Starting October 20, Microsoft is making the newest Windows 10 October Update with its new features available for mainstream users to install.
If you haven't received it yet, you can manually download it from a variety of channels.
To install the latest Windows 10 20H2 update, click to Download Latest Windows 10 Update from Microsoft's official site.
"Every time I try to shut down my computer, I was forced to update my Windows 10. But I really don't want to update my operating system because the automatic update might take up the system and network resources. Is there anybody who can help me solve this problem and disable Windows 10 update? Thanks in advance."
Solution 1. Disable Windows Update Service
Solution 2. Change the Settings of the Group Policy Editor
Solution 3. Meter Your Network Connection
Solution 4. Change the Way of Windows 10 Updates Using Registry
Whenever you are faced with Windows 10's automatic update notification like:
What would you do? Here, we have the following solutions.
Before proceeding with the four solutions to fully stop Windows 10 updates, check your own Windows 10 edition (Home, Professional, Education or Enterprise) by going to Settings -> System -> About so that you can find the most appropriate solution. Besides, the fourth way of trying to control the Windows 10 update by using Registry is somewhat risky, do remember to back up your data and the details will be shown in the extra tips section.
Follow the methods below to disable Windows 10 update correctly.
Understand the limitations of this method. While disabling the automatic update service will temporarily halt any Windows 10 cumulative updates, the service will re-enable itself after a certain amount of time. Here are the directions:
1. Press the Windows logo key + R at the same time to invoke the Run box.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter.
3. Scroll down to Windows Update, and double-click it.
4. In Startup type, select "Disabled". Then click "Apply" and "OK" to save the settings.
The Group Policy feature is not available in the Home edition. So, only when you run Windows 10 Professional, Enterprise, or Education, you can use the Group Policy Editor to change the settings to prevent Windows 10 from automatically updating. The group policy editor will notify you of new updates without automatically installing them.
Note: If you need to update your Windows version later, you can repeat the steps above, then select Enabled to turn on this feature, so that you can continue to download the updates.
Understand that this method won't work for Ethernet connections. You can only disable automatic updates by using this method on a Wi-Fi connection. If your computer is connected to WiFi, you can try this to stop Windows 10 automatic updates.
1. Click the Start button at the bottom left on your desktop, then click the "Settings" app.
2. Click "Network & Internet".
3. Click WiF in the left pane, then click the name of your Wi-Fi connection.
4. Click to turn on Set as metered connection.
Extra Tips: Editing the registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It's recommended that you make a full backup of your computer before proceeding. All you need to do is use this backup software to back up your data in three steps:
Step 1. Launch Qiling Backup software and then choose "File", "Disk/partition" or "OS" for different backup purpose.
Step 2. Choose the system, disk partition, files or apps that you want to back up. Then select a destination where you want to store the backup file.
Step 3. Click "Proceed" to start the data backup process.
With a backup at hand, now it's safe to customize a Windows 10 update without receiving any forced updates on your computer. Here's how to make the change in Registry:
1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type regedit, and click OK to open the Registry.
Browse the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
3. Right-click the Windows (folder) key, select "New" and then click "Key".
4. Name the new key "WindowsUpdate" and press "Enter".
5. Right-click the newly created key, select "new", and click "Key".
6. Name the new key AU and press Enter.
Inside the newly created key, right-click on the right side, select "New", and click on "DWORD (32-bit) Value".
7. Name the new key AUOptions and press Enter.
Double-click the newly created key and change its value to 2. It's for "Notify for download and notify for install". Click "OK".
8. Close the Registry to complete the task.
Using this value prevents Windows 10 from downloading updates automatically, and you'll get a notification when new updates are available. In this way, you can avoid any auto Windows 10 update effectively.
That's how you could make an attempt to disable Windows 10 update in every way. Each method has been proved to work as long as you wish to turn off all the automatic updates in Windows 10.