How To Stop A Windows 10 Update

How to end a Windows x update

Put updates on hold

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Welcome to our guide on how to stop a Windows x update. Updating your PC is an important part of maintaining its full general wellness and wellbeing. Windows x updates frequently incorporate fixes for critical bug, and installing them can keep your PC running smoothly.

Only there are times when you may not want to install an update. A often used program of yours may not exist compatible with the latest update; in that case, you may desire to defer the update until yous can find a suitable culling.

So how exercise you lot stop a Windows 10 update? While you can't cease information technology installing forever, there are means to delay it for a while. In this guide, we'll show you how it'south done.

1. Pause automated updates

Click the Kickoff menu, then the Settings cog. Now go to 'Update & Security', click 'Windows Update' on the left-hand side, and so click 'Advanced options'. Under 'Pause Updates', toggle the switch to 'On'. This will interruption Windows updates for 35 days, but you'll need to download the latest updates once that flow is over if you want to pause farther updates.

You can also choose to defer characteristic updates by upwardly to 365 days and quality updates (which comprise important security fixes) past up to 30 days. Once these periods are upward, you'll need to download updates before yous can defer them over again.

2. Meter your network connectedness

This is another uncomplicated matter to effort. Click Starting time, and so click the Settings cog. From here, click 'Network & Cyberspace', then click 'Wi-Fi' in the left-manus column, so the name of your Wi-Fi connexion. Roll down to the 'Metered connection' section and toggle the 'Set every bit metered connexion' switch to 'On'.

This tells Windows 10 that yous're on a limited data plan, with the event that information technology won't automatically push updates to y'all (although you can still manually install them). However, if you're on an Ethernet connectedness this method won't work, so you'll have to attempt one of the other methods in this guide.

3. Prevent a downloaded update from installing

Once an update has started installing, you shouldn't stop it – doing and so can be potentially dangerous for your PC. However, if Windows ten has downloaded an update but hasn't started installing it withal, you can still finish it.

In the Windows 10 search bar, blazon 'Security and Maintenance', then click the offset result to bring upwards the control panel window. Click the 'Maintenance' championship to expand it, then curl to the 'Automatic Maintenance' section. Click 'Finish maintenance' to halt the update.

If you alter your mind and desire to restart the update, simply click 'Get-go maintenance'.

4. Disable the Windows Update startup service

In the Windows x search bar, type 'Services'. Right-click the top result and select 'Run as ambassador'. Gyre down the list until you lot achieve the Windows Update entry. If the 'Status' column says "Running", right-click the Windows Update entry and click 'Stop'.

Now, right-click it again and click 'Properties'. In the resulting menu, nether 'Startup type', choose 'Disabled', so click 'OK'.

This will prevent Windows Update from automatically installing updates. If yous still want to prevent automatic updates but want to requite yourself the opportunity to install updates manually, select 'Manual' from the drop-downwardly menu instead.

five. Disable updates using Group Policy

This involves a getting your hands a fiddling dirty, simply is easy enough. Type 'gpedit.msc' into the Windows 10 search bar and click the first upshot. At present navigate to the following path using the left-paw pane: 'Figurer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.' In the correct-hand window, double-click 'Configure Automatic Updates'.

This will open a new window. In the height-left corner, click 'Disabled', then click 'Utilise' and 'OK'. This will prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading and installing updates, although y'all tin can still manually look for updates past opening Windows Update.

half-dozen. Limit updates using Grouping Policy

Alternatively, you lot can choose to limit Windows updates instead of disabling them. As in step v, open gpedit.msc, navigate to 'Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update' and double-click 'Configure Automatic Updates'. This time, instead of 'Disabled', click 'Enabled'.

In the 'Options' box on the left-hand side, click the top drop-down box and choose from one of the post-obit four options:

Notify for download and car install
Auto download and notify for install
Auto download and schedule the install
Allow local admin to choose setting

The 'Notify for download and auto install' option is the closest to disabling automatic downloads.

7. Disable updates using the Registry

Earlier dabbling in the Registry, brand a backup of anything of import, equally making a mistake can crusade problems for your PC.

Now, type 'regedit' into the Windows 10 search bar and click the top result. Navigate to the post-obit path in the left-manus cavalcade: 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows'.

Right-click on the Windows folder and click 'New > Cardinal'. Name it 'WindowsUpdate' and press 'Enter'.

Right-click in this and click 'New > Cardinal', then proper noun this entry AU and printing 'Enter'. On the correct-manus side of this entry, correct-click and click 'New > DWORD (32-bit) Value)'. Name this entry 'NoAutoUpdate' and press 'Enter'.

Once you've created this, double-click the new entry and modify the 0 to a 1 in the 'Value data' box. Click 'OK' and restart your PC.

eight. Limit updates using the Registry

Yous tin can limit Windows updates instead of disabling them in the Registry. To do so, follow step vi to a higher place up to and including the point where you lot accept created the AU entry.

Right-click the blank infinite on the right and click 'New > DWORD (32-bit) Value'. This time, proper name the entry AUOptions (instead of NoAutoUpdate) and printing 'Enter'.

Double-click the entry; in the "Value data" box, delete the 0 and supersede it with either 2, 3, 4 or 5.

These correspond to the numbers in step v, meaning you'll get the post-obit results:

2 - Notify for download and auto install
3 - Auto download and notify for install
4 - Auto download and schedule the install
five - Permit local admin to choose setting

How to use Windows 10