How to enable the new pause updates controls on Windows 11

To enable the new calendar controls to pause updates for longer on Windows 11.
Open Command Prompt as administrator, navigate to the ViveTool folder, and run the vivetool /enable /id:61410885 command.

Microsoft is quietly reworking one of the most frustrating parts of the Windows Update experience on Windows 11. In the latest Insider Preview builds, the company is testing a new calendar-based option that lets users choose exactly when paused updates should resume, replacing the rigid preset system that has been in place for years.

The change appears on Windows 11 build 26300.8170 as an early, hidden feature. Instead of selecting fixed intervals like “Pause for 1 week,” users can pick a specific date directly from a calendar interface, signaling a broader shift toward more flexible and predictable update control.

The company will soon introduce changes to the Settings app, but if you want to enable these changes immediately, you can use a specific ViveTool code (via @PhantomOfEarth).

In this guide, I’ll outline the steps to manually enable the new settings to pause updates for longer on your Windows 11 setup.

Enable new pause updates settings on Windows 11

To enable the new pause settings calendar control on Windows 11, install build 26300.8170 manually, and then follow these steps:

Open the GitHub website.
Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to enable the new pause update settings.
Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.
Click the Extract all button.
Click the Extract button.
Copy the path to the folder.
Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:
```
cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x
```
In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.
Type the following command to enable the pause updates setting on the Windows Update page and press Enter:
```
vivetool /enable /id:61410885
```
Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the “Pause for 1 week” button is replaced by a calendar control, allowing you to set a specific date for when updates will resume. This effectively allows for much longer pause periods than the current preset limits.

Windows Update new pause auto updates setting / Image: Mauro Huculak

It’s important to note that this feature is still under active development and may not behave as expected in its current form. In addition, the calendar does not yet clearly indicate the exact duration of the pause period, which means the actual limits may differ from what is visually suggested.

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