How to stop automatic updates on Windows 10

Windows 10 is known for its automatic updates, which can sometimes be inconvenient, especially when you’re in the middle of something important. If you prefer to have control over when your system updates, here’s how you can stop those automatic updates.

1. Using the Settings Menu:

1. Open the Start Menu and select Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Select Windows Update from the left-hand menu.
4. Click on Advanced options.
5. Under the Pause updates section, you can choose a date to pause updates temporarily.

2. Using the Group Policy Editor:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type `gpedit.msc` and press Enter.
3. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
4. Double-click on Configure Automatic Updates.
5. Select Disabled and then click Apply and OK.

3. Using the Registry Editor:

Note: Editing the registry can be risky. Make sure to back up your registry before making any changes.

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type `regedit` and press Enter.
3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU.
4. If the AU key doesn’t exist, you’ll need to create it. Right-click on the WindowsUpdate folder, select New > Key, and name it AU.
5. Inside the AU key, right-click and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name the new value NoAutoUpdate.
7. Double-click NoAutoUpdate and set its value to 1.

4. Disabling the Windows Update Service:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type `services.msc` and press Enter.
3. Scroll down to Windows Update in the list of services.
4. Double-click on Windows Update.
5. In the Startup type dropdown menu, select Disabled.
6. Click Apply and OK.