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Microsoft frequently updates Windows 10, but it's not always clear when each update was installed. Luckily, there are two easy ways to see a list of the most recently installed updates. Here's how to check.

First, open "Windows Settings." The quickest way to do this is by clicking the small gear icon in the "Start" menu or by pressing Windows+i on your keyboard.

In "Settings," click "Update & Security."

In Windows Settings, click Update & Security

Select "Windows Update" from the sidebar, then click "View update history."

Click Windows Update, then click "View update history."

On the "View update history" page, you'll be able to see several lists of installed Windows 10 updates sorted by category. Here's what each category means.

  • Quality Updates: These are regular major updates to the Windows 10 operating system itself.
  • Driver Updates: These are updates to drivers that let you use devices with your system.
  • Definition Updates: These are updates to Microsoft Defender anti-malware that add new information about emerging threats so they can be detected by Windows.
  • Other Updates: These are miscellaneous updates that don't fit in the other three categories.

By default, some of the categories may be collapsed. To view them, click the category header.

On the "View update history" page, click the header of each category to expand it.

Once you have expanded each section, you'll see the updates listed in reverse chronological order (with the most recent updates listed toward the top). For each entry, you'll see the name of the update on one line, then the date it was installed listed below it.

A list of installed Windows 10 updates in Settings.

In several of the categories, the name of each update is also a web link. If you'd like more information about a particular update, click its link and a browser will open. In the browser, you'll see the page for that update on Microsoft's support website.

When you're done checking out the list, you can close the "Settings" window.

RELATED: Why Does Windows 10 Update So Much?

How to See a List of Installed Updates in Control Panel

You can also see a list of installed updates using the Windows Control Panel. To do so, open Control Panel and navigate to Programs > Programs and Features, then click "View installed updates."

In Control Panel, click "View installed updates."

You'll see a list of every update Windows has installed. The list can be sorted by clicking the header row of each column.

Viewing installed updates in Windows 10 Control Panel.

After you're done, close "Control Panel." Any time you need to check the list again, just reopen Control Panel or use the Settings method listed above.

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