A Guide to Disabling Automatic Windows 10 Updates

Windows 10 ends five years on the market this year. Microsoft’s operating system is the most popular desktop operating system on the market and will continue to gain popularity as we enter the new work of the home age. While it brings all the glamor and glamor, it all goes down the drain when Windows starts updating automatically while you’re in the middle of the Zoom call or working on an important document. You wouldn’t want that to happen and waste time on Windows 10 updates as they can take around half an hour to install.

Microsoft’s openly proactive approach to Windows 10 updates has often put many people in a soup. Cumulative updates are installed automatically when Windows decides to do so. This can be extremely frustrating for Windows 10 users as they are often forced to stop working and restart their machines at an inconvenient time.

I know we always recommend that you install the latest software update for security reasons. However, it is just not practical to let this happen all the time or it may cause problems for other software on your PC.

Windows 10’s automatic updates also consume data in the background, as it is downloaded from Microsoft’s servers, and it’s no surprise that the software giant faces lawsuits due to the behavior by Windows 10 default. If you are tired of installing Windows 10 automatic updates while you are working on something, then follow this guide to turn off those updates.

Warning: By turning off Windows 10 updates, you put your computer at potential security risk. We are not responsible if your PC is compromised or crashes. Additionally, some software may not work as expected. That said, you can always go back to allowing Windows 10 update downloads for a weekend and installing them.

Use Windows settings

Microsoft has heard the growing consumer demand and offers a native way to suspend Windows 10 automatic updates through the Settings menu. Follow the steps below to make the necessary changes to stop Windows 10 automatic updates.

Step 1: Open the Windows Settings app. Go to Windows Update and you will find all the relevant options.

2nd step: In the Windows Update menu, go to advanced options.

Step 3: Under Pause updates, select up to seven days to pause updating Windows 10.

Go back to the main Windows Update menu and you will see that the system has paused updates until the selected day.

If you want to undo the changes, just go to the same Windows Update menu and select the Resume Updates function.

Measure your network connection

First of all, you need to understand that the method will not work with an Ethernet connection. You can only turn off automatic updates using this method over a Wi-Fi connection. If your computer is connected to Wi-Fi, you can try this to stop Windows 10 automatic updates.

This can come in handy when you’re working with limited GB of storage in a monthly cycle and don’t want to waste data on Windows 10 updates.

By default, when you connect the Windows 10 device to a Wi-Fi connection, the operating system does not mark the connection as a measured connection. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open the Windows 10 Settings app and go to Network & Internet> Wi-Fi.

2nd step: Select the connected Wi-Fi network.

Step 3: Scroll down and set the connections as measured.

Note that some apps may work differently to reduce data usage when connected to a measured network. Especially the ones that tend to use a lot of bandwidth like Netflix and Zoom.

Now go back to the main Settings menu and open the Windows Updates option. Go to advanced options and turn off Download updates over limited connections.

From now on, Windows 10 will no longer download updates over the specified metered Wi-Fi connection.

Permanently disable Windows 10 update

You can turn off Windows 10 updates by following the steps below.

Step 1: Press Windows + R and open the Windows Run menu.

2nd step: Type services.msc and open the Services menu.

Step 3: Double-click on Windows Update Service to access general settings.

Step 4: Select Disabled from the Startup drop-down list.

Once done, click Ok and restart your PC.

Performing this action will permanently disable Windows Automatic Updates. If you want to turn it back on, follow the same steps as above and switch the option to Automatic.

There is another way to turn off Windows 10 updates using Group Policy Editor. But the trick is only available for Windows 10 Pro users and not for home users. I will recommend the tips mentioned above to pause Windows 10 automatic update.

You can also turn off Windows 10 automatic updates using the registry editor. But it is a complex procedure and should only be done by experienced users who often take a full backup of their machine. If anything goes south, it can have serious negative effects on your computer’s performance.

Pause installing Windows 10 update

If the system has already downloaded the Windows 10 update, it will try to install it. We’ve seen users complain that Windows 10 is forcing the update to be installed in the middle of the workplace. Follow the steps below to pause the installation of the Windows 10 update.

Step 1: Open the Windows 10 Settings app.

2nd step: Go to Windows 10 Update> Active Hours.

By default, Windows 10 sets active hours based on user activity, but you can also set active hours and turn off the option. Select the start time and end time of your activity, and the system will not force the installation of Windows 10 update during the set time.

Are Windows 10 Updates Needed?

Frequent security and operating system updates are essential for the healthy performance of your device. However, not all operating system updates are stable and can sometimes cause serious problems on your computer. Keep in mind that some of the automatic updates will be security updates or important stability improvements that need to be installed to protect the PC. When it comes to big operating system updates, I would advise you to wait a few weeks before installing them.

Fix Windows 10 Update Mess

Follow the steps above and pause the automatic Windows 10 updates and installation on your device. Just be careful not to turn off the Windows 10 service and forget to check for updates. While automatic updates can be problematic, leaving your system to lag behind critical updates can have serious long-term consequences as well.