How to disable automatic updates on Windows 11

• To disable Windows 11 automatic updates, open Settings > Windows Update, and click the “Pause for 1 week” button to disable updates.
• You can also use Group Policy or Registry to disable automatic updates.

On Windows 11, updates download and install automatically to help keep your device and data secure and ensure you have the latest improvements and bug fixes. However, it’s common for updates to roll out with problems that can negatively affect the experience.

Although it’s impossible to disable Windows 11 completely, you can temporarily pause updates for one week. If you want to disable updates permanently, you can change the automatic updates policy through Group Policy or Registry.

This guide will teach you the steps to prevent updates from being installed on Windows 11.

• Disable automatic updates on Windows 11
• Disable automatic updates on Windows 11 from Group Policy
• Disable automatic updates on Windows 11 from Registry

Disable automatic updates on Windows 11

To disable Windows 11 automatic updates, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Windows Update.

3. Under the “More options” section, click the “Pause for 1 week” button to disable automatic updates for the “Pause updates” setting.

   

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 updates will stop downloading on your computer for at least one week or until you click the “Resume updates” button.

Disable specific update from auto-downloading

To prevent a particular update from downloading on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open the Microsoft Download Center page.

2. Download the “Show or hide updates troubleshooter” file on your computer.

3. Double-click the wushowhide.diagcab file to launch the tool.

4. Click the Next button.

5. Click the Hide updates option.

   

6. Select the Windows 11 update or driver to block.

   

7. Click the Next button.

8. Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, the update will no longer be available through Windows Update. However, when a newer version of the update becomes available, Windows Update will automatically download and install it.

Disable automatic updates on Windows 11 from Group Policy

Alternatively, you can prevent updates from downloading automatically by adjusting the Windows Update settings through Group Policy. However, you can only use these steps on Windows 11 Pro since the Home edition doesn’t have this tool.

To disable automatic updates permanently from Group Policy on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for gpedit and click the top result to open the Group Policy Editor.

3. Open the “Manage and user experience” folder in the path:

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

4. Double-click to open the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy.

   

5. Choose the “Disabled” option to disable Windows Update permanently.

   

6. Click the Apply button.

7. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, Windows Update will no longer install system updates automatically on Windows 11. However, you can still check for updates manually through the Settings app.

If you change your mind, you can undo the changes and re-enable automatic updates using the same instructions, but in step 5, select the “Not Configured” option.

If you have Windows 11 Home, you can still disable updates using the Registry. You can check this video to learn how.

Disable automatic updates on Windows 11 from Registry

Alternatively, you can disable automatic Windows 11 Home or Pro updates from the Registry. However, modifying system files can damage the installation if not done correctly. It is assumed that you know what you’re doing and have previously created a full computer backup. Use these steps at your own risk.

To disable Windows 11 updates from the Registry, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for regedit and click the top result to launch the Registry Editor.

3. Navigate to the following path:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

4. Right-click the Windows (folder) key, select New, and choose the Key option.

   

5. Name the key WindowsUpdate and press Enter.

6. Right-click the newly created key, select New, and choose the Key option.

   

7. Name the key AU and press Enter.

8. Right-click the AU key, select New, and choose the DWORD (32-bit) Value option.

   

9. Name the new key NoAutoUpdate and press Enter.

10. Double-click the newly created key and change its value from 0 to 1.

    

11. Click the OK button.

12. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, Windows Update will stop downloading updates for Windows 11 automatically. However, you can still check for updates manually through the Settings app as necessary.