If you want to stop Windows Update in Windows 11 or Windows 10, you can prevent automatic downloads and installations using Group Policy or the Registry.
This can be useful if you prefer to decide when your PC updates or want to avoid a problematic update. If you only need to delay updates for a few days or weeks, pausing Windows Update is usually the better option. If an update is already installed and causing problems, you can uninstall it instead.
1. Stop Automatic Windows Updates with Group Policy
If you use a Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition of Windows 11 or Windows 10, you can stop automatic updates through the Local Group Policy Editor. Windows Home does not include the Local Group Policy Editor.
1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
In Windows 11, open Manage end user experience. Depending on the administrative templates installed, Windows 10 may show Configure Automatic Updates directly under Windows Update or inside Manage end user experience.
3. Open Configure Automatic Updates.
4. Select Disabled, click Apply > OK, and restart Windows.
With this policy disabled, Windows stops automatically downloading and installing available updates. You can still open Windows Update and manually download and install updates when you are ready. Microsoft documents Disabled as requiring available updates to be downloaded and installed manually.
Turn Automatic Updates Back On
To reverse the change, open gpedit.msc, return to Configure Automatic Updates, select Not Configured, and click Apply > OK. Restart Windows afterward.
2. Stop Windows Update from the Registry
If you use Windows 11 or Windows 10 Home, you can stop automatic updates by creating the corresponding policy in the Windows Registry. This method also works on other editions of Windows.
Before editing the Registry, consider creating a System Restore point in Windows. Incorrect Registry changes can cause Windows problems, so modify only the keys and values described below.
Create the NoAutoUpdate Policy
1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
3. If the WindowsUpdate key does not exist, right-click Windows, select New > Key, and name it WindowsUpdate.
4. Inside WindowsUpdate, create another key named AU.
5. Select AU, right-click an empty area in the right pane, and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name the value NoAutoUpdate, open it, and set Value data to 1.
7. Click OK and restart Windows.
The complete Registry path should be:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
With NoAutoUpdate set to 1, automatic updates are disabled. Microsoft documents 0 as the default value that enables Automatic Updates and 1 as the value that disables them.
Turn Automatic Updates Back On
To undo the change, open regedit, return to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU, delete NoAutoUpdate, and restart Windows.
Alternative: Get Notified Before Windows Downloads Updates
If you do not want to completely block Windows Update, you can configure it to notify you before downloading updates. This lets you decide when to start the update process.
If you used Group Policy above, first return Configure Automatic Updates to Not Configured. If you used the Registry method, delete NoAutoUpdate if it is set to 1.
1. Open regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU.
2. In the right pane, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named AUOptions.
3. Open AUOptions and set Value data to 2.
4. Click OK and restart Windows.
With AUOptions set to 2, Windows notifies you when updates are available to download. You can then open Windows Update and choose when to download and install them. Microsoft documents option 2 as Notify for download and auto install.
Can You Permanently Block Windows Updates?
You can configure Windows so it does not automatically download or install updates, but this does not permanently remove or disable Windows Update.
The Group Policy and Registry settings above can be reversed at any time, and you can still check for and install updates manually.
For most users, blocking updates indefinitely is not recommended because updates can include security fixes, bug fixes, and compatibility improvements. If you only need to stop updates for a few days or weeks, pausing Windows Update is usually the better option.
Should You Disable the Windows Update Service?
Some tutorials recommend opening services.msc, finding Windows Update, and setting its startup type to Disabled.
Although this can stop the Windows Update service, it is not the method we recommend for controlling automatic updates.
Group Policy and the documented Windows Update Registry policies provide a more direct way to control automatic update behavior without manually disabling Windows services.
Stop, Pause, or Uninstall a Windows Update?
The right option depends on what you are trying to do.
- Stop or block Windows Update when you want more persistent control over automatic downloads and installations.
- Pause Windows updates when you only need to delay them for a few days or weeks and want Windows Update to resume later.
- Uninstall a Windows update when it has already been installed and appears to be causing errors, performance problems, or compatibility issues.
Choose the least disruptive option that solves the problem.
Conclusion
You can stop automatic Windows updates in Windows 11 and 10 through Group Policy or by setting NoAutoUpdate = 1 in the Registry.
Group Policy is usually the simplest option on Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions, while the Registry is a practical alternative for Windows Home.
If you prefer to keep Windows Update enabled but control when downloads begin, AUOptions = 2 lets Windows notify you before downloading updates.
