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WuInstall 3.1 beta: check a command line before it runs

Automate Windows updates from the command line.

Select updates, control reboots and record results with the scripts and deployment tools you already use.

Start free trial See a patching example

30 days · up to 100 machines · no credit card. WuInstall 2.9.8 is stable; 3.0 is beta.

PS C:\> wuinstall /search Searching for updates (criteria: IsInstalled=0 and Type='Software') ... 2 update(s) found in total, filtering ... 2 update(s) found: 1. KB890830 Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 - v5.146 (KB890830) 2. KB2267602 Security Intelligence Update for Microsoft Defender Antivirus - KB2267602 (Version 1.441.84.0) PS C:\> wuinstall /install /reboot_if_needed /logfile 'C:\logs\$DATETIME$.txt' … no reboot needed, so system will not reboot ... PS C:\> $LASTEXITCODE 0 PS C:\>

Used by 300+ IT professionals, including teams at

  • Adobe
  • Philips
  • Oracle
  • TeamViewer
  • Google

Why add WuInstall to your scripts?

Keep the tools you already use. WuInstall adds a documented command-line interface for selecting updates, handling reboots and recording results. Compare it with PowerShell and WSUS, and see how XEOX adds central management.

Compare the approaches

Practical guides and use cases

Choose your patching workflow

Windows Server patching

Plan a pilot, maintenance windows and evidence with your existing tools.

Keep, complement or replace WSUS?

Decide based on approvals, distribution and operating requirements.

BatchPatch vs WuInstall

Compare a remote console with command-line execution for your workflow.

Windows update control for scripts, RMM and AI assistants

Give your assistant a documented Windows command line, version-specific examples and reports it can interpret. Keep execution in your existing deployment workflow, with the scope and restart policy you approve.

Prepare a command

Choose the version, update source and filters. Preview a PowerShell command before running it.

Explain a patch result

Turn XML or JSON evidence into a summary of update results, errors and pending restarts.

Equip your AI assistant

Use the public CLI skill, Markdown reference and example prompts to work within an approved scope.

Connect your RMM workflow

Start with a PowerShell wrapper that preserves the native exit code and writes a separate report for each run.

AI agent guideCommand builder

2.9.8 stable: XML reports. 3.1 beta: XML and JSON files. Review the examples and test on a Windows pilot before rollout.

Windows Update runs on its own schedule. Not yours.

Choose the operation, source and filters in your scripts. Your deployment tool controls when and where they run.

Left to Windows Update

  • Restarts interrupt people in the middle of their work.
  • WSUS is slow to sync, and approvals hold urgent patches back.
  • You have no say in what lands on which machine, or when.

Run by WuInstall

  • Start updates in your maintenance window and explicitly choose WuInstall restart behavior.
  • Use your WSUS, or go straight to Microsoft when a patch can’t wait.
  • You pick the updates by KB number, severity or classification, per group of machines.

Built by sysadmins, for sysadmins

No bloated GUI, no hidden settings. Every option is a command-line switch that fits into the scripts and tools you already run.

  • Command-line control

    /search/download/install

    Search, download and install updates from cmd, PowerShell, SCCM, Intune or your RMM tool. Search first to review the selection without installing updates.

  • Precise selection

    /match/nomatch/severity/classification

    Choose updates by KB number, title, severity or classification, or rule them out. Regular expressions work too.

  • WSUS integration

    /UseUpdateService

    Work with your WSUS server, or patch straight from Microsoft when an update can’t wait for the next approval cycle.

  • Offline caching

    /download_to/install_cache

    Download first and install later, or keep classic update packages in a shared cache so your machines don’t all fetch the same files.

  • Reboot automation

    /reboot_if_needed/rebootcycle

    Request a restart when an installed update needs it, with a configured maximum for repeated reboot cycles.

  • Shutdown scripts

    /shutdown

    Install during an agreed maintenance window and request shutdown after the run.

  • Logging & time limits

    /logfile/xmlout/jsonout/maxruntime

    Timestamped logs and XML reports for your workflows. JSON output is available in WuInstall 3 beta. Coordinate runtime limits with your maintenance window.

Full switch reference in the documentation

Set up, schedule and verify

  1. Install

    Download WuInstall from the customer portal. Setup takes about two minutes.

  2. Script

    Choose filters, schedule and parameters. The same command line covers one PC or thousands.

    wuinstall /install /reboot_if_needed /logfile C:\logs\wuinstall.log

  3. Schedule and verify

    Schedule a pilot first. Collect return codes and reports after each run, and verify recovery after a restart.

    schtasks /create /tn "Patch night" /tr "C:\Tools\wuinstall.exe /install /reboot_if_needed /logfile C:\logs\wuinstall.log" /sc monthly /mo second /d TUE /st 23:00 /ru SYSTEM

WuInstall 3.1 beta: structured results and recovery

Version 3 retains much of the familiar CLI and adds JSON reports and recovery of temporary settings. Some behavior changes, and the old /remote option is not supported. Review migration notes and test a pilot; 2.9.8 remains stable.

Compatibility and migration guidance

  • Recovery after interruption

    Since 3.0.4, WuInstall journals temporary WSUS and proxy settings. A subsequent run attempts to restore settings left by an interrupted run.

  • Subjects that tell you the result

    New tokens like $returncode$, $returntext$, $RCC$ and $DATETIME$ show the outcome without opening the mail.

  • Validated filters and cache writes

    Malformed patterns are rejected. New cache entries are staged before publication, preserving existing entries when a download fails.

  • JSON report

    /jsonout writes per-update results, the return code and reboot state; from 3.1 also which updates the filters left out and why the run ended. /validate checks a command line before it runs. Use JSON alongside or instead of XML.

System requirements

.NET Framework 4.6.2 or later is required; modern .NET alone is insufficient. x86 and x64 share one executable; ARM64 is untested. Check the compatibility guide for older systems and the recorded Windows test coverage.

Who uses WuInstall

Enterprise IT

Patch thousands of clients and servers centrally, on your schedule.

MSPs & IT service providers

Automate patching for every customer from the scripts you already maintain.

SCCM, Intune & RMM

Extend your existing toolchain. Check the version 3 migration notes before changing an integration.

Schools & NGOs

Save bandwidth with caching, and ask us about education and non-profit pricing.

WuInstall and XEOX: better together

Same team, two tools. WuInstall puts Windows updates on your command line. XEOX manages every device from a web console, and installs Windows updates with WuInstall under the hood.

WuInstall and XEOX compared
WuInstallXEOX
Systems Windows Windows, macOS and Linux
How you work Command line and your own scripts Web console, with scripts and automations
Updates Windows updates from WSUS or Microsoft Operating system and application patches, with test groups and approval
Software distribution Not included Included
Inventory (CMDB) Not included Included
Remote access Not included Included
Reports and alerts Log file, XML report and email Included
Where it runs On your machines, no cloud service Cloud service hosted in the EU, made in Austria
Price From $529 a year for 100 machines €15 per device per year
Try XEOX free for 30 days See XEOX pricing

No credit card. The trial ends on its own.

Yearly licenses, priced by machine count

Pick the package that covers your machines. All prices in US$, billed yearly in advance.

Machines

Small covers up to 250 machines for $799 a year. That’s about $3.20 per machine.

Buy Small
Yearly licenses, priced by machine count
PackageMachinesPer yearPer machine
Basic 100 $529 $5.29 Buy
Small 250 $799 $3.20 Buy
Medium 500 $1,290 $2.58 Buy
Large 1,000 $1,990 $1.99 Buy
Corporate 2,000 $3,290 $1.65 Buy
Enterprise 4,000 $5,790 $1.45 Buy
Individual 4,000+ – – Get a quote

Schools, universities and NGOs: request a quote for special pricing. Get a quote

Not sure yet? Test the full version on up to 100 machines for 30 days. Start free trial

Questions before you buy

Short answers about licensing and your data. The details are in the documentation.

Is the price per year?

Yes. Every package is a yearly subscription. The license covers the licensed number of machines for one year from the day you pay, and during that year you can download every new WuInstall version from the customer portal.

We patch our customers' machines. How do we count them?

If you run the patching as a service and WuInstall is no longer used once a customer leaves you, one subscription for your company is enough: add up the machines of all your customers. If your customers patch themselves and you resell WuInstall to them, each customer needs their own license. Ask us about a reseller discount.

We run WuInstall only once per machine, during setup. How many machines do we license?

The average number of machines you patch per month, or the machines per year divided by 12. Repair shops and suppliers of pre-installed PCs count this way.

Is there a price for schools and universities?

Yes. Schools, universities and other educational organizations pay the Basic price of $529 a year, however many servers and workstations they patch. Request a quote to get this price.

Does WuInstall send data to you or to the cloud?

No. WuInstall has no telemetry and checks its license locally. It works through Windows Update on the machine, which gets the updates from your WSUS or from Microsoft. Other servers only come in when you set them yourself, for example a mail server for notification emails.

How do I activate or renew the license?

There is nothing to activate. The license is built into the WuInstall executable, with no license file, registry key or online check. After renewing, download WuInstall again from the customer portal and replace the old executable, for example on your deployment share.

Guides from the blog

WuInstall

WuInstall 3.1 (Insight Edition): check before you run

WuInstall 3.1 checks a command line without running anything, lists its switches as JSON for scripts and AI assistants, and writes reports that explain the selection. Version 2.9.8 remains stable.

3 min read

All guides and how-tos

Try WuInstall free for 30 days

The full version for up to 100 machines. No credit card, no subscription. Follow the instructions in your email to access the customer portal.

Start free trial