How to Disable Automatic Updates in Windows 10: 5 Easy Ways

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Stop your Windows desktop or laptop PC from updating automatically
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Do you want to turn off auto updates on your Windows computer? While there is no way to disable automatic updates permanently, you can delay them indefinitely by disabling the update service , setting your Wi-Fi as a metered connection , using Group Policy Editor , or making some quick changes to the registry . Be advised that stopping Windows updates will make your system more vulnerable to viruses and malware. This wikiHow will show you how to turn off automatic updates on your Windows 10 or 11 computer.

How to Stop Windows Updates

  • Press the Windows key, type "services.msc", and press Enter . Double-click Windows Update , stop it, and set its startup type to Disabled .
  • Another way is to go to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → click your network, and toggle on Set as metered connection .
  • You can also disable automatic updates in Windows using GPedit in some versions of Windows, or the registry editor in any Windows version.
Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Disabling the Update Service

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  1. This opens the Start menu and activates the search bar.
    • Understand the limitations of this method. While disabling the automatic update service will temporarily halt any Windows 10 & 11 cumulative updates, the service may re-enable itself in the future after a certain amount of time.
  2. Doing so will open the Services window.
    • You can also press the Windows key + R to open the Run window . Type services.msc and press Enter .
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  3. Doing so opens the Windows Update Properties window.
  4. It's in the middle of the window. Selecting Disabled will prevent the Windows Update service from automatically starting for the time being. [1]
    • If you don't see this option, first make sure that you're on the right tab by clicking General at the top of the Properties window.
  5. You'll find this option near the bottom of the window. Clicking it prompts the Windows Update service to stop running.
  6. Both options are at the bottom of the window. Doing so will apply your settings and close the Properties window. The Windows Update service should now be disabled.
  7. Any time you restart your computer or go more than two days without shutting down, open Services and check the "Windows Update" status to ensure that it's still disabled. While the Windows Update service shouldn't turn itself back on often, it may occasionally do so.
    • If you see "Disabled" to the right of the "Windows Update" heading, Windows Update is still disabled.
    • If you see anything other than "Disabled" to the right of the "Windows Update" heading, disable the Windows Update again.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Using a Metered Connection

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  1. You'll find this gear icon in the Start menu, which is typically at the bottom-left corner of the screen. Click the gear in the lower-left side of the Start menu to open your Settings.
  2. It's in the Settings window. [2]
    • If you're using Windows 11, you will see it in the left panel.
  3. You'll find this option in the upper-left side of the window on Windows 10, and on the right side of the window on Windows 11.
  4. Doing so will open the Wi-Fi connection's settings page.
  5. If you're using Windows 11, you will just see "Metered connection." This sets your connection to metered, which will prevent Windows from downloading updates over your currently connected network. [3]
    • If this switch is colored and has "On" next to it, your Wi-Fi is already set up as a metered connection.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Using Group Policy Editor

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  1. To use the Group Policy Editor to turn off Windows updates, you must be using Windows 10 or 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Educational edition. If you have Windows 10 or 11 Home edition, this method won't work.
    • You can check your version of Windows by typing system into Start , clicking System Information near the top of the menu, and looking for "Microsoft Windows 10 Professional" to the right of the "OS Name" heading.
  2. Pressing these two keys at the same time opens the Run dialog window. You can also get here by typing run into the Search bar.
  3. The Group Policy Editor window will open. [4]
  4. In the sidebar on the left side of the Group Policy Editor window, do the following:
    • Clickto the left of the "Administrative Templates" folder.
    • Clickto the left of the "Windows Components" folder.
    • Scroll down and click the "Windows Update" folder.
  5. It's an item in the main Group Policy Editor window. Doing so selects this item.
  6. Right-click the selected Configure Automatic Updates item, then click Edit in the resulting drop-down menu. [5]
  7. It's in the upper-left side of the window.
  8. This option is on the left side of the window.
  9. It's in the drop-down menu. This option ensures that you'll be asked before updates are installed, allowing you to decline the updates.
  10. Doing so saves your changes.
  11. To do so:
    • Open Start
    • Open Settings
    • Click Update & Security
    • Click Windows Update
    • Click Check for updates
    • Wait for Windows to identify available updates (Windows will not install these updates).
    • When finished, restart your computer. Once your computer finishes restarting, your update preferences will be saved.
    • You'll still be able to manually install updates as they become available.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Using the Windows Registry

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  1. 1
    Open the registry editor. Another way to permanently disable Windows Update is to make a quick change to your registry. To open the registry editor, press the Windows key on your keyboard, type regedit , and press Enter . [6]
    • Keep in mind that editing the registry can be risky, especially if you make a typo while changing an important key. Be sure to back up the registry before making changes.
    • If you use this method, you will permanently disable automatic updates. You will still be able to install Windows Updates manually if you'd like, but Windows will not attempt to install updates on its own.
  2. 2
    Navigate to the registry key you'll need to edit. The easiest way to get there is to copy this path and paste it into the address bar at the top of the registry editor: [7] HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows .
    • You can also get there by expanding each of the following folders: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows .
  3. 3
    Create a new registry key in the Windows folder. To do this, right-click the Windows folder in the left panel and navigate to New > Key . Name the key Windows Update and press Enter .
  4. 4
    Create another key in the Windows Update key. Now, right-click the Windows Update key you just created and navigate to New > Key. Name this key AU and press Enter .
  5. 5
    Create a DWORD in the AU key. To do this, right-click the new AU key you just created, click New , then choose DWORD (32-bit) Value . Name the new key NoAutoUpdate and press Enter .
  6. 6
    Double-click the NoAutoUpdate key. This opens the key for editing.
  7. 7
    Change the "0" to a "1" and click OK . Your changes are now saved.
  8. 8
    Restart your computer. You must restart your PC for the changes to take effect. Now that you've disabled automatic updates in Windows, your PC will not update until you manually install them. [8]
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Disabling App Updates

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  1. 1
    Open the Microsoft Store. If you want to prevent apps from updating automatically in Windows 10 and 11, you can change your preferences in the Microsoft Store. If you don't see the Store icon in the Start menu, type store into the search bar at the bottom of the menu and then click Store when it appears at the top of the menu.
  2. 2
  3. It's in the top-right corner of the window. This will prompt a drop-down menu.
  4. This is in the drop-down menu.
  5. Doing so will turn off the switch.
    • If this switch is off, updates for Windows apps are already disabled.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    What do I do if the Windows Update Service keeps turning itself back on when I disable it?
    Community Answer
    When you are disabling the Microsoft Update Service, on tabs you'll see "recovery" is set to "one" in "one minute" and "at restart." change that to "9999," "day" and no restart. This will prevent it from restarting the service automatically, unless you restart it manually.
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    Not Helpful 8 Helpful 38
  • Question
    If updates are disabled, will my PC still boot?
    Community Answer
    Yes. Updates simply keep the system more up-to-date and secure.
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  • Question
    Why does Windows need updates?
    Bat 🦇
    Top Answerer
    There are different types of updates. Security updates help fix any vulnerabilities in Windows so that malware cannot infect your system. Feature updates add new features and interface changes, and are usually delivered a few times a year. Bug fixes fix any software errors and glitches that make it work improperly. These updates can either be delivered alone or bundled with each other in a Windows update.
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      • Automatic updates often improve the use and security of Windows, though these updates can eventually slow down an older computer.
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      Warnings

      • Disabling Windows Updates makes your system vulnerable to malware. It is strongly recommended that you do not disable updates in Windows.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/windows-services/how-to-start-services
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/metered-connections-in-windows-7b33928f-a144-b265-97b6-f2e95a87c408#section-1_tabControl-WindowsVersion=Windows_10
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/metered-connections-in-windows-7b33928f-a144-b265-97b6-f2e95a87c408#section-1_tabControl-WindowsVersion=Windows_10
      4. ↑ https://www.windowscentral.com/how-stop-updates-installing-automatically-windows-10
      5. ↑ https://www.windowscentral.com/how-stop-updates-installing-automatically-windows-10
      6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/system-configuration-tools-in-windows-f8a49657-b038-43b8-82d3-28bea0c5666b
      7. ↑ https://www.windowscentral.com/how-stop-updates-installing-automatically-windows-10
      8. ↑ https://www.windowscentral.com/how-stop-updates-installing-automatically-windows-10

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Type "services" into the Windows search bar.
      2. Click Services .
      3. Double-click Windows Update .
      4. Select Disabled from the "Startup type" menu.
      5. Click Stop .
      6. Click Ok .
      7. Click Ok .

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