Get Answers Here! Can You Install Windows Updates in Safe Mode?

Safe Mode is one of the optimal ways to diagnose and troubleshoot problems in your computer. Installing the latest Windows update can fix some bugs, bring some new features, or update some components and more to make your device run more efficiently. Some might ask: can I install Windows Update in Safe Mode? In this post on MiniTool Website, you will get satisfying answers.

About Safe Mode

When there is a significant system issue preventing Windows from functioning normally, you can enter Safe Mode to diagnose your system. Safe Mode starts Windows in a basic state with a limited set of files and drivers, so you can narrow down the source of the problems.

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Can You Install Windows Updates in Safe Mode?

Here comes the question: can you install Windows Update in Safe Mode? As the saying goes, real knowledge comes from practice. Let’s enter Safe Mode to get the answer:

Move 1: Enable Safe Mode

For a bootable device, you can enable Safe Mode via System Configuration. To do so:

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run box.

Step 2. Type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.

Step 3. Under the Boot tab, tick Safe Mode > tick Network > hit Apply & OK.

Tips:
If your computer fails to boot normally, you can follow these steps to enable Safe Mode: enter Windows Recovery Environment > go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart > press F5 to enter Safe Mode with networking.
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Move 2: Go to Windows Update

In Safe Mode, you need to: press Win + I to open Windows 10 Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Then, you will see the following page.

As for Windows 11, you can get this page:

As you can see, no matter whether in Windows 10, or Windows 11, all the settings and options in Windows Update are missing. Then, we can draw a conclusion that you cannot install Windows Update in Safe Mode.

Tips:
If you choose to download the update manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog page in Safe Mode, you still need to install it when your computer boots normally because specific drivers and components are unavailable in Safe Mode.

How to Uninstall Windows Updates in Safe Mode?

Although you are unable to install Windows Updates in Safe Mode, you can uninstall them in this mode according to our investigation. After enabling Safe Mode with a network, follow these steps to uninstall the problematic updates you want to remove:

Step 1. Type control panel in the search bar and hit Enter.

Step 2. Select Category from the drop-down menu of View by.

Step 3. Under Programs, click on Uninstall a program.

Step 4. In the left pane, hit View installed updates.

Step 5. Now, you can see all the installed updates, right-click on the update you want to remove and hit Uninstall.

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Wrapping Things Up

Can you install Windows Updates in Safe Mode? Can you uninstall Windows Updates in Safe Mode? I suppose you are clear now. You cannot install Windows Updates because only limited resources and services are available in Safe Mode. However, if you encounter some problems after updating your Windows, you can enter Safe Mode to uninstall the problematic update to see if it will make a difference.

About The Author

Aurelie

Position: Columnist

Aurelie is a passionate soul who always enjoys researching & writing articles and solutions to help others. Her posts mainly cover topics related to games, data backup & recovery, file sync and so on. Apart from writing, her primary interests include reading novels and poems, travelling and listening to country music.