The Windows 10 Update service, which coordinates the operation of Update Center and the installation of new packages, is somewhat annoying for many users. Not only does the loading and integration of updates into the system occur in the background, but also some installed components can cause quite serious malfunctions in the OS. Just recently, it became known that the latest released packages after installation lead to a blue screen appearing on reboot, which is almost impossible to get rid of. Let's see how to stop Windows 10 updates if their download or installation is in the active phase. Several techniques are also proposed to completely deactivate such processes. For both cases, there are several options for the use of which exclusively the tools of the operating system are involved.
How to stop Windows 10 updates, if they go, in the simplest way?
In principle, if a pop-up message appears in the system tray indicating that there are available updates or a redirection to the update service occurs, for example, through a standard anti-virus, then everything is simple.
How to stop Windows 10 updates? Elementary! Disconnect the network cable (if you have a wired connection) or deactivate Wi-Fi. Please note that upon reconnecting, the download of updates without further deactivation in the system settings will continue.
But it also happens that the user does not personally see the activation of the download process, but receives a message about installing updates only when the computer is turned off or restarted. A progress bar is displayed on a blue screen with a warning that you cannot turn off the computer at this time. In the case of using the reboot, a line will be shown through the "Start" button with a suggestion to restart and install updates. This is not recommended. Further actions will be discussed separately. But when the installation has already begun, you need to force shut down the computer or laptop through a long press of the power button, then boot in safe mode and cancel the installation. But more on that later.
Disabling update for wireless connection
The question of how to stop Windows 10 updates in case of using a Wi-Fi-based wireless connection is solved even more simply (although there are no pause buttons per se for pausing these processes in the system).
To do this, in the system tray through the notification icon, you must select the activation of the "Airplane" mode. This mode disables all wireless connections. The pause to download the Windows update in this version for wired networks does not work. But, again, when wireless is restored, the download will continue.
You can also use the option to set a limit connection, in which the system will not download updates. This way, by the way, is suitable for all those users who really set traffic restrictions, and not just to pause the download or install available packages.
Pause update via command line
In general, by and large, the above actions can lead to crashes and errors when installing updates. Therefore, for the correct suspension of the download or installation, only one main tool is used - the command console (cmd in the "Run" menu).
It is necessary to register three commands in it:
- net stop wuauserv - stop the Windows Update service;
- net stop bits - deactivation of the intelligent transmission service;
- net stop dosvc - stop the delivery optimization service.
The repeated inclusion of all components is performed similarly, only in the stop commands it changes to the start parameter. When executing both shutdown commands and reactivation commands, a system reboot is not required.
Deactivating Windows 10 Update through the options menu
With a question about how to stop Windows 10 updates manually, a little figured out. Now let's see what tools the system offers the user if he wants to disable the search and installation of updates in general.
There are several ways to disable Windows 10 Update. The first method is to use the settings menu and the corresponding update and security section, and then enter the additional parameters for the “Update Center”, where you need to include a restart notification in the installation method selection list (in this case, the system restart without your consent will not), select the checkbox opposite the line “Postpone update”, and also deactivate the receipt of updates from several places.
Windows 10 Local Group Policy Editor
Now let's move on to the basic tools that allow you to partially or completely disable the Windows 10 Update service. The solutions proposed for consideration are largely similar to each other, because, by and large, they duplicate each other. And first, consider the Windows 10 Local Group Policy Editor, which is called by the gpedit.msc command, which is entered in the Run menu.
Here, in the configuration, through the administrative templates and system components, you need to go to the "Update Center" section and edit the automatic update settings parameter. By double-clicking or through the PCM menu, a window with settings is called up, where “Disabled” is set as the current parameter, after which the changes are saved by pressing the OK button.
Services Section
Yes, indeed, the above proposed method allows you to disable the search and installation of updates, but, so to speak, only at the global level, since the service itself remains active at the moment. Thus, the essence boils down to not only turning it off, but also stopping its current action. To do this, as is already clear, the corresponding section is used, called from the Run console by the services.msc command (you can also use the administration menu for access).
In the editor, you need to find the “Update Center” and proceed to editing the settings, using either RMB with the choice of properties or double-click. Disabling is done by pressing the “Stop” button, and in the startup type, so that the service does not work later, the disabled startup type is set.
System registry
Finally, a complete deactivation of updates can be done through the registry. The editor, like all previous tools, can be called up via the Run menu by entering the regedit command in it.
Here you need to use the HKLM branch and the SOFTWARE and Microsoft sections, where, through the policy and update directories, you go to the final AU directory, as shown in the image above. As a rule, there is no key responsible for disabling receiving updates, so you will have to create it manually (32-bit DWORD parameter), assign it the name NoAutoUpdate, and set the unit to the current value by editing the parameters.
As you can already see, such actions are a repetition of group policy settings, however, the registry has a higher priority. It means that it is possible to change the policy settings in the registry, but in the policies the settings set in the registry cannot be changed.
How to cancel the installation of updates?
In a situation where the updates are still installed, you can cancel the changes made by several methods. In the simplest case, canceling Windows 10 updates is done by restoring the system to the point that preceded by the time the packages were installed. Again, updates will not be installed only when the above steps are taken to deactivate the corresponding services.
On the other hand, you can use the same options menu and the update and security section, where in the "Update Center" you need to go to the update installation log, select the latest or unnecessary packages and use their removal.
Similarly, you can uninstall updates through the “Control Panel”, in which the section of programs and components is selected, after which the user proceeds to view the installed updates by clicking the hyperlink on the left. Next, an unnecessary package is selected, and through RMB the line for its removal is called.
Finally, to remove updates, you can use the command console, in which you first need to display the full list of installed packages (wmic qfe list brief / format: table line), remember or write down the desired package number (they all start with the letter KV), and then enter the uninstall command wusa / uninstall / kb: number, where number corresponds to the update number, which is indicated after the combination of letters.
How to eliminate the installation of unnecessary or problematic service packs
But, suppose the user did not turn off the update completely, and does not want to install some packages when searching again. In this case, their automatic integration can be disabled.
To do this, in the settings of the Update Center, a manual search for available updates is set, after which unnecessary ones are selected in the results found, and then the hide command is used. Similarly, updates are disabled through the programs and components section with the option to view installed packages.
To remove updates to system assemblies, you must use the restore item with the option to return to the previous version. But this option can only be used if the user has not deleted the Windows.old directory in which all previous configurations are stored. If this folder is not on the hard disk, you can return to the factory state of the system with a complete reset.
Disabling driver updates
With questions related to how to stop Windows 10 updates and the services responsible for them, I think everything is clear. It remains to consider the ban on spontaneous installation of drivers.
To do this, the “Run” console is called, the line rundll32 newdev.dll, DeviceInternetSettingUi is written in it, after which the line for providing the user with the choice is activated in the options window that appears, and the item prohibiting the installation of drivers from the Update Center itself is activated.
Note: if you still need to install driver updates, use automated utilities such as Driver Booster, which download the latest software versions from the device manufacturers ’Internet resources and then integrate the new drivers into the system without user intervention.
Afterword
That's all, in fact, with regard to stopping, completely or partially disabling the installation of updates in Windows 10. However, despite the presence of a sufficiently large number of tools to perform such operations, it is not recommended to completely deactivate update services, since the main packages are mainly intended for patching holes in the security system and installing updates for some major platforms that can be used when using modern programs or games. The best option would be to set the parameters at which the system is allowed to search for available packages on its own, but the user has the right to choose the installation. So right away you can eliminate the installation of unnecessary or potentially failed updates.