Although you can still turn Windows Automatic Updates on or off on Windows 10 using Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor, or pause Windows Updates for a few days via Settings, if you’re looking for free software that will help you stop or block Windows 10 Automatic Updates, then you’ve come to the right place.
By the way, Microsoft also offers a tool called Show or hide updates which allows users to hide or block specific unwanted Windows updates in Windows 10. By using it, you can prevent Windows 10 from downloading specific updates.
Now, although we don’t recommend stopping Windows updates, if you’re looking for a way to manage them, read on.
Windows 10 Update Blocking Tools
Here is a list of 8 free tools that can help you block or stop Windows 10 automatic updates on your computer. These Windows 10 update blocking tools will help you easily control, manage, disable, and prevent automatic Windows updates on your Windows 10 computer.
- Windows Update Blocker
- StopUpdates10
- Wu10man
- Kill-update
- WuMgr
- Win Update Stop
- Win Updates Disabler
- WAU manager.
Let’s examine them in detail.
1]Windows Update Blocker
Windows Update Blocker lets you control Windows 10 updates and also lets you disable Windows Update (WaaSMedicSVC) in Windows 10. This tool is fully portable. All you have to do is download the zip file of less than 800 KB, unzip it and start using the tool.
The user interface is simple to use and does not require tedious understanding. As you can see above, the user interface has 2 radio buttons to allow you to define the Windows Update Service at “Activate the service” or “Disable service“Or you can select Protect system service settings.
2]StopUpdates10
StopUpdates10 allows its users to disable and block updates on Windows 10. With one click, you can completely disable updates without breaking anything. The program performs a set of background tasks, which ensures that Windows cannot download updates from the server.
It can also stop forced upgrades and all update notifications so you can focus more on your work and less on updates. The main purpose of the tool is not to completely disable updates (this is not recommended either), but to provide you with an option to temporarily block them. As a result, StopUpdates10 also offers a quick restore button that can return your computer to the original state where updates are allowed. The restore button comes in handy when you’re on a better internet connection and decide to update.
3]Wu10man
Using Wu10Man is fairly straightforward. He doesn’t need a lot of learning. It helps you configure Group Policy, disable services, block URLs and suspend Windows updates.
You will need administrator access to run this application, when you write to the registry, modify services, and modify the Hosts file. But once you have such access, you can stop automatic updates on your system via one of the following options:
4]Kill-update
Kill-Update is loaded as soon as the user logs on to the system. The program scans for Windows Update Service patches and packs every 10 seconds. If the update services are available, the Kill-Update program automatically deactivates the update service. Users can prevent Windows system upgrade using this application and can even manually disable the application program whenever your system is free and ready for upgrade.
5]WuMgr
WuMgr or Update Manager for Windows is a free and open-source tool based on Windows Update Agent API which allows you to check for and install missing updates on your computer.
It is an all-in-one Windows Update Utility. It allows you to control the update settings and manually install the available updates. It is easy to use and understand and gives you more control over the entire configuration of Windows Update.
6]Win Update Stop
Win Update Stop offers a simple way to turn off updates on any Windows. You do not need to access the settings or the registry and do it manually. A single click of a button and the updates will be permanently stopped on your computer. And you can activate them whenever you want. Not only Windows 10, Win Update Stop supports all versions of Windows, including Windows 8 and Windows 7. So whatever version you are in, you can stop all kinds of updates using this tool.
Win Update Stop comes with a minimalist user interface. It simply displays the status of updates followed by two buttons to enable and disable updates. There is also an option that reads “Check for Windows Updates”. Click this to go to the “Updates” section of the settings, where you can manually check for available updates.
7]Win Updates Disabler
Disabling Win Updates is another free tool which helps you to disable or enable automatic updates completely on your Windows 10 system. In addition, it can help disable or enable Windows Defender, Windows Security Center and Windows Firewall. A portable version is also available.
8]WAU Manager
WAU Manager WAU manager is free software from Windows Automatic Updates Manager to stop, postpone, manage, hide, display, install, uninstall Windows Update in Windows 10. This Windows Update manager offers granular control to manage updates.
Related Reading: List of the best free software downloads for PC Windows 10.
