How to permanent disable Windows Updates on Windows 11?

Question

I have a dell laptop I got for taking to and from uni. The school gave me a 900 dollar grant for a laptop from the student store and it was dell or a Mac. It has a loose connector and sometimes runs out of juice.

So. I go afk and it runs out of batteries. It happens sometimes. I don't have the spoons to disassemble it right now. I also am a broke student and can't afford to get it repaired or but the parts at the moment.

I turn it on and I see "windows is updating please wait." And of course it gets through it and then turns off. And I can't get it to boot. It turns on. Gives me a white critically low on battery screen, then turns off. So now I have to sit here for the next several days and adjust the cable since no indicator light shows when it's off and hopes it has enough charge to boot.

I don't understand how windows update on startup didn't realize there was less than 5% batteries and skip it.

*Sigh.*

Please tell me how to permanently stop windows updates from downloading and installing so I never have to deal with this nonsense again for if and when I can get it to pass post. The only thing windows update has given me is that copilot AI rubbish that can't even permanently disable itself.

Answer 1

@neilpzz -- ****! YES, OP, you can disable Windows Updates permanently.

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Type "services.msc" (without quotes) into the little line in the dialog box that comes up.
3. Scroll to locate "Windows Update".
4. Right click it.
5. Click Stop.
6. Right click it again when the progress window disappears.
7. Click Properties.
8. On the drop-down in the following dialog, select "Disabled", which is by the words "Startup type"
9. Click Apply, then OK.
10. Close the "services.msc" app.
11. You don't need to but reboot anyway for good measure.
12. Profit.

Here's that dialog box as mentioned in step 7:

(Oh don't hate the color scheme. It's my favorite color.)

<removed - COC violation>

Answer 2

This is especially important after CrowdStrike shut down almost all of Microsoft's services after a Microsoft Content Update. I swear if it wasn't for gaming I would throw this out all together after today. This is exactly why we need the ability to permanently disable Windows updates. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurts said it was a single defect found in a single content update. Yeah don't need my computer crashing because Window's wants to do continuous updates, I bought the software I should be able to disconnect what I want.

Answer 3

It doesn't work, they get enabled shortly after for me and this gets set to Manual.

Answer 4

Do not do this under any circumstances. svchost.exe is indeed responsible for the update service, but it is also responsible for many more Windows services, and if moved or deleted your computer will not start up properly. I am speaking from experience here. You will have to restore from a backup or, if you don't have one, reinstall Windows.

Answer 5

If you read whats written in the description box, this does NOT work on windows 10 or 11