With Windows, Microsoft made the system updates mandatory. If your device is running Windows, it will automatically update as soon as Microsoft releases an update. The idea is to keep users up to date and safe with the latest security patches installed. However, some settings will help you disable automatic updates in Windows 11/10 or delay them at best.
How to Disable Automatic Updates on Windows 11/10 PC
In the earlier version of Windows, users had to decide whether to download an update, install it or chuck it. But with Windows 10, things have changed. The same follows in Windows 11. More or less, nothing can be done about these automatic updates than delaying them, even if you are a Windows 10 Pro user. Folks using Windows Home are helpless in this case. But worry not! We have you covered with some tricks to avoid these automatic updates.
Before we go ahead, we strictly recommend you always download and install the updates from Microsoft. They improve performance and security, fix bugs, and bring in new features. Let’s look at the tutorial.
- Set Connection as Metered
- Pause or Delay Feature Updates for a year
- Microsoft Update blocker tool
- Group Policy Editor
You can use these methods to disable automatic update, delay the recent update for weeks, wait for bugs to get fixed, and install it.
1] Using Metered Connection
Windows, by default, treats any WiFI or Ethernet connection as unmetered. You can manually turn this on if you connect to any mobile hotspot to avoid heavy downloads. We will use the same trick to set a connection metered. Follow the steps below:
In Windows 11
- Open Settings (Win + I)
- Navigate to Network & Internet >WiFi > Manage known networks
- Select the Wifi you are connected to right now, and turn on Metered connection
- Repeat the same with the rest of the connections.
- Next, go to Windows Update > Advanced Options.
- Toggle off for Download updates over metered connection
In Windows 10
- Go to Settings> Network & Internet> WiFi
- Click on Advanced Options, which appears below the list of Wi-Fi networks
- Toggle the Set as Metered Connection switch to On.
Next, go to Settings > Update and Security > Advanced Options > Toggle off option which says “Download updates over metered connection”
Now, Windows will think that you have a limited internet connection. It will stop downloading updates to your system. However, as soon as you connect to a different wifi network, it will download the updates.
Note: It only works for Wifi, and there is no option for Ethernet connections.
2] Pause or Delay Feature Updates for a year
While updates are mandatory, you can pause, defer, and delay them for an extended period.
In Windows 11
- Go to Windows Settings > Windows Update.
- Click on the Pause for 1 Week button next to Pause Updates
- You can then further extend it for up to five weeks
Once this period is complete, you will have to download the updates, and there is no way to defer or delay it anymore.
In Windows 10
Go to Update and Security, and one of the prominent options is to Pause updates for seven days.
Go to Advanced options, and here you can
- Pause Updates for over a month
- Feature Updates or the new updates can be stalled for 365 days
- Quality updates can be delayed by 30 days.
3] Using the Microsoft Update Blocker Tool
Using this tool, you can hide updates, and Windows will not install hidden updates automatically.
- Download and install “Show or hide updates” from here.
- Run the tool, and it will search for available updates and allow them to be hidden.
- Click on Hide updates> select the updates you want to hide, and these Windows will not be installed automatically.
- Under Hidden Updates, you will find the updates you have hidden already. You can unhide them from here, and they will not install them automatically.
4] Using Group Policy Editor
In Windows, the option to disable automatic updates is invisible by default. But with this simple trick, you can make that option appear and prevent your Windows PC from automatically downloading updates.
Note: Windows Home users don’t have Group Policy Editor, but you can download it. Follow this easy guide on downloading Group Policy Editor in Windows Home.
- Open Run Prompt (Win +R), type gpedit.msc, and press the Enter key to open Group Policy Editor.
- Click on Computer Configuration and select Administrative Templates.
- Now click on All Settings and scroll down and select Configure Automatic Updates.
- Under Configure Automatic Updates, set the Configuration update to Enabled, and choose how you want to handle the updates under Options.
- Select the second option Notify for download and auto install
When Windows finds updates that apply to this computer, users will be notified that updates are ready to be downloaded. After going to Windows Update, users can download and install any available updates.
- Click Not Configured under the same Configure Automatic Updates menu to revert.
Conclusion
These methods prevent your Windows 11/10 computer from automatically downloading updates, helping you save your data. Let us know in the comments if we have missed any.
What are the other types of Windows Update Configuration
- Download the updates automatically and notify when they are ready to be installed
- Automatically download updates and install them on the schedule specified below.
- Allow local administrators to select the configuration mode that Automatic Updates should notify and install updates.
- Notify for install and notify for restart. (Windows Server only)
I cannot find gpedit.msc using cortana or using win+R……………………I am using windows 10 Home