Windows 10 always installs cumulative updates automatically, even if you don’t want it to. However, you can change this behavior and decide for yourself when to install updates.
In Windows 10, cumulative updates are now mandatory, which means that they’re downloaded and installed automatically as soon as they become available. Aflthough the new mechanism is convenient in terms of keeping Windows 10 devices up-to-date, getting security patches, fixes, and improvements on time, not all users like this feature.
Disabling Windows 10 updates has become much more difficult than in previous versions of the system. Microsoft developers are releasing new patches that prohibit leaving the OS out of date. However, if you’re using a computer running Windows 10, depending on the system edition, you have the option to disable automatic updates using the local group policy editor or the system registry.
So, if you want to turn off automatic updates on Windows 10, here’s what you can do.
How to turn off automatic updates on Windows 10 using settings
If you want to skip a certain update, you don’t need to turn off Windows Update permanently. Instead, you should pause updates until the next patch day. In the Settings app, you have the option to stop system updates for up to 35 days in Windows 10 Home and Pro. To do so, you have to follow these steps:
- First of all, open the “Settings” menu on your computer.
- Then, go to the “Update & Security” section.
- After that, click on the “Windows Update” tab and select “Advanced options”.
- Finally, under “Pause Updates”, use the drop-down menu and choose how long you want to turn off updates.
After you complete these steps, updates will no longer be downloaded until the day you specify. When the pause time expires, you will need to install the last available patch to make the option available again.
How to turn off automatic updates using Local Group Policy
If you’re using Windows 10 Pro, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor to prevent updates from being automatically downloaded and installed. So, if you want to turn off automatic updates using Local Group Policy, you have to follow these steps:
- Open the “Start” menu and search for “gpedit.msc”.
- Then, click on the top result to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
- After that, navigate to the “Computer Configuration – Administrative Templates – Windows Components – Windows Update” path.
- Next, double-click on the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy in the right screen.
- Now, select the “Disabled” option to turn off automatic updates permanently on Windows 10.
- Finally, click on the “Apply” button and select “OK”. Restart you computer.
Once you have completed these steps, the system will stop automatically downloading updates. However, you can manually update your Windows 10 using the settings menu.
How to configure auto update settings on Windows 10
If turning off the policy didn’t work, you can use the Group Policy Editor to prevent updates from being automatically installed on your computer. To do so, follow these steps:
- Open the “Start” menu and search for “gpedit.msc”.
- Then, click on the top result to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
- After that, navigate to the “Computer Configuration – Administrative Templates – Windows Components – Windows Update” path.
- Next, double-click on the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy in the right screen.
- Now, select the “Enabled” option to turn on the policy.
- Under “Options”, select the option to prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading and installing updates:
- 2 – Notify for download and auto install.
- 3 – Auto download and notify for install.
- 4 – Auto download and schedule the install.
- 5 – Allow local admin to choose setting.
- 7 – Auto Download, Notify to install, Notify to Restart.
- Finally, click on the “Apply” button and select “OK”. Restart you computer.
After performing these steps, automatic updates will be permanently disabled in Windows 10. However, when new updates become available, you can install them manually from the Windows Update settings page.
You have also to be aware that updates aren’t a whim of the OS creator. Many of them are critical to Windows security and performance, so don’t forget to perform a manual update after disabling them.
