Automatic updates are enabled by default in Windows 10.
Since the updates keep the operating system secure with the latest security patches released by Microsoft respectively, it is NOT RECOMMENDED to disable them unless you’re extremely tight on budget and/or have limited Internet bandwidth to use.
Because Microsoft is quite stubborn about pushing the updates to Windows 10, no matter which approach you take to disable, the OS still downloads and installs them anyway.
Although many people suggest different methods of disabling automatic updates, the easiest and most straightforward one that can work on any variant of the operating system is described below:
Step 1
Open the Services snap-in
Type SERVICES.MSC in the Cortana search box, and press Enter. This opens the Services snap-in. From here you can start the services, stop them, enable or disable them, or configure them to run automatically when Windows starts.
Step 2
Open the Windows Update Properties box
Scroll down to the bottom of the Services snap-in, and double-click the Windows Update service. This opens the Windows Update Properties box with the General tab selected by default. From here you can manage (start, stop, enable, or disable) the Windows Update service.
Step 3
Disable the Windows Update service
Click Stop from the lower section of the General tab wait while the service stops, select Disabled from the Startup type drop-down list, and click OK. This turns off the Windows Update service for your Windows 10. From this point onward, Windows cannot download and install any updates automatically.
Note: To re-enable automatic updates, you can follow the above process, and when on the General tab of the Windows Update Properties box, select Automatic from the Startup type drop-down list, click Apply, click Start, and then click OK.
Note: In some cases, Windows 10 downloads and installs the updates even if the Windows Update service is disabled. Once Windows is updated, the service is re-enabled automatically with its Startup type set to Automatic, and you must follow the above steps to disable it again.
Since the updates keep the operating system secure with the latest security patches released by Microsoft respectively, it is NOT RECOMMENDED to disable them unless you’re extremely tight on budget and/or have limited Internet bandwidth to use.
Because Microsoft is quite stubborn about pushing the updates to Windows 10, no matter which approach you take to disable, the OS still downloads and installs them anyway.
Although many people suggest different methods of disabling automatic updates, the easiest and most straightforward one that can work on any variant of the operating system is described below:
Step 1
Open the Services snap-in
Type SERVICES.MSC in the Cortana search box, and press Enter. This opens the Services snap-in. From here you can start the services, stop them, enable or disable them, or configure them to run automatically when Windows starts.
Step 2
Open the Windows Update Properties box
Scroll down to the bottom of the Services snap-in, and double-click the Windows Update service. This opens the Windows Update Properties box with the General tab selected by default. From here you can manage (start, stop, enable, or disable) the Windows Update service.
Step 3
Disable the Windows Update service
Click Stop from the lower section of the General tab wait while the service stops, select Disabled from the Startup type drop-down list, and click OK. This turns off the Windows Update service for your Windows 10. From this point onward, Windows cannot download and install any updates automatically.
Note: To re-enable automatic updates, you can follow the above process, and when on the General tab of the Windows Update Properties box, select Automatic from the Startup type drop-down list, click Apply, click Start, and then click OK.
Note: In some cases, Windows 10 downloads and installs the updates even if the Windows Update service is disabled. Once Windows is updated, the service is re-enabled automatically with its Startup type set to Automatic, and you must follow the above steps to disable it again.