No option to turn off automatic updates in Windows 10

[BeadWizard]

I have a laptop that uses Windows 10 and I hate it. Everything is a learning curve, difficult to do, and now I'm ready to throw this thing out the window and wave "Bye-bye!" because I can't find a way to turn off automatic updates. I just wasted over two hours between waiting for an update that abruptly took control of the computer for more than an hour, with no option whatsoever to temporarily turn it off (a la Windows Vista, which I also despise), and for the other hour I've been searching frantically ever since for a solution.

One solution said to go into Settings (ok, fine, it shows PC Settings, not just Settings)/Update & Security/Windows Update. Then it said to go into "Advanced Options." From Advanced Options, I am supposed to show some kind of drop/pull down setting immediately under "Choose how updates are installed" that says, "Notify to schedule restart"...well, it's not there. I have "Choose how updates are installed, and then immediately underneath, where the drop/pull down setting is supposed to be, it says, "Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows." I can click and click on "Choose how updates are installed," but that isn't a clickable option. It does nothing. It's just a label.

I'm just trying to turn off the automatic updates. That's it. I've looked all over in settings and can't find anything. Is my only option really regedit? I don't want to do that. Isn't there anything at all to make this option appear?

Thank you in advance for your time. Excuse me for being extremely incensed, but I am. Still want to throw the stupid thing out the window. If I didn't need it, I would. :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: Please put me out of my Windows 10 misery!

 

[RumoredNow]

Open Run > type services.msc > OK > scroll down to Windows Update > right click at it > click Properties > under Startup type, click the pointer and select Disable > OK

Note that this stops patches and fixes that make you system more secure against attack. Use at your own risk.

You can also selectively remove updates if they cause an issue for you: Don't Like the Last Update? Uninstall it. [Easy Fix] which might be safer in the long run.

 

[BeadWizard]

Thanks so much. I'm sorry, I should have made myself clearer. I don't want to stop the updates. What I want to do is, as in Windows Vista, have the option to delay updates. When I use Vista, I can choose to postpone an update for 10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours (or thereabouts...sorry, going from memory). That gives me the chance to finish everything I'm doing and then I may be shutting down before the restart, but at least Windows doesn't just unceremoniously close whatever I'm doing! That way, the restart happens, but it's not disruptive.

The way it works now with Windows 10, it's only disruptive. It simply takes control and shuts down whatever I'm doing, so I don't get any option to reverse it. It gives me a couple of mere minutes to finish what I often can't finish in half an hour! :unhappy:

So let me rephrase it so that I'm asking the correct question this time, apologies for being too imprecise before. :smile: How do I keep Windows 10 from grabbing control away from me; how can I simply postpone an update if I'm in the middle of something? How can I get the missing option to "Notify to schedule restart" into the menu? Why doesn't it appear at all in the advanced options, as it's supposed to...as every site I've ever found online says it will be found? And how can I get it back without doing a regedit, without turning off updates entirely? It's not the updates I mind, it's the grabbing control and throwing away whatever I'm in the middle of doing, because there's no postpone option. I want to know it's going to shut down in advance of when it does, and I want to be able to tell it "hold off for X minutes." As I do with, blurgh, Windows Vista.

Thanks again in advance. :smile:

 

[neo158]

Originally posted by BeadWizard
Thanks so much. I'm sorry, I should have made myself clearer. I don't want to stop the updates. What I want to do is, as in Windows Vista, have the option to delay updates. When I use Vista, I can choose to postpone an update for 10 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours (or thereabouts...sorry, going from memory). That gives me the chance to finish everything I'm doing and then I may be shutting down before the restart, but at least Windows doesn't just unceremoniously close whatever I'm doing! That way, the restart happens, but it's not disruptive.

The way it works now with Windows 10, it's only disruptive. It simply takes control and shuts down whatever I'm doing, so I don't get any option to reverse it. It gives me a couple of mere minutes to finish what I often can't finish in half an hour! :unhappy:

So let me rephrase it so that I'm asking the correct question this time, apologies for being too imprecise before. :smile: How do I keep Windows 10 from grabbing control away from me; how can I simply postpone an update if I'm in the middle of something? How can I get the missing option to "Notify to schedule restart" into the menu? Why doesn't it appear at all in the advanced options, as it's supposed to...as every site I've ever found online says it will be found? And how can I get it back without doing a regedit, without turning off updates entirely? It's not the updates I mind, it's the grabbing control and throwing away whatever I'm in the middle of doing, because there's no postpone option. I want to know it's going to shut down in advance of when it does, and I want to be able to tell it "hold off for X minutes." As I do with, blurgh, Windows Vista.

Thanks again in advance. :smile:

That's not what happens on my devices, the updates install and then it tells me when it needs to restart. You could alter the active hours but only if you have the Anniversary Update installed.

 

[abhishek singh21]

windows 10 Pro do provide an option to defer major upgrades like anniversary update but all the editions always ask for a restart and never shuts down the system automatically to install the update while the user is active. As mentioned by neo158 >There are active hours which you can set to your own comfort as the best time for windows to install the updates which wont bother you or your work.

 

[BeadWizard]

Some good(?) news, perhaps. Windows wanted to do something again, but this time it, gasp, allowed the option to change the time. I set it for a time I'm unlikely to be using the computer at all, when it's likely to be off, actually. Worked great...when I shut down it said to "Please wait," then updated whatever it wanted without undoing any unsaved work or causing inconvenience/extra waiting time. Whatever it was didn't take as long this time, so hopefully the next time it has a big update, it will look at that time and refuse to disturb. :smile: Still would much rather have the ability to postpone, but lacking that option (still haven't figured out why it won't allow it or show anything to change it in the Advanced Options), this is at least bearable.

Thanks so much, everyone! :smile:

 

[EspHack]

Open Run > type services.msc > OK > scroll down to Windows Update > right click at it > click Properties > under Startup type, click the pointer and select Disable > OK

Note that this stops patches and fixes that make you system more secure against attack. Use at your own risk.

You can also selectively remove updates if they cause an issue for you: Don't Like the Last Update? Uninstall it. [Easy Fix] which might be safer in the long run.

they will just get installed by next morning, and hiding them using the microsoft utility will only hide updates temporarily

 

[ads13]

I'm using command line to stop AU update on TH2 build laptop . I heard/read that RS1 still not work as good as its previous build(th2).
So, I can't take any risk with my study data stored on lappy

 

[RumoredNow]

they will just get installed by next morning

My in-laws have a metered connection. This is how I set up their Win 10 laptop. I only turn it back on and update it when they bring it to my house where I have unlimited data over WiFi.

I happen to be at their home and just now turned their machine on. They are sitting at 14393.105 and have not had an update since I did it manually on 09/06/2016.

Do you have different results using this method?

Run > services.msc > OK > scroll down to Windows Update > right click on it > click Properties > under Startup type, click the pointer and select Disable > OK

 

[RumoredNow]

I should have made myself clearer. I don't want to stop the updates. What I want to do is, as in Windows Vista, have the option to delay updates.

Use the "Run > services.msc > OK > scroll down to Windows Update > right click on it > click Properties > under Startup type, click the pointer and select Disable > OK" method and when you want to update just turn the updates back on, search and install manually via settings and then disable again.

See my post above.

 

[holdum333]

Hi @ RumoredNow! Just a quick question. You let your parents go online for two months with out getting Defender definitions?? Do you think that's safe?
I'm sure you can handle any thing that comes up! I think I can also, but I'm not turning my updates off for two months!:wink:
Lets hope MS gets smarter in the future with the updates. I'm wondering why MS is forcing them on us. What's that all about? Will MS ever let us decide which updates we want?

 

[Daniel Gilbert M]

Please put me out of my Windows 10 misery!

If you are using Windows 10 Pro, then you are in luck, if not, sorry.
The options which used to be in the update settings for Windows 7 and 8, 8.1 are buried in the group policy editor.
Here is an article from WC.

How to schedule Windows Update installations in Windows 10 Pro | Windows Central

It will guide you to setup updates the way you want.
I use option 2 (Notify to download and notify to install).
It is safe.

 

[Shamshi-Adad]

If you are using Windows 10 Pro, then you are in luck, if not, sorry.
The options which used to be in the update settings for Windows 7 and 8, 8.1 are buried in the group policy editor.
Here is an article from WC.

How to schedule Windows Update installations in Windows 10 Pro | Windows Central

It will guide you to setup updates the way you want.
I use option 2 (Notify to download and notify to install).
It is safe.

THAT'S SOOOOO COOL !!! Easy - not complicated at all.

THANKS, Daniel
Peace. Alan
Galaxy S7Edge [MM6.01] Daily Driver, Luxury Sedan Class
Lumia ICON [Win10M 14959.1000] Toy, GT4 Sport Class

 

[Krystianpants]

I find it odd that windows will just restart peoples' computers. It may be something that happens in home edition. My brother was doing something important once and we were sitting there and all of a sudden his computer just decides to restart. MS should just popup a large notification and allow users to defer to save their stuff or anything else.

 

[Alain_A]

I find it odd that windows will just restart peoples' computers. It may be something that happens in home edition. My brother was doing something important once and we were sitting there and all of a sudden his computer just decides to restart. MS should just popup a large notification and allow users to defer to save their stuff or anything else.

That's why one gona see some people buying iPad soon

 

[holdum333]

Hi! I have never had my PC restart while I was using it. I always get a notice that it needs to restart, and the option to restart then or restart later!
Do you people not have these options!?

 

[Alain_A]

I believe that some computer might have not downloaded properly for some and might not have these option while other could have glitches in their system that would restart the computer without letting you know

 

[EspHack]

If you are using Windows 10 Pro, then you are in luck, if not, sorry.
The options which used to be in the update settings for Windows 7 and 8, 8.1 are buried in the group policy editor.
Here is an article from WC.

How to schedule Windows Update installations in Windows 10 Pro | Windows Central

It will guide you to setup updates the way you want.
I use option 2 (Notify to download and notify to install).
It is safe.

that was my solution even before TH1 came out, and it is pretty much perfect, until you get hit with a random driver(yea you can tell windows to never update drivers, it will still do it randomly, buggyness at its best) that causes mayhem, you then find that utility which "hides" updates and everything is fine again, until the "hiding" thing expires and it forces the update going through regardless of whether you hide it or not, you cant hide it ever again

so thats why I got it disabled and do things manually, besides, if you are using option 2 on local group policy and get a bad cumulative and dont want to install it again, windows will keep nagging you with fullscreen messages that open the settings app every day or two after you ignore it for long enough

 

[Daniel Gilbert M]

that was my solution even before TH1 came out, and it is pretty much perfect, until you get hit with a random driver(yea you can tell windows to never update drivers, it will still do it randomly, buggyness at its best) that causes mayhem, you then find that utility which "hides" updates and everything is fine again, until the "hiding" thing expires and it forces the update going through regardless of whether you hide it or not, you cant hide it ever again

I am on desktop and the only driver I need to update is the graphics drivers which I always keep updated. Crimson sends me notification whenever a new driver is available, even before windows. I download and install it quickly, Windows cross checks, already on latest driver. Problem solved.

so thats why I got it disabled and do things manually, besides, if you are using option 2 on local group policy and get a bad cumulative and dont want to install it again, windows will keep nagging you with fullscreen messages that open the settings app every day or two after you ignore it for long enough

Never had any problems. Maybe I install stuff even before the nagging begins.

 

[RumoredNow]

Hi @ RumoredNow! Just a quick question. You let your parents go online for two months with out getting Defender definitions?? Do you think that's safe?
I'm sure you can handle any thing that comes up! I think I can also, but I'm not turning my updates off for two months!:wink:
Lets hope MS gets smarter in the future with the updates. I'm wondering why MS is forcing them on us. What's that all about? Will MS ever let us decide which updates we want?

It's the solution for now. I try and get them updated more regularly, but they often fail to bring their laptop when they come up to visit. Also the internet use they have is mostly via Windows Phone, except for a very select few websites (known to be safe) that they visit on laptop.

Yes, it is not ideal, but the alternate gets very expensive for them given data costs and their remote location combined with the size of updates. WaaS would bankrupt their data budget once a month and still not be satisfied. No financial transactions occur on their laptop.