How to Disable or Block automatic Windows Update in Windows 10

There is no option to stop or turn off Windows Updates using the Control Panel or Settings app in Windows 10, as it used to be with earlier versions of Windows. But there is a workaround to disable or turn off Windows Update in Windows 10, that we’ll talk about in this post.

First, let us take a look at why people may want to turn off Windows updates.

With Windows 8.1 and earlier versions, we had Windows Update giving us options to:

1. Install updates automatically (Recommended)
2. Download Updates but choose when to install them
3. Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them
4. Never check for updates (Not Recommended)

These options provided a way to defer updates until we had enough time to download and install them or to have them downloaded automatically and then install them at a time we wish. These options are not present in Windows 10 Update & Security Settings.

Now in Settings app > Update and Security > Windows Update > Advanced Options, you will see the following settings:

Microsoft has explained that it will provide updates in two distinct methods for its two distinct types of clients.

The Home users now have the option to pause Windows Updates. Earlier they did not have this option. Windows 10 will also let you defer restart, but that is not enough because a download in the background might slow down your browsing in some cases.

The other ring of users are Enterprise users who will have the option to delay updates so that they can hold it to the time when they are free. Microsoft said it would push updates to such users less frequently so that they are faced with minimum downtime. These are the corporates and real-time users such as hospitals and ATMs etc.

Coming back to Home users and Professional users, there is not even the option to delay the updates. They will be downloaded as soon as they are available. The availability of Windows Updates for normal users means that the updates have already been tested by Windows Insiders. If you are a Windows Insider, running Windows 10 Home or Pro, you will be in priority to receive updates. After a few days of you testing the updates and if it doesn’t pose any problems, it will be released to the normal ring of users.

Thus, you are stuck. Windows 10 will keep on downloading updates as soon as they are available and will occupy your computer resources, when you may not want it too. Some of us will want to keep the automatic downloads to be stopped so that we can install the updates manually when free – when we are not working on something urgent. That is to say; some users would want the liberty and option to download and install updates when they want and not when Microsoft provides it.

Since there is no option to turn off Windows updates from Control Panel or PC Settings, here is a workaround.

Turn off Windows Updates in Windows 10

To stop automatic Windows Updates in Windows 10, you will have to:

1. Disable Windows Update & Windows Update Medic Services
2. Change WU settings using the Group Policy Editor
3. Set your network connection to ‘Metered’
4. Use a free tool that lets you disable automatic updates.

Now let us see each of these suggestions in detail.

1] Disable Windows Update & Windows Update Medic Services

You can disable the Windows Update Service via Windows Services Manager. In the Services window, scroll down to Windows Update and turn off the Service. To turn it off, right-click on the process, click on Properties and select Disabled. That will take care of Windows Updates not being installed on your machine.

But since Windows is a Service now onwards, you have to keep your computer updated. To be able to install the next set of features or a newer build, you will require the earlier updates to be installed. That’s why if you use the above workaround, you will have to go to the Windows Services Manager and turn it on once in a while to download and update your copy of Windows.

You need to also disable the Windows Update Medic Service or WaaSMedicSVC. The Windows Update Medic Service is a new Windows Service introduced in recent versions of Windows 10. This Service has been introduced to repair Windows Update components from damage so that the computer can continue to receive updates. We recommend you try this method first.

After you turn on the Windows Update Service, when you open Windows Update in PC Settings, you will see a message that updates were not installed because the computer was stopped. You will have to click on Retry so that all the available updates are downloaded and installed. This may take two or three “Check for Updates” tries. You will have to keep on clicking “Check for updates” until it says your computer is up to date. Then you can go back and turn off the Windows Update service until next time you feel you are free enough to spend time updating your copy of Windows 10.

2] Change WU settings using the Group Policy Editor

If your version of Windows 10 has Group Policy, you can also change some settings using the Group Policy Editor. Run gpedit and navigate to the following policy setting:

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

On the right side, double-click on Configure Automatic Updates and change its settings to suit your requirements.

Once you configure the settings, you will see the result in the Settings app as follows:

We do not recommend that you disable automatic Windows Update in Windows 10. If your computer is fine with downloads in the background and doesn’t affect your work, it is not advisable to do it. But if you face slowdown of computer due to updates downloading and installing in the background, the above tip to turn off Windows updates in Windows 10 will be of some help.

3] Set your network connection to ‘Metered’

Setting your network connection to ‘Metered’, can also stop Windows 10 from automatically downloading the Updates. You can do it as follows – Settings app > Network & Internet > WiFi > Advanced options. Move the slider to On position for Set as metered connection. See how to set Metered Connection in Windows 10.

4] Tools that help you block automatic Windows 10 Updates

Here is a list of some free Windows Update Blocker tools to Stop Automatic Windows 10 Updates. You might want to take a look at them as they allow you to control Widows 10 Updates with a click.

1. Windows Update Blocker
2. StopUpdates10
3. Wu10Man
4. Kill-Update
5. WuMgr
6. Win Update Stop
7. Win Updates Disabler
8. WAU Manager.

Incidentally, Microsoft has released a tool called Show or Hide Updates that allows users to hide or block specific unwanted Windows Updates in Windows 10. Using it, you can stop Windows 10 from downloading specific updates.

Date: November 4, 2019 Tags: Windows Updates

How to Turn off Windows 10 password / pin

I can’t seem to figure out how to turn off the windows 10 password/pin upon startup of the computer.

Ever since I upgraded from Windows 7 to windows 10, it now requires that I input my password/pin every time I turn on the computer. This is a personal desktop at home, I do not need a password. How do I skip this process?

Replies (11) 

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This is one way to do it:

1. Press Windows Key + R
2. Type netplwiz
3. Then uncheckUsers must enter a user name and password to use this computer.
4. Click OK.
5. Then just type in your username/password.
6. Restart.

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Hi and thank you for the tip.

However, I’ve done just what you suggested and it still requires me to put in a password. I go and look and it says no password required.

Also have the screen sleep issue. I have it set to sleep after an hour and it sleeps after 30 seconds. It won’t change.

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Im having the same problem sorta.

I realy want to turn off the pin/password screen.I do not require it!

My computer wont sleep to save power.Like when i fall asleep the pc just stays on but i was having that problem before with windows 8.1.I Have changed setting (etc) nothing works.

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I recently wrote that the info for disengaging password start worked- actually, it didn’t! I had tried to test it by hitting «sleep» and I got back on without the password. But when it actually slept on it’s own, the password was still required!

Dang. I went through the steps a third time and the setting I gave was still there: no password required. I even restarted the computer and still- I need a password.

AND- I too have the issue of the «sleep» happening very quickly, even though my settings are for much longer.

that’s happened with Window 8.1 and with the upgrade to 10.

I will read more to see if anyone else has had success, but wanted to add register that yet another user is having the same problems.

Thanks for any help.

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I don’t think you followed the directions correctly

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I see your post is old and I hoped you resolved by now but for benefit of new users of Win 10 I will answer anyway.

I never use PW on my personal home comp and don’t want to

which worked fine upon install and use UNTIL I signed up for photo application

Then the login screen required my Hotmail address for MS account with password needed

I FINALLY FIXED IT

and not with suggestion here for netplwiz, which failed multiple times

• Control panel
• User accounts
• forces you to verify and sign in to email one more time (what we are trying to get rid of)
• Remove email account as default user
• choose your local comp name
• will ask for a new password (we don’t want it)
• LEAVE IT BLANK
• goes to login under your original name
• no password. needed anymore

what a giant PIA win 10

waiting to see if a sign in to apps reverses this fix

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This is one way to do it:

1. Press Windows Key + R
2. Type netplwiz
3. Then uncheckUsers must enter a user name and password to use this computer.
4. Click OK.
5. Then just type in your username/password.
6. Restart.

this did not work for me

found my own way to fix it posting for others :

I never use PW on my personal home comp and don’t want to

worked fine upon install and use UNTIL I signed up for Facebook photo application

the login required my Hotmail address for MS account with password needed

I FINALLY FIXED IT

and not with suggestion here for netplwiz, which failed multiple times

•Control panel
•User accounts
•forces you to verify and sign in to email one more time (what we are trying to get rid of)
•Remove email account as default user
•choose your local comp name
•will ask for a new password (we don’t want it)
•LEAVE IT BLANK
•goes to login under your original name
•no password. needed anymore