XDA published a piece this month digging into what Windows actually does during that infamous “Getting things ready” screen, and the honest answer is that Microsoft rarely tells you. The screen sits there for 5, 15, sometimes 40 minutes without a progress bar or a log tail, and the built-in Windows Update panel does not help. Third-party tools have quietly filled that gap for years, both to visualize what the update engine is doing and to let you defer, block or manually run individual updates. We tested seven Windows update monitoring apps against a mix of Patch Tuesday cumulative updates and .NET Framework rollups. All seven are free.
What to look for in a Windows update monitoring app
- Live log tail. The best tools show CBS.log, WindowsUpdate.log or ETW events in a live view instead of the black-box “Getting things ready” screen.
- Selective install. Manually pick which updates to install rather than accepting the whole cumulative roll.
- Hide/block individual updates. The old wushowhide tool disappeared; modern replacements handle blocking cleanly.
- Rollback support. Uninstall a bad update from the same UI.
- Windows version lock. Prevent unwanted feature updates from jumping you to a new Windows build.
- Portable executable. A single .exe that runs from a thumb drive beats an installer for troubleshooting.
- No telemetry of its own. A privacy-focused tool that phones home is worse than the problem.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UniGetUI | Package updates in one place | Full | Free | 4.8/5 |
| WuMgr | Full Windows Update replacement | Full | Free | 4.6/5 |
| Windows Update MiniTool | Portable per-update control | Full | Free | 4.5/5 |
| O&O ShutUp10++ | Turn off intrusive update behaviors | Full | Free | 4.7/5 |
| InControl | Lock Windows version | Full | Free | 4.6/5 |
| WhyNotWin11 | Check update readiness | Full | Free | 4.5/5 |
| PSWindowsUpdate | Scripted update automation | Full | Free | 4.7/5 |
The apps
1. UniGetUI – Best all-in-one package update UI
UniGetUI (formerly WingetUI) is a graphical front-end for winget, Chocolatey, Scoop, npm, pip and PowerShell Gallery. It shows a live update list, a running log of what winget is actually doing, and per-package upgrade toggles. It does not replace Windows Update itself, but for the 80% of “why is my machine downloading things” cases where the culprit is a package manager, UniGetUI is the answer.
Where it falls short: Windows-only. Does not directly monitor Windows Update itself; use it alongside WuMgr.
Pricing:
- Free, open source.
Platforms: Windows 10 and 11.
Bottom line: Install UniGetUI first to end the “what is my machine doing” question.
2. WuMgr – Best full Windows Update replacement
WuMgr (Windows Update Manager) replaces the built-in Windows Update panel with a live view of pending, installed and hidden updates, plus a proper log tail. It can install one update at a time, hide the ones you never want, and roll back a bad install without the recovery-console detour.
Where it falls short: UI is functional rather than polished. Requires admin rights.
Pricing:
- Free, open source.
Platforms: Windows 10 and 11 (portable executable).
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: Best replacement for the built-in Windows Update panel.
3. Windows Update MiniTool – Best portable per-update control
Windows Update MiniTool is a single-file portable app that lists every pending Windows Update with size, KB number and status. You choose which to download, install or hide. The developer stopped updating the original a few years ago, but a maintained fork (Windows Update MiniTool Reborn) keeps the tool current.
Where it falls short: Requires a maintained fork; check the release date before downloading.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Windows 7 through 11.
Download: GitHub Reborn Fork
Bottom line: Grab this if you want a portable exe on a USB stick for repair jobs.
4. O&O ShutUp10++ – Best for turning off intrusive update behaviors
O&O ShutUp10++ does not install updates, but it turns off the pieces of Windows update behavior most users find intrusive: forced reboots outside quiet hours, driver updates pushed with cumulative updates, and telemetry uploads that share bandwidth with actual patches. Every toggle is reversible.
Where it falls short: Not an update installer; pair it with UniGetUI and WuMgr for a complete workflow.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Windows 10 and 11.
Download: Website
Bottom line: Run ShutUp10++ once on a new machine to defang the update engine.
5. InControl – Best version lock
InControl by Gibson Research is a 100 KB executable that locks your machine to a specific Windows version (say, 24H2) so Microsoft cannot push a feature update without your consent. Toggle it off when you want to accept the next release. That is the entire tool, and it does exactly one thing well.
Where it falls short: Only handles version locking. Not a monitor per se, but a preventative.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Windows 10 and 11.
Download: Website
Bottom line: Set it once on a work machine and never worry about surprise Windows 11 upgrades.
6. WhyNotWin11 – Best update readiness checker
WhyNotWin11 replaces Microsoft’s PC Health Check with a proper per-requirement breakdown of why (or whether) your machine can move to Windows 11. It flags TPM, Secure Boot, CPU generation, and RAM readings individually, so you can see which single test blocks the upgrade.
Where it falls short: Only relevant when you are considering the 10-to-11 move or upgrading hardware.
Pricing:
- Free, open source.
Platforms: Windows 10 (host); reports on Windows 11 readiness.
Download: GitHub
Bottom line: Run this before you assume your PC is stuck on Windows 10.
7. PSWindowsUpdate – Best for scripted automation
PSWindowsUpdate is a PowerShell module that gives you Get-WindowsUpdate, Install-WindowsUpdate, Hide-WindowsUpdate and Uninstall-WindowsUpdate. Schedule those in a task and you have your own update pipeline without the “Getting things ready” screen. The module is popular in IT shops and works over PowerShell Remoting for fleet control.
Where it falls short: No GUI. If PowerShell scares you, use WuMgr instead.
Pricing:
- Free, PowerShell Gallery module.
Platforms: Windows 10 and 11.
Download: PowerShell Gallery
Bottom line: The right choice for a workshop or lab machine you want to script.
How to pick the right one
- If you want the simplest option: UniGetUI.
- If you want to replace the Windows Update panel entirely: WuMgr.
- If you carry a repair USB stick: Windows Update MiniTool Reborn.
- If you want to disable intrusive update behaviors: O&O ShutUp10++.
- If you want to lock a version and forget about it: InControl.
- If you are considering the move to Windows 11: WhyNotWin11.
- If you script updates for a fleet: PSWindowsUpdate.
- If you have hated “Getting things ready” once too often: install UniGetUI, WuMgr and ShutUp10++ together. The trio covers what most users actually want.
FAQ
Can I safely stop Windows Update entirely?
Not for long. Security patches are important. Better to use WuMgr or ShutUp10++ to defer, block or manually install rather than turning the whole service off.
Which of these apps is fully open source?
UniGetUI, WuMgr, Windows Update MiniTool Reborn, WhyNotWin11 and PSWindowsUpdate are open source. ShutUp10++ and InControl are freeware but closed source.
Will these apps break my Windows install?
They interact with the standard Windows Update APIs. Rollback is supported everywhere except InControl (which only sets a policy). Take a system restore point before your first run if you are cautious.
Do any of these show what “Getting things ready” is actually doing?
WuMgr and PSWindowsUpdate expose the underlying WindowsUpdate.log activity, which is the closest you get to seeing what the servicing stack is up to. It is a noisy log; there is no single “installing X of Y” progress bar because Microsoft does not expose one.
Are these safe to run on Windows 11?
Yes. Every app in this list supports both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Check the download page for the most recent build before installing.
