how to turn off windows update completely

Question

how to turn off windows update completely

GR 20

with no possibility of automatically turning back on ever again regardless of circumstances

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Answer accepted by question author

Ivan B 120.7K Independent Advisor

Hi,

In this case, you can open the command prompt to disable Windows Update:

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" /v NoAutoUpdate /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" /v AUOptions /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

Restart your PC.

You can create a scheduled task to always run this task to prevent Windows Update from activating.

Remember, it is not recommended to disable Windows Update because it updates security, build, and Windows drivers to keep the system and security up-to-date.

Thanks

GR 20 Reputation points

2026-06-12T16:50:45.9366667+00:00

there's no WindowsUpdate under Windows after i input the command prompt in cmd. do i add one in regedit? i'm home edition btw

yes i know the risks but i don't have future vision ability so i can't possibly know what's my schedule in the next week's "aCtiVe HoUrS" and it's super easy to forget adjust scheduled update setting. so yes i'd rather get hacked than come back home and stare at the login screen with all my unsaved stuff gone especially when some programs takes hours to render and save, and there are hundred other reasons for me to not turn off my pc, i don't wanna hear "oh hi we recommend you save your progress before you leave home" from customer support that's why i'm asking for a solution to get rid of it permanently until i manually choose to update it like any other product
Ivan B 120.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-12T17:17:35.6866667+00:00

Hi,

Create a key within the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows. You will create the AU and Windows Update keys, but first, create a restore point.

In the Start menu > Settings > System > About > System Protection > Create. Give it the name you want.

After creating the restore point and the keys, you can run the command prompt (admin) that I sent earlier.

This will disable Windows Update.

Remember there are risks associated with not having Windows Update disabled; be aware of them.

If my answer helped or solved the problem, you can press "Accept answer" or not.

Thanks
Kenati M 0 Reputation points

2026-08-21T21:41:56.4633333+00:00

Hi Ivan! Regarding the scheduled task you mentioned, where exactly should I put it? If possible, I might need some help with the configuration as well

Do i just create task here?

2 additional answers

Your answer

GR 20 Reputation points

2026-06-12T16:50:45.9366667+00:00

there's no WindowsUpdate under Windows after i input the command prompt in cmd. do i add one in regedit? i'm home edition btw

yes i know the risks but i don't have future vision ability so i can't possibly know what's my schedule in the next week's "aCtiVe HoUrS" and it's super easy to forget adjust scheduled update setting. so yes i'd rather get hacked than come back home and stare at the login screen with all my unsaved stuff gone especially when some programs takes hours to render and save, and there are hundred other reasons for me to not turn off my pc, i don't wanna hear "oh hi we recommend you save your progress before you leave home" from customer support that's why i'm asking for a solution to get rid of it permanently until i manually choose to update it like any other product
Ivan B 120.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-12T17:17:35.6866667+00:00

Hi,

Create a key within the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows. You will create the AU and Windows Update keys, but first, create a restore point.

In the Start menu > Settings > System > About > System Protection > Create. Give it the name you want.

After creating the restore point and the keys, you can run the command prompt (admin) that I sent earlier.

This will disable Windows Update.

Remember there are risks associated with not having Windows Update disabled; be aware of them.

If my answer helped or solved the problem, you can press "Accept answer" or not.

Thanks
Kenati M 0 Reputation points

2026-08-21T21:41:56.4633333+00:00

Hi Ivan! Regarding the scheduled task you mentioned, where exactly should I put it? If possible, I might need some help with the configuration as well

Do i just create task here?

Answer 1

For Windows 11, Windows Update can be disabled via Group Policy or registry so that it does not scan, download, or install updates, and users cannot manually trigger updates from Settings.

Using Group Policy (recommended where available):

Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).
To completely turn off Windows Update features, configure the policies described for Windows IoT Enterprise (they apply the same Windows Update engine policies):
- Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage end user experience.
- Enable Remove access to use all Windows update features. This removes the "Check for updates" option and prevents manual update checks from Settings.
In addition, configure Automatic Updates and related policies (as per your servicing strategy) so that scans, downloads, and installations are disabled. The documentation notes that when the servicing strategy is to disable all Windows Update features, this can be done via Group Policy or registry.

Using registry (equivalent effect): The Windows Update engine can be disabled by policy-backed registry keys. The documented method to completely turn off Windows Update is:

Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate, set:
- DoNotConnectToWindowsUpdateInternetLocations (REG_DWORD) = 1
- DisableWindowsUpdateAccess (REG_DWORD) = 1
- WUServer (REG_SZ) = " " (single space)
- WUStatusServer (REG_SZ) = " " (single space)
- UpdateServiceUrlAlternate (REG_SZ) = " " (single space)
Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU, set:
- UseWUServer (REG_DWORD) = 1

These settings together:

Prevent connections to Windows Update Internet locations.
Disable access to Windows Update features.
Point the Windows Update client at blank (nonexistent) update servers.

Additional lock-down of the user experience:

Open gpedit.msc and navigate to:
- Windows 10: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Remove access to use all Windows update features.
- Windows 11: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage end user experience\Remove access to use all Windows update features.
Set this policy to Enabled. This prevents users from manually checking for updates in Settings while background scans/downloads/installations are already disabled by the other policies.

Important note from the documentation: disabling Windows Update capabilities leaves the device in a vulnerable state unless updates are provided by another mechanism. A servicing strategy must be in place if updates are turned off.

References:

Answer 2

Bulldog 3,865

You can stop updates temporarily, not permanently.

Some people think that by breaking the operating system in some way, they have stopped updates. But then they have to deal with their broken operating systems' problems.

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