Windows 10 Optional Updates - Where Are They?

[engine]

I have a Windows 10 cumulative update to complete installation at reboot. Easy, and I understand that.

However, Windows 10 on one machine seems to have lost my network printer entirely. No idea what's going on there.

My antivirus system prompts me when there's an update to do, and, sure enough that Windows 10 cumulative update is listed. Additionally, my antivirus system indicated there are optional updates, and one of them being my printer, so that may resolve a problem. All good so far. However, when going into System and looking at Update and Security, the only thing showing is the cumulative update for Windows 10, and no other optional updates. There appears to be no option to review optional updates. I'd really like that printer update.

Anyone have an idea to find those optional updates?

[tangor]

Can't answer the specific question, but as far as printers and other devices I generally go for the mfg's drivers, not MS. That should solve the immediate problem for the printer.

[engine]

Thanks, but that printer driver was the manufacturer's driver, but it ceased to work. Optional shows the driver, but I cannot see a way to get it. There's no button to download, or to choose.

I may have to run the latest Win 10 update and see if it clears it, or offers the options.

[tangor]

Might look at this tool to see if you can back into getting the update you want.

[pcworld.com...]

[engine]

OK, thanks.
I tried that, but still no luck. :(
This is really stupid. I cannot believe that Microsoft don't want you to install the optional updates.

[not2easy]

Can you update it manually - visiting the printer mfr site and download/install? I remember updating Epson drivers that way on Windows (not Win10 though).

[engine]

I tried that idea, and it fails at some point.

What's odd is that on a new machine I didn't have to install any drivers. Win 10 just found the driver and it works perfectly. It's only one machine that stopped working. I suspect the printer driver in optional downloads is the new driver as it's correctly described.
So near, yet so far!

[tangor]

if you used the media tool to create a Win10 install, you might try a clean install (will delete everything on that computer). That should avoid any conflict within the installed software/hardware. The clean install would have no impediments in that regard. Though you would have the headache of backing up the data before you start! (Should have done that already!)

[engine]

Thanks, yes, it's all backed up.

Headache: Exactly! The issue there is i don't want to spend my life restoring the OS on one computer. We all know that it's the setting that take the time, not the data. Some of the programs would have to be reinstalled one-by-one.

I cannot be the only one with the problem of being unable to install an optional update!

[keyplyr]

"Anyone have an idea to find those optional updates?"

Can you view them online using Edge?

[engine]

I'm not sure exactly what you're saying. I don't use Edge apart from testing, so if there's a way of seeing and installing optional updates in Edge i'd love to know. :)

[keyplyr]

My thinking is that, like IE, you could access Windows Update online and possibly view the files using the Edge browser.

[update.microsoft.com...]

[edited by: keyplyr at 10:57 am (utc) on Aug 12, 2016]

[toidi]

Win 10 updated itself on my machine and one of my printers stopped working. So it was obvious win 10 did not have my new printer driver. Getting the new driver from the printer manufacturer site did not work at first but i kept trying until it worked. Once i got the printer working i turned off the auto updates. (I think)

[engine]

Thanks keyplyr
I tried that already, but no luck.

toidi, that's exactly the issue: The printer stopped working. It works fine on the other Win 10 machines, but not on one of them.
The printer driver direct from the manufacturer has not worked, and i much have tried thee or four times. Perhaps i give up too easy. hehehe

[keyplyr]

I had a similar problem with Win 7 a few years ago. I had to remove the old driver for the new driver to work. Then remove the device and add it back.

[engine]

Thanks, I tried all that and still no luck.

The good thing is that it's a network printer, and works it fine on any other machine.

I'll keep at it and perhaps be persistent, such as toidi

[tangor]

engine: still looking and found this on HP support forum. Can't vouch for the entry, but it is worth a try.

1. Tap or click The printer that I want isn’t listed, and either enter the printer name or choose one of the other options.

Click NEXT

2. Select the first option My printer is a little older. Help me find it.

Click NEXT

3. Search should pull the printer.
In my case it didn't "see" the 192.168.1.6_5 standard TCP/IP Port normally that it pulls up.

This should send you through the normal setup. Now it will look as if it is the same thing as setting up using the "Manual Settings" but Believe me it worked.

[engine]

Thanks tangor.

I decided to roll back Windows, which has reinstated the printer prior to it stop working. Yay!

I'm almost there.

It's lost the multiple tray settings, so it currently only sees the default and manual tray, and none of the other installed trays.

I might just leave it right there for the time being as it's such a time suck messing with things like this.

Thank you for your contributions: It's good to know you're there to help and suggest ideas. :)

[engine]

This saga continues.

It appears that nobody knows, and Microsoft has not answered, as far as I can see.

There are plenty of people out there asking the same question, and they go unanswered, apart from spammy links to third party tools.

There are also plenty of misleading answers out there and they are just fluff or spam and don't actually answer the question. Even google, which used to be good and finding these things, has an answer box which is a page of fluff. <sigh>

[toidi]

I had to download a variety of different drivers from the manufacturer before i found one that worked. The obvious driver did not work.

[engine]

It's a little while longer and still, the recommended or optional updates are not installed. There must be many, many people with this same problem, yet it seems it's still unresolved.
I can see the recommended and optional, but there's no option to install them.
The update direct from the manufacturer does not appear to have resolved the problem, so it's such a weird problem.

Google still shows that same fluffy answer in the featured snippets.

[engine]

BTW, I already tried settings, device manager, printer update. The response to the driver update action is...
"The best driver software for your device is already installed
Windows determined that the driver software for your device is up to date."

That might explain why it won't install it.
Yet, the optional update still shows, even if i wanted to choose to install it, or ignore it.

[engine]

I may have stumbled across this, and here's the solution.

If you know which driver is the issue, all that's required is to:.

1. Open Device Manager
2. Click on "View" and select" Show Hidden Devices"
3. Scroll down the tree to find the device and driver. Note, you may have to expand the ">" to see more detail.
4. Right click on the driver and select "Update Driver Software"
5. A pop up will ask, "how you want to search for the driver software?" Select, "Search automatically for updated driver software."
The system will go through the search procedure and you can update the driver from that point.

[toidi]

This should be made sticky.