How to Pause Windows 10 Automatic Update [2023]

For users of the Windows operating system, running Windows Update is indeed very important to do.

By running Windows Update, Microsoft not only provides the latest features or makes interface changes, but also fixes bugs/errors that existed in previous versions and improves system security.

Although this feature provides a lot of benefits for Windows users, sometimes the updates themselves can also cause problems and make the system unstable.

How to Pause Windows 10 Automatic Update

It is this kind of thing that makes some users feel annoyed with this condition. Not to mention that Windows automatically downloads and installs update in the background without your knowledge.

Meanwhile, the update process also takes quite a long time and consumes internet quota. For this reason, some users prefer to pause Windows Update instead of running it automatically in the background.

Impact of Pausing Windows Update

Before you turn off the Windows Update feature, there are several important things that you need to pay attention to, the following are;

  • Did not get fixes for bugs/errors that occurred in the previous version.
  • These unclosed bugs can make your PC /laptop very vulnerable to virus/malware attacks, and some programs/features may not work properly.
  • Not getting the appearance or feature updates you get.

After you have considered the risks that will occur on your PC / laptop, then you can choose one of the options available below to turn off Windows updates according to the operating system you are using.

Read Also:

How to Pause Windows 10 Automatic Update

If you are using the Windows 11 and 10 operating system, there are a number of ways you can try, via the Settings menu, accessing system services, running Command Prompt commands, and changing the Automatic Update value of the Group Policy Editor.

Please follow the steps below:

1. Akses Services.msc

Disable Service Windows Update. REVELATION OF FAITHFUL NCO

Windows Service is an application that runs in the background and provides certain specific functions.

With the help of Windows Service, you can easily pause Windows Update permanently in Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista.

To do this, you can follow the steps below:

services.msc
  1. First, press Windows + R key combination to launch Windows Run.
  2. Then type services.msc » press Enter / OK.
  3. If it appears, find and right-click the Windows Update service » and select Properties.
  4. In the “Startup type” section, change it to Disabled » and click Apply » OK.
  5. After that, restart your PC / laptop to see the changes.
  6. Finished.

By following the steps above, Windows Update will be permanently disabled. If you want to enable it again, you can repeat the same procedure and change “ Startup Type ” to Automatic.

2. Through the Settings menu

Pause Windows Updates

The next method is through the Settings menu. In this method, you can only temporarily disable updates. This means that the update will not be executed until the specified time.

To do this, follow the steps below.

  1. First, click the Start menu on your Windows Taskbar.
  2. Then click Settings » and select Update & Security.
  3. Pada tab “Windows Update”, klik menu Advanced options.
  4. Then select “Pause updates”, and select Select date to determine how long Windows Update is turned off (maximum 35 days).
  5. Now, Windows Update has been turned off until the appointed time.
  6. Finished.

3. Set up the Wi-Fi connection

Set up the Wi-Fi connection

Furthermore, you can also activate the Metered connection feature in Windows 10 to limit the internet connection/bandwidth used by the system.

This feature will prevent Windows from taking excessive data connections by disabling several features, including application updates, system updates, Windows Spotlight, and others.

Here’s how to activate it;

  1. First, press the Windows key + I combination to access the Settings menu.
  2. Then click Network & Internet » then select the Wi-Fi tab.
  3. If so, click the WiFi connection that is connected to the PC / laptop.
  4. In the “Metered Connection” section, slide the toggle from Off to On to activate.
  5. Finished.

Usually, this feature will activate automatically when you use a Hotspot connection (mobile data plan) as an internet source. However, this does not apply to devices using an Ethernet or WiFi connection, so you need to configure them first.

4. Disable past Registry Editor

Furthermore, you can also disable Windows updates through the Registry Editor. This feature can be said to be a database that stores all Windows system settings and configurations.

Through the Registry Editor, you can change the value to disable updates.

Please and follow the steps below.

STEP 1: In the first step, press Windows + R on the keyboard to access the “Run” dialog. Then type regedit in the search field » and press Enter/OK.

regedit
Disable past Registry Editor

STEP 2: If the Registry Editor appears, access the Windows folder or you can copy and paste the location below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

Once you’ve found it, create a Windows Update and AU folder in the following way.

Disable past Registry Editor 1
  • Right-click the Windows folder » select New » Key. Then name it ” Windows Update ” » and press Enter.
  • Then right-click on the Windows Update folder again » Select New » Key and name it “ AU ” » press Enter.

STEP 3: If so, the next step is to create a new configuration, by right-clicking on the AU folder, then selecting New » clicking DWORD (32-bit) Value. After that, name it “ AUOptions” » and press Enter.

Disable past Registry Editor 2

STEP 4: Next double click on the “AUOptions” configuration. If so, change the Value data to 2 » and click OK. After that restart the device to see the results.

Disable past Registry Editor 3

If you want to reactivate it, it’s quite simple. You only need to access the Windows Update feature » and click Check for update, after that, the update will run normally again.

5. Run the command in CMD

Command Prompt (CMD) is a utility tool that is used to run various command lines on a Windows PC / Laptop. You can run several commands in the Command Prompt to turn off Windows updates, here are the steps:

STEP 1: The first step, open Command Prompt with Administrator mode. Then execute the commands below sequentially by pressing the Enter key.

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop dosvc
Run the command in CMD

Note: Give a pause of about 5-10 seconds in each command that you execute until you get a “successfully” notification, the goal is to ensure that the command that was executed earlier works.

STEP 2: By doing so, the update feature on your Windows has been permanently disabled. And if you want to enable it again, you can run the following command

net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start dosvc
Run the command in CMD 1

6. Akses Group Policy Editor

Group Policy Editor is a Windows administration program or tool that can be used to configure important settings on your computer/laptop as needed.

Through this feature, you can not only turn off Windows updates, but you can also disable laptop keyboards, turn off Windows Security, fix system/application errors, disable startup programs, configure passwords, and much more.

To access this tool, check it out and follow the steps below.

Note: This method only works on the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows.

STEP 1: In the first step, press Windows + R simultaneously on the keyboard. If so, the “Run” window will appear automatically. Then type gpedit.msc » press Enter/OK.

gpedit.msc
Akses Group Policy Editor

STEP 2: After the ” Local Group Policy Editor ” window appears, locate and access the following folders sequentially:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Component > Windows Update

STEP 3: Double-click on Configure Automatic Updates. If a new window appears, select the Disabled option from the list provided » Click Apply » OK.

If you have followed the instructions I gave above correctly, Windows will turn off the automatic update function forever. And if you ever want to reactivate it, you just have to repeat the previous step.

Then change the option to Enabled » click Apply » then OK.

How to turn off Windows 8, 8.1 updates

In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, you can disable Windows updates via the Settings menu, here are the steps:

  1. First press the Windows + C combination on the keyboard.
  2. Click the Settings menu » and select Change PC Settings.
  3. If so, click the Update & Recovery tab » and select the Windows Update option.
  4. Then in the “Important updates” section, change it to Never check for updates (not recommended).
  5. Then uncheck the “ Recommended updates ” and “ Microsoft Update ” options.
  6. After that click Apply » restart PC / laptop first.
  7. Finished.

Not only through the Settings menu, you can also turn off Windows updates by accessing the Control Panel.

And to access the Control Panel, you can follow the guide in the next method, remembering how to access the Control Panel in Windows 8 is exactly the same as in Windows 7 and Vista.

How to turn off Windows 7, Vista updates

If you want to use an option other than through the Windows Service tool, you can also access the Control Panel to configure Windows updates so they don’t run automatically.

Here’s how;

  1. First, click Start menu » and select Control Panel.
  2. Search and find the Windows Update menu.
  3. To make it easier to find Windows Updates, you can change the “View by” highlight to Small Icons.
  4. If so, click Change Settings on the left panel » Click the drop-down menu in the “Important updates” section and select the Never check for updates (not recommended) option.
  5. Then uncheck the “ Recommended updates ” and “ Microsoft Update ” options.
  6. After that click Apply » restart PC / laptop to see the results.
  7. Finished.

If so, you can also turn off the update warning from the system via the Action Center menu.

  1. Still, in Control Panel » view select Action Center.
  2. If so, click Change Action Center Settings.
  3. Then uncheck Windows Update in the “Security messages” section and Check for updates in the “Maintenance messages” section.
  4. After that click OK.
  5. Finished.

Another Alternative Tip

Finally, you can install third-party applications or utility programs to turn off Windows updates. There are tons of utility programs that can help you control, manage, and turn off Windows updates with just a few steps.

Here are some applications that you can make a choice;

  • EaseUS
  • Win Update Stop
  • Windows Update Blocker
  • Kill-Update
  • WAU Manager

Closing

In disabling the Windows Update feature, you can choose various methods as we have described above. If you want an easier and faster way, you can disable Windows Update via Windows Service.

In the Windows Update service, you only need to change the Startup type, from Enable to Disable. That way updates won’t run automatically.

Apart from that, you can also install third-party applications, such as EaseUS or Win Update Stop to disable updates.

If you feel confused about following some of the methods we have described above, or perhaps have an opinion that you would like to convey, please write in the comments column below. Thank you and good luck!

What are the benefits of the Windows Update feature?

You will get the latest features from Microsoft, and fix bugs/errors that occurred in previous versions, to enhance security.

How long does Windows Update take?

In general, the update process usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes. But it also depends on how many files are downloaded, internet speed, and disk speed in reading and writing files.

What happens when Windows Update fails?

It is possible that the system does not run optimally and some menu functionality or features fail.

What are the main causes of failure when running Windows Update?

Windows Update often fails due to interference from outsiders. For example, a PC / laptop suddenly turns off for some reason or maybe the internet provider you are using is down (maintenance).

Entrepreneur, Digital Marketer, The Founder & Admin of TechTanker.Com, Who Likes To Write On Any Topic Related To Blogging, Such As Tech, Wordpress, Make Money Online, Android, Online Tutorials, How to, Computer, SEO, Latest Tips&Tricks and much more. Lives in Barpeta Road Assam, India.

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