down the KB information

• Now, visit the Microsoft Update catalogue site and enter the KB(Knowledge Base) information on the Search bar [e.g. KB5021255] 

• From the list, click on the title to get an overview of the update
• Close the window and click on Download beside the appropriate update file

• On the pop-up window, click on the link to start the download process

Depending on the type of update, you will download either a .msu or a .cab file

• To update from a .msu file
• After downloading, navigate to the file directory
• Double click the file to start the installation process

Restart your device to complete the installation

• To update from a .cab file
• Press the Windows key + R to open Run
• Type cmd and press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys to open Command prompt with elevated access

• On the console, type the following and press Enter

DISM.exe /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:<Full path of the cab file and the filename>
[eg: DISM.exe /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\Users\redsp\Downloads\windows11.0-kb5021255-x64_fdeac73086fbc36f8f72d7691a131c866d48338a.cab]

• You may be prompted to restart your device, press Y to continue

From Windows PowerShell

If you wish to forgo using the GUI, you can instead install the updates from CLI (Command Line Interface). To do this, you will need to run the following commandlets from Windows PowerShell

• Open Run and type powershell 
• Press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together to open PowerShell with elevated access

• On the console, type Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate 
• A prompt will appear, type Y to continue
• If an untrusted repository message appears, again, type Y or A to continue

Now type

Get-WindowsUpdate
Get-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -Install -AutoReboot
Get-WindowsUpdate -Install -KBArticleID ’<KB version>’
[e.g. Get-WindowsUpdate -Install -KBArticleID ’KB5021255’]

If you encounter an import module error, perform the following steps

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

Import-Module PSWindowsupdate

Afterwards, preform step 6 normally to continue