How to defer upgrades and updates in Windows 10 Pro

Anyone can use ‘Windows Update for Business’ controls to delay changes and patches to Windows 10 Pro

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Senior Reporter, Computerworld |

Microsoft has not advertised the fact, but anyone with a copy of Windows 10 Pro can postpone upgrades and defer updates using the Windows Update for Business service.

The options for controlling the arrival of Windows 10 upgrades and updates — the words mean different things under Microsoft’s rules — arrived as part of Windows 10 version 1511, the refresh that began rolling out Nov. 12. But while the settings — and Windows Update for Business — are intended for corporate customers, there’s nothing to stop any PC owner running Windows 10 Pro from leveraging the deferments.

That’s because Windows Update for Business (WUB) is not a cloud service, nor a product per se: It’s really just a set of controls for managing the timing of how Windows Update — the update and patch service Microsoft’s run for consumers for two decades — delivers upgrades and updates to business-grade editions of Windows 10.

Users have clamored for more flexibility in taking Windows 10’s upgrades and updates, in part because they grew up on older editions that were upgraded on a much slower pace and were given ways to delay or even ignore security updates, which all too frequently caused nasty side effects.

Microsoft’s compromise was Windows Update for Business, a way to soothe the concerns of its biggest and best customers. But there’s no reason why others — power users, sole proprietors and small businesses — shouldn’t have the same rights. Fortunately, they can get in on the action, too.

The easiest way to monkey with Windows 10 Pro’s upgrade and update timetable is with Local Group Policies, a subset of the Group Policies that enterprise IT administrators use to manage hundreds or even thousands of far-flung PCs.

Because Windows 10 Pro comes with the Local Group Policy Editor, anyone can fire it up and postpone upgrades and updates to their heart’s delight.

Run the Local Group Policy Editor

To begin, type gpedit.msc into the Windows 10 Pro search field, then press Enter once the result shows «Microsoft Common Console Document.» You should have launched the editor.

Dig up the Defer Upgrades and Updates Group Policy

The Local Group Policy Editor relies on an old-school user interface (UI), but it shouldn’t be beyond anyone who has browsed Windows Explorer looking for a file in a nest of folders on Windows 7.

In the pane on the left, under «Computer Configuration,» click on «Administrative Templates» to expand that folder, then on the «Windows Components» that appears, and next on «Windows Update.»

A list of 19 different group policies will appear in the right-hand pane. Find «Defer Upgrades and Updates» and double-click it.

Select the ‘Windows Update’ folder in the sidebar on the left, then the ‘Defer Upgrades and Updates’ group policy on the right.

Start deferring and delaying

The window that opened contains the Local Group Policy settings. To make any changes, select «Enabled.»

There are two fields and one checkbox in the bottom half of the window.

Defer upgrades for the following duration (months)

Using the up- and down-arrows at the right of the field, or by typing a number using the keyboard, enter the number of months to defer upgrades. (In Microsoft’s vocabulary, an upgrade is one of the two-to-three-times-a-year feature and functionality upgrades Microsoft plans for Windows 10. Version 1511, released Nov. 12, was an upgrade.)

Users may defer upgrades from one to eight months in one-month increments by entering a number between «1» and «8» into the field.

According to Hammoudi Samir, a Microsoft field support engineer, the 1-8 months entered in the editor are in addition to a four-month delay that’s produced, because once a delay has been requested, the PC is automatically shifted from the consumer-level «Current Branch» (CB) to the enterprise-oriented «Current Branch for Business» (CBB) upgrade track.

«By just enabling this GPO [Group Policy Object] setting and not delaying anything (leaving both durations to 0), it will turn the target computers to CBB,» Samir wrote in a Nov. 15 blog post.

In other words, setting a Windows 10 Pro PC to «8» in «Defer upgrades. » delays the upgrade from reaching the system for a total of 12 months (4 + 8) from when it was first released to those on the CB track.

Computerworld was able to confirm, in at least a circumstantial fashion, that Samir’s claim was accurate: Simply enabling the policy, without changing the default «0» in the field, flipped the «Defer Upgrades» switch in Windows Updates’ Advanced Options screen.

This PC has been set to defer all feature and functionality upgrades for an additional six months from the usual timetable of the ‘Current Branch for Business’ track, and delay all security updates for one week.

Defer updates for the following duration (weeks)

Using the up- and down-arrows at the right of the field, or by typing a number using the keyboard, enter the number of weeks to defer updates. (In Microsoft’s vocabulary, an update is one of the frequently-issued security and non-security fixes that Microsoft ships for all Windows’ editions, including 10. The most familiar to users are the vulnerability patches the company releases each month on Patch Tuesday, like this one of Nov. 10.)

Users may defer updates from one to four weeks in one-week increments by entering a number between «1» and «4» into the field.

Pause Upgrades and Updates

Checking the box will put a temporary hold on all upgrades and updates.

The hold lasts until the next monthly update shows up, or until the next upgrade makes an appearance. «Once a new update or upgrade is available, the value will go back to the previously selected option, re-enabling your validation groups,» the accompanying text in the editor reads.

Click Apply

Click on the «Apply» button when the settings are up to snuff, and close the editor.

Senior Reporter Gregg Keizer covers Windows, Office, Apple/enterprise, web browsers and web apps for Computerworld.

How to defer updates/upgrades on Windows 10?

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[revised & reposted below]

Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
Microsoft MVP (Windows Client) since October 2002

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If you’re running Win10 Pro, Enterprise or Education (i.e., not Home) edition, you may have other options soon. See:

Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
Microsoft MVP (Windows Client) since October 2002

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If you’re running Win10 Pro, Enterprise or Education (i.e., not Home) edition, you may have other options soon. See:

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Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
Microsoft MVP (Windows Client) since October 2002

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«If anyone is running the stable version of Windows 10, I need the exact instructions on how to defer. «

The public release ‘retail’ version of Win10 Home does not allow deferring updates. You can’t do anything

that won’t also stop the security updates.

I don’t know how effective it is, but you can disable the Windows Update Service. This may cause issues

with all software automatic updates, including Anti-virus though.

There would be registry hacks that shut updates down as well, but again this is likely to cause other issues.

— The good news. A fix is coming next month when the «Creators» update is released.

MS have actually heard all the millions complaining about being caught out with reboots, etc. and have included

a system for deferring updates for limited periods of time (which, I gather is already available on insider builds).

— Now if we could just get them to let those who don’t want every ‘anniversary’ updates bloatware, ‘improvement’,

‘new feature’ or ‘app’ to forego ‘anniversary’ updates altogether. Then we might be able to settle down with

a familiar, not ever changing OS for a couple of years.

They could just keep security features or critical OS fixes separate from the ‘anniversary’ updates.

[How To] Defer Upgrades In Windows 10 Using Group Policy

Published: August 19, 2015 · 04:15 PM \\ Applies to: How To, Windows 10

We all know that Windows 10 is the last operating system of Windows series. That means from now onwards, Microsoft will keep focusing in the enhancing this OS only, by pushing new updates via Windows Updates. In this way, Windows 10 is pronounced as “Windows as a service“.

The Redmond software giant is no longer interested in increasing the iteration number of their OSs and want to concentrate on providing latest features and security definitions to Windows 10 users via Windows Updates. If you’re using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise edition, you can “defer upgrades” in these editions.

What Does Defer Upgrades Do?

The option to “defer upgrades” is located under Settings app > Update and recovery > Windows Update > Advanced Options > Defer Upgrades.

Basically, “defer upgrades” means that you can postpone to download and install updates till the next upgrade period (at least a few months). Generally the upgrades are postponed for period of 24 hours to one month, sometimes it may be more. Please note that security updates are unaffected – whether you choose to defer upgrades or not, and they’re installed as they’re available.

How To Defer Upgrades In Windows 10 Using Group Policy

If you’re using Windows 10 for your enterprise or organization, you can define a Group Policy to defer upgrades, on the central machine that is controlling other Windows 10 running machines. By doing so, you don’t need to enable Defer Upgrades option manually on every system. Here is how to deploy the policy:

1. Press + R and put gpedit.msc in Run dialog box to open Local Group Policy Editor. Click OK.

2. Next, in the Local Group Policy Editor window, navigate here:

Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Update

3. At this Group Policy path, highlight the Windows Update folder in left pane (refer above shown window) and in the corresponding right pane, look for the Setting named Defer Upgrade. Altering this policy helps will help us to deploy a global setting that will allow or prevent deferring upgrades. By default, this policy is set to Not Configured or Disabled. Double click on it to get this:

4. In the above window, select Enabled option to defer upgrades. Click Apply followed by OK. Close the Group Policy Editor and make a restart to make changes effective.

About Kapil Arya

Kapil is presently a Microsoft MVP in Windows IT Pro expertise. He is Windows Insider MVP as well, and author of ‘Windows Group Policy Troubleshooting’ book. In 2015, Microsoft India accomplished him as ‘Windows 10 Champion’. Being passionate Windows blogger, he loves to help others on fixing their system issues. You can follow him for news/updates and fixes for Windows.

6 Comments

Hello sir I m on W10 home edition and gpedit now work for me. Can I get a corresponding registry path please?

^^ Create a registry DWORD DeferUpgrade at:

Set this DWORD to Value data 1.

Thanks for the info but Step 2 wording is wrong. The path: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> App Package Deployment is wrong, surely?

^^ Thanks Andy, it’s corrected now 🙂

I dont have that option in my GPO. My domain controllers are 2008r2. What can I do?

I have tried all of the above and have yet to see an option using gpedit>Computer Configuration>Administrative Templates>Windows Components>Windows Update) listed as Defer Upgrade. ADDITIONALLY: Creating a New DWORD at the stated location with the stated value does not create the option using gpedit.msc
Note: I AM RUNNING Windows 10 Pro-V.1803

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