How to Stop Automatic Updates in Windows 11

Microsoft has released a preview build of Windows 11 to Insiders with numerous great new features and upgrades over the previous version. However, the operating system retains some of its old quirks from Windows 10. One of them is automatic updates, which annoy advanced users to the fullest. Worse, just like Windows 10, Microsoft doesn’t even provide a simple way to stop or turn off automatic updates in Windows 11. So if you want to put an end to this trouble, we will teach you how to avoid it. Automatic download and installation of Windows 11 updates.

Stop Automatic Updates in Windows 11: A Detailed Guide (2021)

Microsoft may not offer a one-click solution to stop automatic updates in Windows 11, but you can disable automatic updates using a few nifty tricks. So today, we are going to fix the auto-update issue in Windows 11 and go through all the ways to stop auto-updates in Microsoft’s latest desktop operating system.

note: This article details the process of disabling automatic updates in Windows 11. If you’re a Windows 10 user, check out our guide on how to stop automatic updates in Windows 10..

Method 1: Pause Automatic Updates in Windows 11

One of the easiest ways to prevent automatic Windows updates, Use the “Pause updates” option. But as the name suggests, this is not a permanent solution because it will only pause automatic updates for 7 days and not completely stop them. It can come in handy in certain situations, though, so here’s how to pause Windows 11 updates for a week:

• To pause Windows 11 automatic updates “Settings -> Windows UpdateClick on ” and “1 week break“.

Your computer will no longer automatically download updates for the next seven days. Of course, you can manually update your computer at any time during this time.

Method 2: Metered Connection Establishment

Another nifty trick to disable automatic Windows 11 updates is to set your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection as metered. Windows 11 does not automatically download updates over metered connections, so this is how you can restrict automatic updates on your system. Here’s how to do it:

• Open settings (use Windows key + I shortcut) and click “Network and Internet” from the left sidebar. You will now see the network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) your PC is connected to. Click “Features” for your current connection.

• On the next page, “metered connection” switch.

• By default, Windows does not automatically download updates over metered connections. To make sure the setting hasn’t changed somehow on your device, click “Settings -> Windows Update -> Advanced Options“. Here, “Download over metered connections” option is turned off.

In Windows 11 you can set multiple connections as metered so that for all practical purposes it is possible to stop automatic updates. Of course, you can manually download and install updates over metered connections at any time.

Method 3: Disable Windows 11 Update Service

One way to stop Windows 11 automatic updates over any type of internet connection is to disable the Windows Update service. To do this, follow these steps:

• Hungry “To run” dialog (use Windows key + R shortcut), type services.msc Enter the text field and press Enter.

• In the Services window, scroll down to the “windows update“. This will open the Windows Update properties window.

• In the Properties window, “general” tab if you are not already there. Now, “DisabledClick “OK” or “Apply” from the drop-down menu next to “Startup type” to save the update settings.

This much. Your Windows 11 device will no longer automatically update. And if you want to re-enable automatic updates on your Windows 11 PC, follow your path again and “AutomaticFrom the “Startup type” drop-down menu.

Method 4: Stop Windows 11 Automatic Updates Using Registry Editor

note: Making changes to the Registry can mess up your Windows installation, so be careful what you do. You should also enable and create a System Restore point before continuing. The linked article uses Windows 10 for the demo, but the method remains the same on Windows 11.

To permanently stop automatic updates in Windows 11 using a registry hack, follow these steps:

• First, open the Windows Registry Editor on your computer. To do this, search for “Regedit” (without the quotes) in Windows Search and click on the first result.

• In the Registry Editor window, use the left sidebar to navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
• Next, check that a key has been invoked. windows update It’s already in the windows folder. If yes, go to the next step. If not, create a new key here and name it “WindowsUpdate”. Right-click the Windows folder to generate a key and then click “New > Key“.

• If the WindowsUpdate key already exists, Find a key named “AU” in that folder. If it’s not there, create a new key under WindowsUpdate and name it AU. In both cases, create a new DWORD (32-bit value) under the AU key.
• To do this, right-click on the AU in the left sidebar and select “New > DWORD (32-bit value)“. Name this entry”No Automatic Update” (without quotes).

• Finally, double click the newly created DWORD and change its value from 0 to 1. Click OK to save the changes.

The change will take effect when you restart your computer. Doing so will permanently disable automatic updates on your Windows 11 computer.

Method 5: Disable Windows 11 Automatic Updates Using Group Policy

note: Group Policy Editor is not officially available in Windows 11 Home. However, you can still enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 Home by following this guide. The method described in the linked article was originally designed for Windows 10, but works perfectly on Windows 11.

• First, open the Local Group Policy Editor on your computer. To do this, “To run” dialog (Windows key + R shortcut). write now gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.

• In the Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the following path using the left sidebar: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage end user experience.
• Then, in the right pane, double-click on the entry that says “Configure Windows Updates“.

• On the automatic updates configuration page, “DisabledClick on ” and “OK” or “To apply“To save your preference. This should now turn off automatic updates on your Windows 11 PC.

note: When the status of this policy is set to “Disabled”, all available updates must be downloaded and installed manually..

Method 6: Use Windows Update Blocker Utility

Apart from the built-in tools, you can also use a third-party freeware called Windows Update Blocker To stop automatic Windows updates in Windows 11. Originally coded for Windows 10, the portable program also works perfectly for Windows 11. Offers a one-click solution to block windows updates and is by far the most convenient option. Here’s how you can use the Windows Update Blocker utility to disable or turn off automatic updates in Windows 11:

• Download and extract Windows Update Blocker (free) on your Windows 11 PC. Then double-click Wub.exe or Wub_x64.exe on 64-bit systems to run it.

note: To extract the WUB file, you will need a file archiving tool such as WinRAR, WinZip or 7Zip. All of these are free and the last one is an open source program (FOSS).

• After installing the app “Disable Updates”, check the “Keep Service Settings” option and click “Apply NowTo save the new Windows update settings.

• The service status icon turns red to indicate that you have successfully blocked the Windows Update service.

You can re-enable automatic updates in Windows 11 by selecting “Enable Updates” and clicking “Apply Now” in this third-party utility.

Disable Automatic Updates on Your Windows 11 Computer

Automatic updates are a huge pain for Windows users. This is because the update not only consumes huge amounts of data on connections that are not for excessive data consumption, but also takes away users’ choice. Hopefully, our detailed guide here has helped you completely disable or stop automatic updates on your Windows 11 computer. When you’re done messing around with automatic updates, check out some of our other Windows 11 tutorials. You can learn how to revert to the Windows 10 style Start Menu design on your Win 11 installation and change the default browser in Windows 11.