Solved Disabled Updates, now I can't update manually!


Hannele2

Member
Local time
4:46 PM
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24
Location
Europa Nostra
OS
Windows 11
Problem: Windows Update is now missing in Settings.
The last entry on the screen is Privacy and Security. Windows Update is no longer displayed.

I am an IT person and like to control what/when things are updated...
I prefer to run Windows Update myself, when it is convenient, rather than allow Microsoft to operate my machine...

Going back several Windows versions, I disable auto-updating (which has been made increasingly difficult).
I do of course ocassionally carry out updates, but I prefer to do it as and when it suits me - and to have the opportunity to opt out and roll back.

Since upgrading to Windows 11, in order to disable automatic updates as usual, I updated three or so Group policy settings and changed one Registry setting. Same as I did in Windows 10 and probably Windows 8.

But now it seems I'm locked out of manually running Windows Update! I literally cannot even bring the Windows Update control panel entry up.This never happened in Win 10 or earlier versions.

Since many of us here are super users or professional IT people, I'm sure there are others who also turn off Windows Update... I can't be the only one... Did anyone else experience this problem?

Is Microsoft playing games with me? Like "Hey you thought you could simply turn off Windows Update?? Not so fast! "

Clearly the implementation of this has changed - I no longer recognise the control panel interface for automatic updates that's been with us for countless Windows versions... Have they finally done a complete overhaul?

How can I manually trigger Windows Update like I could in Windows 10?
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
Update: Found the fix myself, on the MS site.

DT1974
Replied on February 7, 2018
I had exactly the same problem and so did my co worker.

My particular solution was to edit the Group Policy settings. After the 1709 update the exact same problem occurred. A few solutions were tried. None worked.

The solution was to disable blocking of settings visibility.

RUN - gpedit.msc

Changed Computer Configuration>Administrative Templates>Control Panel>Settings Page Visibility to Disabled. That is I want to see the Settings Page

Changed User Configuration>Administrative Templates>Control Panel>Show Only Specified Control Pane Items to Disabled. That is let me see all the settings.

I do not know why the upgrade from 1703 to 1709 blocked viewing the Update option. We did not change the Group Policy to disable the option. That is the settings were Not Configured before being disabled. The 1709 update did not enable them.

One for MS to sort out.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11

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