Why is this "Stop Automatic Updates" method not working?

[AJ2020AJ]

I re-installed Windows 10 Home, 64-bit, version 21H2, at the beginning of last month. Since then, Windows has automatically installed and restarted my computer several times, each time causing numerous problems including (but not confined to) loss of data.

I read the Windows Central article "How to stop automatic updates on Windows 10", last updated in early August of this year. I tried using the registry method to limit updates, as I'd rather not stop them completely. I thought I followed the instructions to the letter but I may have missed something. Here's a screenshot of the relevant section of the registry after I made the changes:



These are the steps I took:

1. Navigated to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
2. Created a new key WindowsUpdate
3. In WindowsUpdate, created a new key AU
4. In AU, created the new DWORD (32-bit) Value, named it AUOptions
5. Changed the value of AUOptions to 7

There are three potential areas I can imagine could be causing the method not to have worked, though none of them seem likely:

a) In one of the screenshots on the webpage, it shows the AUOptions key as being a QWORD (64-bit) Value, however the instructions and all the other screenshots show it being a DWORD (32-bit) Value.
b) The instructions say to restart the computer after making the changes; I have instead shot down and then booted up again at least twice since making the changes.
c) The value I chose for AUOptions, 7, says "Auto Download, Notify to install, Notify to Restart". Does "notify" mean I have to agree to the update & restart, or simply that it will tell me it's updating without needing permission to complete the process?

Thanks

A.J.

 

[Bla1ze]

I'm not sure why that's not working but I do know there's plenty of different ways to achieve the same thing, I've used the Tom's Guide process and it worked for me. Much easier and cleaner than messing with the Registry.

https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/how-to-turn-off-automatic-updates-in-windows-10

 

[AJ2020AJ]

Thanks for your reply. I am happy to consider other options, and I took a look at the Tom's Guide link but all the options seem to involve disabling updates altogether which is not what I want. Before I reinstalled Windows a month or so ago due to my SSD drive dying, it used to automatically check and download the updates but then wait until I chose to restart the computer before installing them. That's what I'm trying to get the current version to do, so far with no luck.

 

[interlocutor1980]

I simply endorse the method given by the "Community Manager". Kindly follow the method carefully it will work.