When Microsoft announced regular updates for Windows 10 computers, many praised the decision as the company is not known for releasing timely updates. The fast-forward and much-lauded feature so far seems to have become a nuisance. Updates have become frequent and a constant prompt to install updates is disrupting the user workflow. Not to mention, from time to time, Windows 10 automatically starts installing an update that adds to user frustrations. If this is a constant hurdle for you as well, here is how you can disable Windows 10 updates permanently.
Permanently Disable Windows 10 Updates (2022)
There are several ways that can help you disable automatic updates with ease. Here we have mentioned several ways to disable Windows 10 updates permanently, from a standard Group Policy method, a third-party way. Keep reading to learn more.
Stop Windows 10/11 Updates with Registry Editor
Users who want to permanently stop Windows 10 or Windows 11 updates can fine-tune the Registry to completely stop updates on their PC. Just follow the step by step instructions.
- Press the Windows key once and search for “Registry”. Open now.
- After that, copy the path below and paste it into the address bar of the Registry. After that press enter.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
- Once you’re here, right-click on Windows and select New, then Key.
- Rename the new entry to:
WindowsUpdate
.
- Now, right-click on the WindowsUpdate entry and select New followed by Key.
- Following that, rename the new key to:
AU
.
- Now, right click the AU key and select New and DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- rename
NoAutoUpdate
.
- Now, double click on “NoAutoUpdate” and change the value data to 1. Press “OK”.
- Now close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. You will now see that the Windows 10/11 update has stopped completely.
Permanently Disable Windows 11 and Windows 10 Updates with Group Policy Editor
This is another thing you might be interested in to turn off Windows 10 updates permanently. This method includes the Group Policy Editor. Here’s what you need to do:
- Press the Windows key once and type gpedit in the search bar. After that, open “Edit Group Policy”. Note that the Group Policy Editor is only available to Pro and Enterprise users. However, there is a way to enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 10 Home so you can follow the guide to open it.
- next, below Computer ConfigurationGo to Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Update.
- On the right, search Configure Automatic Updates and open it.
- Here, select Disabled available in the upper left corner and then click the “Apply” and “OK” buttons.
- And finally you disabled Windows 10 automatic update.
Note that if you go to settings manually and choose to download an update, it will still work. However, the OS won’t update itself or force you to install an update right away, which is a huge relief.
If you don’t want to manually check for updates and Automatic ones in Windows 10, then just select “Not Configured” under the same Group Policy.
Block Windows 11/10 Updates with Metered Connection
If you want to quickly stop Windows 10 updates on your PC without diving into the Registry or Group Policy editor, this method is for you. Simply configure metered connection settings; Windows 10 and even Windows 11 will stop downloading updates right now and there. Here’s how to do it.
- Open Windows Settings by pressing the “Windows +I” keyboard shortcut. After that, go to “Network and Internet”.
- Then, under the “Status” section, click “Properties” under your current WiFi/Ethernet connection.
- Now scroll down and enable the “Set as metered connection” toggle. This will stop Windows 10 updates including feature updates.
However, you will still receive security updates for Windows Defender/Security, which is a good thing for keeping your computer safe.
Disable Windows 10 and Windows 11 Updates via Update Services
You can also disable Windows 10 updates by turning off the Windows Update service. Here’s how:
- Go to the Windows option and search for Run. You can also enter Windows+R for the Run prompt. When the popup appears, type “services.msc” and hit OK.
- Under the Services section, scroll down to the Windows Update section and double-click it.
- The Windows Update Properties page opens and you need to navigate to the Startup Type option. Tap the drop-down menu and Disabled choice. After that, click “Stop”.
- Following that, tap OK and restart the computer to stop receiving automatic Windows 10 updates.
Block Windows 10/11 Updates with SimpleWall
If the above-mentioned steps don’t work for you, you can block Windows 10 updates on your PC using SimpleWall. For those who don’t know, SimpleWall blocks internet access from apps 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 Windows Update Services access the internet and you won’t have updates bothering you. Here are the steps you need to enable SimpleWall to stop Windows 10 updates:
- 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 it will start with selected services that you need to block to stop Windows 10/11 updates.
- Here, click the “Enable Filtering” button.
- Then click on 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.
- Note that when you block these services, you may start receiving notifications to allow or block internet access for various apps and services. Initially, all these services will want to connect to the internet, so you may receive multiple notifications at once. Patiently block all notifications especially from “svchost” and turn on “disable notifications for this app”.
- You can also enable SimpleWall to start automatically after every reboot, so you don’t have to start the application manually every time you start the computer. To do this, open Settings and then enable it. Load at System Startup and start shrinking Options.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
While the above steps are sufficient to prevent Windows 10/11 updates, there are a few things to keep in mind if you don’t want to run into 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. Click to solve it disable filtering option in the application and will restore the default Windows Firewall.
- The app not only blocks Windows 10 update services but can also block other essential services you use like Zoom and other apps.
- You’ll have to be careful when dealing with “The app wants to connect to the internet” notifications. For example, you must allow Cortana, Edge, Zoom etc. to connect to the internet if you are using it. Apart from that, make sure to allow Windows Defender (msmpeng.exe) service as it will keep your computer security up to date.
Disable Windows 10 and Windows 11 Updates (Temporary) via Settings
If you want to skip the aforementioned steps for now and move on to a workaround, you can pause them. All you have to do is:
- Tap on the start menu and go to Settings. There, select the Updates & Security option.
- then go Pause updates for 7 days choice. If the option is not available, you can follow our guide and bring back Pause Update in Windows 10, which can delay updates for up to 1 year.
- You can go to Advanced Options to increase the pause time. You will find the Pause Updates section and you can delay update prompts for a maximum of 35 days. Just select the date and you are ready to go.
Stop Windows 11 and Windows 10 Automatic Update on Your Computer
So you can stop Windows 10 and Windows 11 updates on your PC. Group Policy and other methods should work on most computers, but if they don’t, SimpleWall will help you. It will especially help advanced users as it can prevent any app from accessing the internet. In the right hands, it can be a powerful tool as it allows users to unblock tracking services, Microsoft telemetry services, and more.
We hope these methods will help you get rid of constant reminders to update Windows. If you run into any issues, drop your questions in the comments section below and we’ll be happy to assist you.