Why did my computer update to Windows 11 on its own?

Riley Jun 15

So I turned on my computer today, and it updated itself to Windows 11. I had declined any offers to update, and I left it at that. But, as previously stated, it had updated itself overnight. I think it might've been because I clicked "update and shut down" last night, but I don't see how that could force a Windows 11 update, considering that it needed my permission to update.

former_windows_enjoyer 30 Reputation points

2023-07-25T11:35:05.8333333+00:00

Same happened to me.
Alice Stevens 0 Reputation points

2024-02-08T02:14:27.2766667+00:00

Same happening to me. It just gave me the prompt and this morning was trying to install. I'll probably go ahead and do it manually now, didn't want to while I am in the middle of making art though. But yeah, shouldn't be happening.
Matt Fisher 20 Reputation points

2024-03-03T14:19:01.29+00:00

This is absolutely now happening WITHOUT user interaction. Sometime between wednesday night and Saturday morning my system auto restarted. When I came back to my shop to use my machine on Saturday morning, windows 11 was installed. There was no prompt, no user interaction, nothing. The system downloaded the UPGRADE as a feature UPDATE and ran it during forced restart.

I rolled it back, and this morning, again, came down to find the SAME windows 11 "update" propped to install and prompting for a restart.

How can Microsoft claim they are not forcing people to UPGRADE and then do this? Trust me, I'm not your average schmoe with a laptop. I've been doing this a LONG time and there have been ZERO interactions that would have caused me to authorize this update. Especially considering I intentionally rolled it back yesterday and come in to find it propped to install AGAIN.

If Microsoft is claiming they are not forcing users to upgrade, they are bold face lying.
Gilchrist Dean 0 Reputation points

2024-08-23T01:10:32.1+00:00

The same thing just happened to me! I just got on my computer, and it was windows 11! I never installed it! This morning it was Windows 10!
Wytchwood 0 Reputation points

2024-09-05T21:34:24.11+00:00

Not sure why everyone is complaining. I myself perfer to have Windows 11 because I want to have updates after next year. I have two good laptops both expensive ones, an Acer Nitro Black Edition bought in 2016 and a Dell Precision 7720 for my work, bought in 2017/2018. I was not happy to find out that neither would be compatible with Windows 11. Both laptops have served me well and are still being used, but I did put the Dell in the closet, as I bought a new Acer Predator Helios laptop for gaming this spring and am using the old Acer for work. I decided to take the Dell out of the closet and run windows updates on it last night, and left it run while I completed my shift. On going to bed, I checked the Dell to see if it had done all the updates, and I found out that it updated the operating system to Win 11, and this was done as stated here by someone else, as a feature update. I'm thrilled that this happened. It runs really fast and so far no issues, and I'm glad that I get some more years of use out of it. The Acer Nitro on the other hand, doesn't look like it will be able to be upgraded to Win 11, unless the same thing happens that did with the Dell! Thanks Microsoft!

7 answers

S.Sengupta 19,496 Reputation points MVP

2023-01-22T02:36:07.4033333+00:00

Hope this article helps:

[How to Block the Windows 11 Update From Installing on Windows 10](https://www.howtogeek.com/765377/how-to-block-the-windows-11-update-from-installing-on-windows-10/"How to Block the Windows 11 Update From Installing on Windows 10")
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3 people found this answer helpful.
debbie boswell 5 Reputation points

2023-10-14T08:56:31.1533333+00:00

The page is no longer there. why can' someone create a simple link with simple steps for us senior citizens to use so that we can go back to windows 10 block windows 11 so we have a simple way to get it done
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former_windows_enjoyer 30 Reputation points

2023-07-25T11:34:43.5966667+00:00

It should've said "Upgrade and shut down" but Microsoft really wants you to upgrade to Windows 11. In my computer when "UPDATES" where ready to install, it always said "Update and shut down". Why use the same freaking thing when we're talking about a whole "UPGRADE". There's a difference between the two. In other words it did upgrade to Windows 11 on its own. It started downloading Windows 11 on its own, it used the same prompt for just updating your system in the menu and then "poof", there you go Windows 11.
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3 people found this answer helpful.
jack 0 Reputation points

2023-11-02T01:58:09.9533333+00:00

Exactly .What the hell , i keep my windows 10 upadted nothing was said about windows 11 and im sure i checked it ,it was necessary update in color of orangish mark not the blue one for windows update.

Eric Helm 0 Reputation points

2023-12-29T04:25:21.1866667+00:00

Personally I don't really think I mind being on Windows 11, but yes I was also tricked into it, and no it's not really ok for MS to be doing that.

I think some people at Microsoft are thinking that Windows 11 is Windows 10. They're thinking that Windows 11 is only called that to delineate the updates that aren't supported on old hardware from the ones that are. Here's what I think happened:

Update Deployment Team: "We don't normally warn users that the update is a feature update, we don't even have a prompt for that. I don't get what the issue is?"

Customer Relations: "You idiots, we named that update 'Windows 11' and told everyone it's a free upgrade to a whole new Windows! So you just auto-updated people to a whole new Windows without asking!"

Update Deployment Team: "Oh come on, nobody actually thinks it's a new version of Windows, that's ridiculous!"

Management: "But that's what we named it publicly! That's why there's so many new features and UI changes in the same update, it's almost kinda like a whole new Windows. Publicly we're sort-of pretending it actually is a whole new Windows!"

Update Deployment Team: "But you can't even buy it! It's just ... wait, the last ten feature updates were all for Windows 11 too and we didn't need to warn anyone about those, how is this our teams fault?"

User Not Found 15 Reputation points

2024-02-04T04:35:08.0966667+00:00

my pc decided to update on its own, and now my CPU fan keeps failing, im getting crashes, and my C Drive failed. with zero prior issues, directly after the update i cant even use this computer anymore. probably gonna scrap it and buy a Mac.

User Not Found 15 Reputation points

2024-02-04T04:55:27.1833333+00:00

also just found out for some reason one of my usb ports built into my motherboard stopped working too. this is crazy how much microsoft butchered my pc.

L M 1 Reputation point

2024-05-18T01:03:41.14+00:00

I had no option to stop the upgrade, there were two options: it was either update/upgrade now or in 1 hour (don't recall if it said 'update' or 'upgrade' since I was in a meeting and kept on selecting 'in 1 hour'. After selecting 'in 1 hour' twice, POOF THE LAPTOP UPGRADED by itself. There was NO option to cancel the update. Updates on my laptop are set to OFF.
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User Not Found 15 Reputation points

2024-02-04T04:36:01.0633333+00:00

Buy a Mac.
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3 people found this answer helpful.
ADAM HEDLEY 0 Reputation points

2024-03-04T00:24:41.7766667+00:00

you took the words right out of my mouth

Lorraine Thomas 0 Reputation points

2024-03-28T16:33:30.43+00:00

I think it's time to move to Linux. I paid for this PC, Microsoft didn't. This is my property. They have no right updating ANYTHING without my permission, especially their AI Copilot. Who do they think they are?
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öcs 15 Reputation points

2024-05-24T05:47:51.93+00:00

Class-Action people! This is the kind of behaviour we agreed to erase from digital culture years ago. Still, we're forced to install/beta test stuff. Don't let it happen. Sue!
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David L 0 Reputation points

2024-07-03T21:37:54.2966667+00:00

Count me in. I did not want windows 11 with its trash adds everywhere
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Why did my computer update to Windows 11 on its own?

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