How to Clear Windows Update History in Windows 11

Clearing your Windows Update history in Windows 11 removes the visible list of past updates from your settings.

Your Windows Update history shows every update your PC has downloaded and installed, from important security fixes to big feature updates for Windows 11. Clearing this list doesn’t remove the actual updates that are keeping your computer safe and running.

This action helps keep your settings tidy and can be useful if you’re troubleshooting problems with Windows updates.

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:

A command in the Terminal app can clear your Windows update history. This process helps remove old update records, which can sometimes free up a little space on your computer or fix update problems.

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 the Windows Update history resets update logs. Using the administrator command line wipes the history list instantly. This action does not uninstall updates but clears the record of installed updates from view.