How Do I Stop Windows Update Permanently or Temporarily?

Quick Answer

To pause Windows Update for a few weeks, open Settings, click Windows Update, and pick a duration from Pause updates (up to 5 weeks on Windows 11, 7 days on Windows 10 Home).

To stop it for longer, open services.msc, double-click Windows Update, set Startup type to Disabled, and click Stop. On Windows Pro or Enterprise, gpedit.msc lets you disable Configure Automatic Updates permanently without touching system services.

Why people want to stop Windows Update

Microsoft pushes feature and security updates automatically because most home users never patch on their own. That default protects the average machine, but it also means downloads start at the worst possible moment: a livestream, a presentation, a render job, or a flight with metered Wi-Fi.

Stopping or pausing updates is a sensible short term move when you need a predictable machine. It is risky as a long term policy, because unpatched systems lose protection against new exploits within weeks. Treat the methods below as tools you turn off again the moment your deadline ends.

Method 1: the built-in pause

This is the cleanest option and the one Microsoft actually supports.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Click Windows Update in the sidebar.
3. Find Pause updates and choose a duration. Windows 11 Pro offers 1 to 5 weeks; Home is capped at 1 week per pause but can be re-applied.

When the pause expires, Windows downloads the queued updates before it will let you pause again. There is no way to chain pauses indefinitely without first installing the pending patches.

Method 2: the metered connection trick

Marking your Wi-Fi or Ethernet as metered tells Windows to download only "priority" updates (small security definitions) and skip large feature releases.

1. Open Settings, Network and internet, Wi-Fi (or Ethernet).
2. Click your active connection name.
3. Toggle Metered connection to On.

This is the lowest risk method because security patches still arrive. Big upgrades that historically break printer drivers or peripheral support are the ones that wait.

Method 3: disable the Windows Update service

To stop Windows from checking for updates entirely, disable the background service that performs the check.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll to Windows Update.
3. Double-click it to open Properties.
4. Change Startup type to Disabled.
5. Click Stop under Service status, then Apply and OK.
6. Restart your PC.

Important: modern Windows builds re-enable this service after major in-place upgrades or after running the troubleshooter. Recheck it every month or so if you want it to stay off.

Method 4: Group Policy (Pro, Education, Enterprise)

If you run Windows Pro, Education, or Enterprise, the Local Group Policy Editor is the cleanest permanent block. It keeps the service alive (so other background apps that rely on it still work) but tells Windows not to install updates without your say-so.

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, press Enter.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Update, Manage end user experience.
3. Double-click Configure Automatic Updates.
4. Select Disabled, then click Apply and OK.

You can also set it to Enabled and pick option 2 (Notify for download and notify for install). That gives you a popup every time an update is ready, but nothing installs without a click.

Method 5: registry edit (Home edition workaround)

Windows Home does not include gpedit.msc, but the same setting exists in the registry.

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, press Enter.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows.
3. Right-click Windows, choose New, Key, and name it WindowsUpdate. Inside that, create another key called AU.
4. Inside AU, create a new DWORD (32-bit) called NoAutoUpdate and set its value to 1.
5. Restart your PC.

Back up the registry first (File, Export) so you can roll back if anything misbehaves.

Which method should you use

• Need a few quiet weeks: built-in pause.
• On a data cap or travelling: metered connection.
• Specific driver or peripheral keeps breaking after updates: Group Policy, set to Notify only.
• Custom build with locked software stack (kiosk, recording rig): Group Policy or registry, fully disabled, plus a calendar reminder to apply patches manually every month.

Re-enabling updates

Whichever method you used, the reversal is the same path in reverse: set the pause to none, flip metered off, switch Startup type back to Automatic, or set Configure Automatic Updates back to Not Configured. After re-enabling, open Settings and click Check for updates to pull everything you missed.

FAQs

Will stopping Windows Update affect my antivirus?

Windows Defender definitions ride a separate update channel and continue to refresh even when feature updates are paused. Third party antivirus is unaffected.

Can Microsoft force an update anyway?

On home editions, Microsoft can push an update if your version reaches end of service. Pro and Enterprise users with Group Policy in place avoid this.

Does pausing updates make Windows unstable?

Short pauses (under 35 days) are safe. Long disables expose you to known vulnerabilities the longer you wait, so plan a monthly catch-up window.

The takeaway

Pause for a few weeks with Settings. Use the metered toggle for travel. Reach for Group Policy or the service disable only when you have a real reason and a calendar reminder to patch on your own schedule.