Among the varied modifications that Windows 10 dropped at desktop environments, maybe none has been as profound as its modifications to fundamental replace mechanisms. Introduced in 2016, Microsoft’s Unified Update Platform (UUP) applies to the Windows Update service that delivers Windows updates, together with through Windows Update for Business (WUB), Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), and Microsoft Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr), in addition to for Windows 10 and 11 cases that use the built-in Windows Update facility.Thus, UUP is value digging into, as a result of understanding it reveals how Windows updates work, the place they’ll go improper, and learn how to repair them.What is UUP?The Unified Update Platform is a technique for delivering updates to all units that run Windows-based OSes — PCs, tablets, servers, IoT units, and extra — from a single replace platform. It covers all the things from month-to-month high quality updates to annual function updates to Windows Insider preview builds.The impetus for UUP got here from consumer suggestions about how Windows Update would profit from lowering consumption of native processing sources to enhance battery life, and for obtain sizes to be smaller to finish extra rapidly and eat much less bandwidth. Thus, UUP is finest understood as a method designed to restrict the scale of particular person downloads. (UUP does many, many small downloads because it runs.)To accomplish this, Windows Update scans your PC’s part retailer and packages up solely these replace information that have to be utilized to your system. Instead of downloading the identical monolithic obtain file to each gadget, it downloads solely these information for the goal system for which updates can be found.The UUP structure definedMicrosoft Learn presents loads of documentation about UUP. “Get started with Windows Update” particularly is a terrific supply. It describes how UUP works to allow Windows shoppers to seek out, obtain, set up, or roll again Windows updates. The structure diagram from that article helps put its items and elements into perspective, as proven in Figure 1. Microsoft
Figure 1: The UUP structure diagram, in three columns.
The option to learn this diagram is to see it as three columns (although all of the improve and replace parts are shared, besides on the backside). Column 1 names varied parts within the UUP structure. Column 2 specifies parts associated to shopper upgrades for Windows; Column 3 does likewise for shopper updates.(For the file, an improve includes a change within the main digits of a Windows construct quantity, whereas an replace includes a change within the trailing digits of a Windows construct quantity. For instance, all Windows 11 21H1 builds take the shape 22000.xxxx, whereas all Windows 11 22H2 builds are numbered 22621.xxxx — thus, when Microsoft releases a brand new model of the OS every fall, that’s an improve. On the opposite hand, the March 2023 cumulative replace for Windows 11 22H2 took it from Build 22621.1344 to Build 22621.1413 — that’s an replace.) I’ll march by way of the diagram by UUP parts from the highest down, discussing associated shopper improve and replace parts as wanted:
User Experience: Employs the Windows Update consumer interface that’s largely an identical in Windows 10 and Windows 11. For customers who get their updates from Windows Update servers on the web, this can be accessed in Windows 10 through Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update or in Windows 11 through Settings > Windows Update. It gives entry to replace examine and historical past features.
Update Scheduling: Uses the Update Session Orchestrator (USO), a Windows part that handles (orchestrates) downloading, then putting in all types of updates from the Windows Update service. Update sorts embrace function updates (upgrades), OS safety updates and cumulative updates (CUs), gadget drivers, .NET frameworks, and Defender definition updates. Occasionally, Microsoft additionally mentions “quality updates” — that is merely a grab-bag time period for a number of the previous gadgets as delivered month-to-month, usually on the second Tuesday each month (previously referred to as “Patch Tuesday,” now normally known as “Update Tuesday”).
Check for Updates and Downloads: The Windows Update Client, a.ok.a. UpdateAgent, runs as a dynamic hyperlink library (DLL). It is downloaded to a Windows gadget when an replace is discovered. It gives entry to utility programming interfaces (APIs) to carry out an replace, equivalent to producing an inventory of payloads to obtain, actions to take, and replace staging and commit operations. (The latter permits updates to roll again in the event that they fail, and roll ahead/commit in the event that they succeed.) We’ll see this shopper at work in an auto-generated UUP script from UUPdump.web later on this story.
Install Handler: Also referred to as the Windows Update Arbiter, this code is included within the UpdateAgent DLL throughout the replace course of. It gathers details about its host Windows gadget and reads part databases (XML information known as CompDBs) to output an motion record for relevant replace parts. It additionally determines which payloads will convey a tool updated. These could possibly be compressed binary information (ESD, for digital software program obtain, used to retailer encrypted Windows Imaging Format or WIM information) or Windows packages (normally .MSIX, used to bundle all information wanted for apps or purposes arrange for a wide range of deployment sorts).
Deployment Manager: Software that sees to the replace set up and integration. A default supervisor comes with Windows Update companies; different managers include the deployment atmosphere for many who use WSUS, Intune, Autopilot, and so forth.
Installer: Updates typically are available packaged kind, put in by way of a by way of a bundle supervisor. (Winget is a built-in PowerShell bundle supervisor for Windows 10 and 11.) Microsoft’s UUP structure diagram makes particular reference to part based mostly servicing (CBS) for updates. CBS gives sturdy, safe set up for Windows 10 and 11 (way back to Vista, really). It makes use of the Trusted Installer to deal with packages and updates, and writes the CBS.log file typically used to troubleshoot updates and upgrades. Upgrades (function updates that additionally are available mountable ISO information from Microsoft) work by way of a separate improve engine included inside setup.exe (or throughout the runtime for standalone installers like these on bootable media).
Suffice it to say that updates on the whole, and upgrades particularly, contain downloading quite a few parts. Once native, parts are transformed into particular codecs that put all items that the replace or improve wants collectively. This consists of particular person parts, actions, conditional processing for errors or delays, and extra.To present and clarify extra about UUP’s workings and capabilities, we’ll study a pattern script from the UUP Dump web site, which makes use of UUP to construct practically each Windows ISO Microsoft has ever outlined for Windows 10 and 11. (An ISO is a disk picture for a group of information that matches what can be written when creating an optical disc, sector-by-sector. Though optical discs are passe, this format is extensively used to retailer picture information of all types, together with Windows photographs.)Introducing UUP DumpThe tagline for this web site reads “Download UUP files from Windows Update servers with ease.” And that’s precisely what it does (and the way it works) to allow customers to create ISO information for Windows 11 (Canary, Dev, Beta, and Insider Preview channels and manufacturing releases for 22H2 and 21H2), Windows 10 (22H2, 21H2, and 1809), and Windows Server (21H2 and 22H2). UUP Dump maintains scripts to obtain and construct personalized and slipstreamed Windows photographs for all Windows updates and upgrades, utilizing solely Microsoft servers and scripting instructions gleaned from the Windows Update service. It’s an extremely worthwhile instrument for IT admins who work with Windows picture creation and customization, significantly for automated deployment in giant to enterprise-scale companies.The web site’s dwelling web page gives hyperlinks to the releases proven in Figure 2. Ed Tittel / IDG
Figure 2: At UUP Dump, hyperlinks to main launch forks (Canary, Dev Channel, Windows 11, Windows Server, and Windows 10) are up high. Latest releases are within the center, and just lately added builds on the backside. Explore for your self.
At the underside of the determine, you see varied just lately launched updates for (high to backside): Windows Server 2019, Windows 10 20H2, and Windows 11 22H2.If you click on on the x64 button to the correct of “Latest Public Release build,” you’ll get the Windows 11 selections proven in Figure 3. Ed Tittel / IDG
Figure 3: Items from the x64 button for “Latest Public Release Build.”
The high merchandise is Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.1185 — it’s what you get if you happen to obtain Windows 11 22H2 from Microsoft’s Windows 11 obtain web page. The backside merchandise is the latest model of Windows 11 22H2, or Build 22621.1413. If you put in the latter, you’ll have to use the KB4023057 replace to catch as much as the previous.For the needs of a less complicated illustration, let’s click on on the decrease merchandise. This opens a sequence of home windows wherein one picks the language (English), the version (Windows Pro solely: single checkbox), after which a obtain choice (we’ll instruct the script generator to obtain and convert the UUP file set to an ISO, as proven in Figure 4). Ed Tittel / IDG
Figure 4: Click the Download and convert to ISO radio button, which makes use of the UUP set to create a mountable and savable ISO file for Windows 11 22H2, Build 22621.1413 x64 structure (amd64).
When you click on the button to create a obtain bundle, this builds and sends a ZIP file to your PC. It’s named:22621.1413_amd64_en-us_professional_2c34b461_convert.zipCareful inspection reveals this to be a self-documenting identify with the construct quantity (main and minor: 22621.1413), structure (amd64), language (en-us: US English), Windows model (Professional), a singular identifier, and convert to ISO (convert). In brief, the identify of the ZIP file tells you what’s inside and what the script file will do with its contents.Run the script to construct the ISO, utilizing UUPThe finest manner to make use of the ZIP file is to unzip it right into a listing of its personal. I normally identify that listing to match the construct quantity, so let’s name it 22621.1413. Figure 5 depicts the contents of the ZIP file in such a listing on my M: drive. A quick, solid-state drive like this one is very beneficial for operating the script that downloads the information and builds the ISOs: there’s loads of knowledge concerned (greater than 11GB upon completion), and loads of processing, too. A sooner drive will make a distinction! Ed Tittel / IDG
Figure 5: Zip file contents for Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.1413 (downloads UUPs, creates ISO).
The backside file is highlighted as a result of it’s the Windows batch file (.cmd) that performs the required actions in an administrative command immediate session. When you open such a window, change the main target to the drive and listing the place you’ve stashed the unzipped information, and you may run that script.Figure 6 reveals these particulars. I launched an administrative Terminal session, opened a command immediate tab, and switched to the M: drive after which the 22621.1413 folder. Then I lower and pasted the listing outcomes to name the command script. Ed Tittel / IDG
Figure 6: Navigate to the unzipped information, then name the script (.cmd filename).
This fires off a prolonged sequence of actions that includes tons of of information, that are checked, downloaded, and validated to maneuver the UUPs to the shopper PC. When this course of is full (a program named Aria2 offered from UUP Dump does all of the heavy lifting), the display screen will flip blue. The downloads are finished, and the ISO conversion course of is now underway. The downloads themselves eat round 6GB of disk house. At its peak (simply earlier than short-term information are deleted robotically), over 12GB of disk house is consumed. Once the ISO is constructed, the ultimate dimension of that listing is 11.2GB.I gained’t take you thru what this script does step-by-step. There’s an ElevenForum tutorial that does this in some element: courtesy of Kari the Finn, my former associate at Win10.Guru, it’s known as UUP Dump – Download Windows Insider ISO and works for all Windows 10 and 11 ISOs. The tutorial walks by way of all phases of the script and explains the information that get downloaded in addition to the varied packages and picture information that get created and modified as UUP Dump builds an ISO file. Please be aware: it takes a while for this script to run to completion (my most up-to-date run-through took 99 minutes).Figure 7 reveals the ensuing information in the identical listing depicted in Figure 5. The finish end result seems within the type of an ISO file named:22621.1413.230310-0333.NI_RELEASE_SVC_PROD1_CLIENTMULTI_X64FRE_EN-US.ISO Ed Tittel / IDG
Figure 7: This reveals the contents of the 22621.1413 listing upon script completion.
You can use this ISO file to put in or restore Windows 11 from a operating Windows set up. (You should mount it as a digital optical drive first.) Or you need to use it to construct bootable media from which you’ll be able to set up Windows 11 straight. What’s useful about UUP Dump is that you need to use it to create an ISO for any particular model of Windows 10 or 11 on demand. It’s a terrific instrument for admins, fans, and Windows professionals. To see all UUPs that the script downloaded, study the contents of the UUPs listing proven above (90 gadgets in all, 5.44GB).Enduring advantages of UUPMicrosoft continues to enhance UUP and broaden its attain. On Valentine’s Day 2023, Microsoft introduced it was including .NET Framework updates to the panoply of replace sorts that UUP can deal with in Windows 11 22H2. One massive benefit for this switchover will probably be no extra reboots required as .NET Framework updates get utilized. (This doesn’t apply to Windows 10, alas.)UUP is the muse upon which Microsoft’s present and deliberate Windows replace dealing with rests. It presents a protected, compact option to get updates and upgrades the place they should go, securely and robustly. Not coincidentally, UUP Dump additionally presents one of the simplest ways to take advantage of UUP’s strengths. If you’re within the platform, it is best to discover this web site extremely helpful as nicely.This article was initially revealed in March 2017 and up to date in March 2023.
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