Purpose
PDQ Deploy reports Update Does Not Apply when deploying a Windows Update package.
Resolution
The error Update Does Not Apply is a Windows Update installer error being relayed via PDQ Deploy. This means that the Windows Update installer determined that the update being installed is not applicable to the target computer.
Why is the update not applicable to the target computer?
- The update is superseded by another update that's already installed.
- The update is already installed.
- The update is missing a pre-requisite update.
- The update is not valid for the edition of Windows that's installed.
To determine if the update is already installed or superseded, it's not as simple as just checking if the KB is installed, you have to look at versions of the binaries the update is supposed to replace, as those binaries may have been updated by another update. For example: If the update is for replacing a Microsoft DLL, and that DLL has already been updated or replaced by another update, such as a Cumulative Update, then the update will no longer be applicable since the DLL had already been updated.
To determine if a pre-requisite update is needed, go to the Windows Update History (linked below) for the version of Windows you are attempting to update. Any required pre-requisite updates will be displayed for each update. If this is a Windows Update from the PDQ Deploy Package Library, any required pre-requisite updates will be included.
Windows Server 2016 Update History
Windows Server 2019 Update History
Windows Server 2022 Update History
To determine if the update is valid for your edition of Windows, check if the installed edition of Windows has reached End of Service. The currently supported versions of Windows can be found in the Microsoft Documentation: Supported versions of Windows client.
You cannot use a Windows Cumulative Update to upgrade Windows 10 from one Feature Update to another or upgrading to a new version of Windows (e.g.: Windows 10 to Windows 11). This would need to be a Feature Upgrade or Operating System Upgrade. The Cumulative Updates are just for updating that specific version with the latest updates.
Troubleshooting the update is not applicable to your computer
If you'd like to further troubleshoot why the update is not applicable, you can look at the CBS log file on the computer and search for the KB to determine the exact reason.
"C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log"
