Stop Windows 10 Automatic Updates Easily

Summary

  • Pause updates in the Settings app for up to 35 days or set your internet connection as metered to temporarily disable updates.
  • Use Group Policy settings to control how Windows updates are handled, including disabling automatic updates.
  • Modify the registry by creating a new key and DWORD value to prevent automatic updates.
  • Meter your network connection in the Windows Registry Editor to limit updates easily.

Tired of Windows 10 automatically updating without your consent? Let’s explore how to easily stop these automatic updates.

Pause or Disable Updates Temporarily

Windows Update settings

1. Open the Settings app by clicking on the Start menu and selecting the gear icon.

2. In the Settings window, click on Update & Security.

3. Navigate to the Windows Update tab on the left-hand side.

4. Click on the Advanced options link.

5. Under the “Pause updates” section, you can pause updates for up to 35 days by clicking on the drop-down list and selecting the desired number of days.

6. If you want to disable updates temporarily, you can do so by setting your internet connection to a metered connection. This will prevent Windows from downloading updates automatically.

7. To set your connection as metered, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then click on your network and toggle on the Set as metered connection option.

8. Keep in mind that disabling updates can leave your system vulnerable to security threats, so it’s recommended to only do this temporarily and remember to re-enable updates once you’re ready.

Utilize Group Policy for Update Control

Group Policy editor

Group Policy Setting Description
Configure Automatic Updates Enables you to specify how Windows updates are handled, including the option to disable automatic updates
Allow Automatic Updates immediate installation Allows updates to be installed immediately without user interaction
Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours Prevents Windows from automatically restarting to install updates during specified active hours
No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations Prevents Windows from automatically restarting when a user is logged on during scheduled update installations

Modify Registry to Prevent Updates

To prevent Windows 10 from automatically updating, you can modify the registry. Follow these steps to stop the updates easily:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows in the left-hand pane.
4. Right-click on the Windows folder and select New > Key. Name the new key WindowsUpdate.
5. Right-click on the WindowsUpdate key you just created and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name the new DWORD value AUOptions.
7. Double-click on AUOptions and set the value data to 2 to notify before download.
8. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Meter Network Connection to Limit Updates

To limit Windows 10 automatic updates easily, you can meter your network connection. This will prevent your device from downloading updates without your permission. To do this, follow these steps:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Type “regedit” and press Enter to open the Windows Registry Editor.

Step 3: Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\DefaultMediaCost in the Registry Editor.

Step 4: Right-click on DefaultMediaCost and select Permissions.

Step 5: Click on the Advanced button, then change the owner to your account.

Step 6: Tick the box that says “Replace owner on subcontainers and objects” and click Apply.

Step 7: Go back to the DefaultMediaCost folder, right-click on it, and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 8: Name the new DWORD value as “Ethernet” and set its value to 2.

Step 9: Repeat step 7 and 8 for any other network connections you want to meter, such as Wi-Fi.

F.A.Qs

How do I permanently turn off automatic updates in Windows 10?

To permanently turn off automatic updates in Windows 10, you can navigate to “Computer Configuration” > “Administrative Templates” > “Windows Components” > “Windows Update” and then double-click “Configure Automatic Updates”. From there, select “Disabled” in Configured Automatic Updates, and click Apply and “OK” to disable the feature.

How do I turn off automatic driver updates in Windows 10?

To turn off automatic driver updates in Windows 10, you can use the Group Policy Editor. Open the Run command with Windows key + R, type gpedit, navigate to the Do not include drivers with Windows Update policy, enable it, and then click Apply and OK.

How do I stop Windows 10 from updating in progress?

To stop Windows 10 from updating in progress, you can navigate to the “Security and Maintenance” option and click on “Stop maintenance” under the settings for Maintenance.

How do I disable specific Windows 10 updates?

To disable specific Windows 10 updates, you can use the “Show or hide updates” tool from the Microsoft website. Run the tool, select the updates you want to hide, and the tool will prevent them from being installed automatically.