With Windows 10, Microsoft did an unexpected and unpleasant change of taking away control from the end user for installing updates. Now, the Home edition and the Pro edition do not allow the user to easily control how updates are delivered and installed on their OS. In the Windows Update UI of the Settings app, the user can only defer or postpone updates, but there is no option to disable them entirely and check for updates manually and selectively install them. If you cannot tolerate this automatic update nonsense and want control over your updates once again, here is what you can do to stop and disable Windows Update in Windows 10 RTM.



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Method 1. Using the Windows Update service.

Windows Update is actually just a regular Windows service process. Once it is stopped, updates will not be downloaded and installed. So, to disable Windows Update in Windows 10 RTM, you can disable the appropriate service. Here's how you do it.

Press Win + R shortcut keys to display the Run dialog. Tip: See the full list of all Windows keyboard shortcuts with Win keys. Type the following in the Run box: services.msc In the Services list, disable the service called Windows Update as shown below: Double click it and set its startup type to disabled. Restart Windows 10.

This will disable Windows Update and prevent Windows 10 from downloading updates automatically and installing them. Whenever, when you wish to check for and install updates, you can just enable the service.

Method 2. Use the Group Policy editor (Pro, Enterprise and Education edition only)

In Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education editions only, you can use Group Policy to set Windows Update to notify you about updates but not download them. It is useful when you don't want forced updates, but also don't want to entirely disable Windows Updates. Every time new updates are available, Windows 10 will show you a toast notification about them:

Press Win + R shortcut keys together on the keyboard to open the Run dialog. Tip: See the full list of all Windows keyboard shortcuts with Win keys. In the Run box, type the following: gpedit.msc Go to the following path: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Update Enable the Group Policy named Configure Automatic Updates and set it to "2 - Notify for download and notify for install": Now, Open the Settings app -> Update and Secutiry -> Windows Updates. There you have to click the button "Check for updates". This is very important, because without doing this trick Windows 10 will not apply the changes your made and will not stop downloading and installing updates automatically. If your Windows 10 comes without the Group Policy editor, apply a Registry tweak. Open Registry Editor and go to the following registry key (create it if you don't have it already): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU There, create a new 32-bit DWORD value named "AUOptions" and set it to 2: Again, Open the Settings app -> Update and Secutiry -> Windows Updates. There you have to click the button "Check for updates". This is very important,

Restart Windows 10 and you are done. Note that despite setting Group Policy option, Windows Update says "Available updates will be downloaded and installed automatically". If it ignores your policy setting, then try Method three.

Method three. Use Winaero Tweaker

You can disable Windows Update in Windows 10 using Winaero Tweaker. Go to Behavior -> Windows Update Settings:



Use this time saving option to avoid Registry and Group Policy editing.

Method four. Set your wireless or cellular connections to metered

Windows 10 does not download updates automatically when you are on a metered connection. You can use this feature to control when updates are downloaded and installed. After you are done installing updates, you can just set your connection to non-metered.

To set a connection as metered, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app by pressing Win+I and go to the Network & Internet section. Click Wi-Fi on the left and then click "Advanced Options" on the right. Enable the "Set as metered connection" switch to On position.

Note that if you are on an Ethernet connection, you should set it as Metered as described in the article: Set Ethernet connection as metered in Windows 10.

That's it. Tell us which method is most suitable for you.

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