How to Clear Windows Update History in Windows 11

You can clear your Windows Update history in Windows 11 to clean up your settings or as a troubleshooting step.

Your Windows Update history shows every update your PC has downloaded and installed. This includes important security patches and big feature updates, like the ones that come with new versions of Windows 11.

Clearing this history removes the visible list within your settings menu. Your actual installed updates will stay on your computer, keeping it protected and functional.

This is a great way to keep your settings neat and can help when you’re troubleshooting update issues. Ready to clear your history? Here’s how:

How to clear your update history

1. Click the ⊞ Start button and type “Terminal.”
2. 🖱️ Right-click on Terminal and select Run as administrator (requires admin privileges).
3. Copy the following command and paste it into the window, then press Enter:

Clearing your Windows update history is a straightforward process that can help free up disk space and resolve update issues.

powershell -windowstyle hidden -command "Start-Process cmd -ArgumentList '/s,/c,net stop usosvc & net stop wuauserv & del %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs\edb.log & del /f /q C:\ProgramData\USOPrivate\UpdateStore\* & net start usosvc & net start wuauserv & UsoClient.exe RefreshSettings' -Verb runAs"

You’ll notice that Update history is cleared.

Summary

Clearing your Windows Update history is a fast way to reset those logs. By using the command line as an administrator, you can wipe the history list instantly. This does not uninstall your updates; it only clears the record of them from your view.