The Microsoft Update Catalog is also known as the Windows Update Catalog. It is a Microsoft service that provides a list of software updates that can be distributed over a corporate network. You can manually search it for various updates, drivers, and patches for Windows 11/10 and earlier.
The Microsoft Update Catalog now uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) protocol for download. Until recently, the site used HTTP when downloading files. As the name suggests, HTTPS is more secure than HTTP, thanks to the encryption that protects sensitive information. This change should allow for safer downloading of Windows updates, new drivers, and PC patches.
Home users may not care what updates are installed on their system. But in the enterprise, IT professionals have to be more discerning. They may decide to choose which updates to install on mission-critical systems. Or they might have to roll back the faulty update and manually reinstall the patch later.
Maybe your computer has a specific problem that a specific update addresses, but Windows Update won't deliver the patch to your PC. Or, you might want to install updates on older machines that don't have internet access. Due to this, you may need to use Microsoft Update Catalog to download the update.
First, you should find the update you need. Press Win+I to open Settings. Select Update and Security. Select Windows Update. Failed updates may be listed along with pending updates. If you don't see anything, select View Update History.
Each update has a name, date, and knowledge base number in parentheses. You can also expand Drivers, Definition Updates, and Other Updates to see details about these. You only need to download updates listed as failed.