Microsoft’s decision to send regular updates to Windows computers with Windows 10 was commendable in the past as it was not known to provide regular updates. However, Windows 10 updates have become so frequent that they are now considered a nuisance. Combine the update frequency with Windows starting to automatically install updates at random times and you have a disaster. I hate new Windows 10 updates so much that I went out of my way to find a way to prevent them from happening. If you are also tired of constant Windows 10 updates, here is how you can stop Windows 10 updates from interfering with your work.
How Does Windows 10 Update Work?
Before we see how we can disable Windows 10 updates, let’s find out how it works. Windows has something called Orchestrator that schedules and downloads updates. The Orchestrator must obtain approval from the administrator and further validate the group policy before installing updates. We have already seen all kinds of tutorials where we change the group policy to prevent windows update. But the sad part is that Windows overrides its own group policy to download and install updates.
Now this is just a rough simplification of what actually happened as I don’t want to go into too much technical detail. However, I hope this can help you understand why Windows 10 updates have become such a big issue. Now that you know that, let’s disable Windows 10 Updates once and for all.
Stop Windows 10 Updates with SimpleWall
We will use a basic app called SimpleWall to prevent windows updates. What SimpleWall does is block internet access from applications and Windows services. Application Uses Windows’ native Filtering Platform (WFP) to monitor network activity and block applications and services. The approach is pretty simple, don’t let the windows update services access the internet and you won’t have the updates bothering you. Here are the steps you need to enable SimpleWall to stop Windows 10 updates.
1. Download SimpleWall (Free by donations) Install it on your device and grant the necessary permissions. We have tested the app extensively and it is completely safe. Now start the application and Windows 10 will start with selected services you need to block to stop updates.
2. Click the “Enable Filtering” button here.
3. Next, Click the “Whitelist (allow selected)” button. This will disable the local Windows Firewall and create a custom Firewall. You may receive a prompt to enable Windows Firewall, ignore it. Now all Windows update services will be blocked as they cannot access the internet.
4. Note that when you block these services, you may start receiving notifications to allow or block internet access for various apps and services. Initially, you may receive many notifications at the same time as all these services will want to connect to the internet.. Patiently block all notifications especially from “svchost” and check “disable notifications for this app”.
6. You can also have SimpleWall start automatically after each reboot so that you don’t have to manually start the application every time you start the PC. To do this, Open Settings and then enable “Load on System Startup” and “Start minimized” options.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
The above steps should be enough to block Windows 10 updates. There are a few things to keep in mind if you don’t want to have problems in the future.”
- You will need to grant administrator permission each time the computer restarts.
- You may encounter problems connecting to a local computer on your network. To solve this, click on disable filtering in the application, it will restore the Windows Firewall.
- Not only does the app block Windows 10 update services, it can also block other essential services you use.
- You’ll have to be careful when dealing with “The app wants to connect to the internet” notifications. For example, if you’re using it, you’ll want to allow Cortana or Edge to connect to the internet. Just Make sure you allow the Windows Defender (msmpeng.exe) service as it will keep your PC’s security up to date.
SEE ALSO: 7 Best Android Emulators for Windows 10
Get Rid of Constant Windows 10 Update Notifications
This is how we can stop Windows 10 updates from bothering us. Since SimpleWall can block any application from accessing the internet, I recommend using this method only if you know what you are doing. In the right hands, it can be a powerful tool as it will allow users to unblock monitoring services, Microsoft telemetry services, and any other apps you want to block.
However, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can block important services that can hinder your Windows experience. So make sure you know what you’re doing before you start blocking left and right services. If you encounter any problems while using this app, drop your question in the comments section below and we will be happy to assist you.
