Microsoft → [WIN7] [Windows Updates] "Shutdown and install updates"

My computer is set to ONLY notify me of updates; it does not automatically download them OR install them.

I haven't installed an update in a long time. However, my windows' shutdown buttons all say "shutdown an install updates" or some variation of that wording.

How do i determine WHICH update(s) would be installed if i did this? Any ideas?

please do not get sidetracked by which updates are "pending download". I have like 91 updates that are ready to be downloaded so that they can then be installed. my question is not about these updates in any way; i want to know about some "unidentified" update that has already been downloaded and installed but still requires a shutdown to finish configuring. i need to know how to identify whichever update(s) is/are causing my shutdown button to read as "shutdown and install updates".

before i do this shutdown, i need to know what windows intends to do.

I don't have detailed info on this but you could look in the following directory

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

You may find in that directory the following directories
WuRedir
PostRebootEventCache.V2
Download

Most of the log files are hex so not much info there, my PostReboot directory is empty but you might find something there.

AFAIK, "shutdown and install updates" does not mean that updates have been installed. It just means that if you choose the default shutdown, they *will* be installed.

The default is presumably changed to avoid the 'problem' of downloaded updates never getting installed.

You can still choose to shutdown and not install. This doesn't clear the state; you just put it off until later. This seems to support my claim that the update hasn't yet been installed; I don't think there's any way to do an installation but skip the finish-it-off part on the next reboot.

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If you open Windows Update, choose the Custom update, and then display the detailed list of updates.... then as each update in turn is highlighted, does the panel on the right say anything that suggests you've already downloaded some updates?

I base this on the fact that all mine say "update is ready for downloading" and so I'm hoping you might see "... for installing".

Yes, I realise that reading through a list of 91 pending updates looking for the dowloaded ones is not very convenient. I have no better ideas though.

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OK, I tried this experiment: selected something to install, let it download, and then cancelled while it was making a restore point.

That update now shows "update has finished downloading and is ready to install". But my start button doesn't have the reboot-to-install change on it.

I re-did this update and let it install, which now wants me to reboot. The start button doesn't have the reboot-to-install default action now either.

So, this is a little fuzzy, but neither a downoaded but cancelled installation, nor a completed installation, modify the start button immediately. I still believe (without proof) that the modified start button denotes the downloaded, ready-to-install, not-cancelled state.

It could be Win7 SP1

My postreboot folder is also empty. I tried looking in the winupdate log file in there and didn't see anything that seemed to relate to my notification.

As for the nuance about the update, id agree that its not yet installed as such, but needs to unload the os to begin install.

My problem remains: how do I, for 100% certain, identify which update(s) are downloaded, ready to install (but not yet installed) and triggering my "shutdown to install" notification? Any ideas?

My only suggestion might have got lost in my blabber.... look through the list of updates displayed by the Windows Update UI, ignore the 'ready for downloading' ones and see if there are any 'ready to install' updates listed.

In my own experience, the updates that causes the changed 'shutdown' button appearance can be installed in either of two ways: via the normal Windows Update method, or via shutdown. It's not that they need to shut down the system to start installation (though a subsequent reboot might be needed), it's more like 'if you're shutting the system down anyway then we really think you should consider installing this stuff first' (maybe because if you wait until afterward then you could end up doing 2 reboots).

It may be another case of a stealth Microsoft update, downloaded and installed even though you have "Notify me" turned on. See this article from 2007 for proof that MS has done this before:

Microsoft updates Windows without users’ consent
»windowssecrets.com/top-s ··· consent/

I do not jump on updates asap yet I do install them relatively soon. So 91 waiting to install?

One other option is to install deep frezze or something like it, that might allow you to take a snapshot before the reboot if a reboot is not required for the DF install.
At least you could go back to the snapshot after the reboot and you find what installed after the reboot.

You are making this sound bigger than it really is. And you are not giving the whole story. if I am not mistaken, u get an option to "shut down and install" or "click here" to only shut down. I get this all the time in my XP system (yes, still hanging on to it).Never had this incident on my Win 7 system(set Updates to Never). Now, if you dont want to see the reminder again, set your Uodates to Never. Check for updates manually