How do I check installed Windows Server hotfixes?
Get-HotFix reads the Windows quick-fix inventory exposed through WMI. It is useful for checking certain installed updates, but it does not enumerate every kind of software update or prove that the server is fully patched.
Instructions
1. Read the recent hotfix inventory
Run this in PowerShell on the server whose state you are checking.
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 20 HotFixID, Description, InstalledOnThis bounds the displayed inventory. Some records may have missing or differently represented installation dates.
2. Check a specific approved update
Use the actual KB identifier from the change record or Microsoft advisory.
Get-HotFix -Id 'KB1234567'KB1234567 is a placeholder. An absent result means this inventory did not contain that identifier, not automatically that a superseding update is missing.
3. Confirm compliance through the update process
Compare the installed OS build and the organisation’s update-management report. Review pending restarts and supersedence using the approved Windows update mechanism. Do not install arbitrary third-party update scripts merely to obtain a more complete report.
Check the result
- The queried identifier is the actual required update or its documented superseding state is understood.
- The approved update-management process confirms current applicability and any pending restart.
Troubleshooting
- An expected update is absent from Get-HotFix
- Check whether it is represented in this WMI class and whether a cumulative update supersedes it.
- The installation date is blank
- Use the Windows update history or management report; do not invent a date from the order of output.
Official references
Use the documentation for your installed version when a flag, service name or platform feature differs.