Turn off Windows Updates in Windows 10
You can do this using the Windows Update service. Via Control Panel > Administrative Tools, you can access Services. In the Services window, scroll down to Windows Update and turn off the process. To turn it off, right-click on the process, click on Properties and select Disabled. That will take care of Windows Updates not being installed on your machine.
Fig 2 - Turn off Windows Update in Windows 10
But since Windows is a Service now onwards, you have to keep your computer updated. To be able to install the next set of features or a newer build, you will require the earlier updates to be installed. That’s why if you use the above workaround, you will have to go to the Services and turn it on once in a while to download and update your copy of Windows.
After you turn on the Windows Update service, when you open Windows Update in PC Settings, you will see a message that updates were not installed because computer was stopped. You will have to click on Retry so that all the available updates are downloaded and installed. This may take two or three “Check for Updates”. You will have to keep on clicking “Check for updates” until it says your computer is up to date. Then you can go back and turn off the Windows Update service until next time you feel you are free enough to spend time updating your copy of Windows 10.
If your version of Windows 10 has Group Policy, you can also change some settings using the Group Policy Editor. Run gpedit and navigate to the following policy setting:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
On the right-side, double-click on Configure Automatic Updates and change its settings to suit your requirements.
We do not recommend that you disable automatic Windows Update in Windows 10. If your computer is fine with downloads in background and doesn’t affect your work, it is not advisable to do it. But if you face slowdown of computer due to updates downloading and installing in the background, the above tip to turn off Windows updates in Windows 10 will be of some help.
Setting your network connection to ‘Metered’, can also stop Windows 10 from automatically downloading the Updates. You can do it as follows – Settings app > Network & Internet > WiFi > Advanced options. Move slider to On position for Set as metered connection. See how to set Metered Connection in Windows 10.
Incidentally, Microsoft has released a tool called Show or Hide Updates that allows users to hide or block specific unwanted Windows Updates in Windows 10. Using it, you can stop Windows 10 from downloading specific updates.
You can also make Windows 10 notify you before downloading Updates. How to configure Windows Updates using Registry in Windows Server may also interest some of you. Learn how to stop automatic Driver updates. See how you can Stop Windows 10 from upgrading your computer automatically.
You can do this using the Windows Update service. Via Control Panel > Administrative Tools, you can access Services. In the Services window, scroll down to Windows Update and turn off the process. To turn it off, right-click on the process, click on Properties and select Disabled. That will take care of Windows Updates not being installed on your machine.
Fig 2 - Turn off Windows Update in Windows 10
But since Windows is a Service now onwards, you have to keep your computer updated. To be able to install the next set of features or a newer build, you will require the earlier updates to be installed. That’s why if you use the above workaround, you will have to go to the Services and turn it on once in a while to download and update your copy of Windows.
After you turn on the Windows Update service, when you open Windows Update in PC Settings, you will see a message that updates were not installed because computer was stopped. You will have to click on Retry so that all the available updates are downloaded and installed. This may take two or three “Check for Updates”. You will have to keep on clicking “Check for updates” until it says your computer is up to date. Then you can go back and turn off the Windows Update service until next time you feel you are free enough to spend time updating your copy of Windows 10.
If your version of Windows 10 has Group Policy, you can also change some settings using the Group Policy Editor. Run gpedit and navigate to the following policy setting:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
On the right-side, double-click on Configure Automatic Updates and change its settings to suit your requirements.
We do not recommend that you disable automatic Windows Update in Windows 10. If your computer is fine with downloads in background and doesn’t affect your work, it is not advisable to do it. But if you face slowdown of computer due to updates downloading and installing in the background, the above tip to turn off Windows updates in Windows 10 will be of some help.
Setting your network connection to ‘Metered’, can also stop Windows 10 from automatically downloading the Updates. You can do it as follows – Settings app > Network & Internet > WiFi > Advanced options. Move slider to On position for Set as metered connection. See how to set Metered Connection in Windows 10.
Incidentally, Microsoft has released a tool called Show or Hide Updates that allows users to hide or block specific unwanted Windows Updates in Windows 10. Using it, you can stop Windows 10 from downloading specific updates.
You can also make Windows 10 notify you before downloading Updates. How to configure Windows Updates using Registry in Windows Server may also interest some of you. Learn how to stop automatic Driver updates. See how you can Stop Windows 10 from upgrading your computer automatically.
