Cancel Windows Updates

Question

I have Windows 10 Pro and have no intentions whatsoever of updating to 11. However I still get that Windows Update icon on my taskbar. I have done the Services.msc, Windows Update, Startup type, Disabled but it just keeps coming back. Is there any way to permanently disable Updates?

Answer 1

1

If you want to stay on Windows 10 and not upgrade to Windows 11, use these steps.

Click your Start Button, then just type cmd and from the resulting list, right click Command Prompt and choose 'Run as Administrator'

Paste this command into Command Prompt and press Enter:

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseversion /t REG_DWORD /d 1

Paste this command into Command Prompt and press Enter::

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseversionInfo /t REG_SZ /d 22H2

Close Command Prompt

Open File Explorer, then navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

Delete the contents of that folder, not the folder itself and restart (not shut down) your PC.

2

Then, if you ever want to upgrade to Windows 11 in the future, open the registry editor, go to KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate and then right click and delete the TargetReleaseversion and TargetReleaseversionInfo entries.

Answer 2

Windows 10 is designed to keep updating for security, so completely and permanently disabling updates is not recommended. However, there are supported ways to greatly limit or effectively turn off Windows Update, especially on Windows 10 Pro.

For Windows 10 Pro, use Group Policy instead of only disabling the Windows Update service:

1. Disable automatic updating of Windows
   1. Open gpedit.msc (Local Group Policy Editor).
   2. Go to:
      Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Configure Automatic Updates.
   3. Set Configure Automatic Updates to Disabled.
   4. Apply and close.
   With this policy set to Disabled, any available updates must be downloaded and installed manually via Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
2. (Optional) Remove user access to Windows Update UI This prevents manual checks from Settings but does not stop background update mechanisms configured elsewhere.
   1. In gpedit.msc, go to:
      Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
   2. Enable Remove access to use all Windows Update features.
3. (Advanced) Completely turn off Windows Update via policy/registry For scenarios where Windows Update must be fully blocked (commonly for managed/IoT-like devices), use one of these approaches: Group Policy (Windows 10):
   1. Set Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Do not connect to any Windows Update Internet locations to Enabled.
   2. Set Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Internet Communication Management > Internet Communication Settings > Turn off access to all Windows Update features to Enabled.
   Registry (IT/pro use): Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate and ...\WindowsUpdate\AU, configure the documented values to turn off Windows Update (for example, DisableWindowsUpdateAccess, DoNotConnectToWindowsUpdateInternetLocations, UseWUServer, etc.) as described in the reference. This is for advanced scenarios and should be done carefully.
4. Consider limiting reboots instead of fully disabling If the main concern is interruptions, configure Active Hours so updates do not reboot during normal use:
   1. In gpedit.msc, go to:
      Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
   2. Enable Turn off auto-restart for updates during active hours and set a wide Active Hours window.

Important: Disabling Windows Update (especially completely) can leave the device in a vulnerable state if updates are not applied by some other managed method. A servicing strategy should be in place if updates are turned off.

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References:

• Windows Update: FAQ
• OS Updates
• Manage connections from Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating system components to Microsoft services