How to stop Windows auto updates?

Is there any way to "control" windows updates with the latest Win 11? I'd simply like to be notified when they are available AND be able to selectively pick which to download. Actually I'd be fine with auto downloading them but I must be able to control when they are actually installed. Been a user of windows since before PC days and the first windows.

Now have my first Win 11 install for about 10 months on a headless custom built HTPC running 24/7 and some of windows 11 features are driving me crazy. Constantly being interupted and I have auto update totally disabled in group policy BUT even though it's disabled, Windows continues to update automatically any time it wants every day. Been playing for weeks with all the "crazy complicated" focus assist junk and wndows update settngs. Recently the most recent major OS update has caused even more new probems. I've seen recent other posts here where someone complained that disabling updates in group policy settings no longer worked but no resolution was found yet. My next try will be to hack the registry. Looking for any advise here first.

From the top of my head...

You could set it on a Metered connection - that way big updated won't start till you manually select download.

You could disable the services - but you won't see what updates are available till starting them again.

You could block them with a firewall - and disable the block (or firewall) - while manually searching for updates.

There should be some group policy options as well (also editable through registry).

Rich A said:

I'd simply like to be notified when they are available AND be able to selectively pick which to download. Actually I'd be fine with auto downloading them but I must be able to control when they are actually installed.

Click to expand...

This group policy does it for me. Configure it for '2 - Notify for download and auto install'.



In Windows Update I see this....

With 40+ years experience, dealing with Microsoft, I've learned, the hard way NOT to trust Windows updates.
As a working PC tech, in my own business, I've learned that MS Updates just can not be trusted, to not cause problems on any particular PC.
OH, I know, the MS fanboys will say that they have gotten auto updates for years with no ill effects.
And they will say it, even if not true. But I have countless experiences with updates that have gone Horribly Wrong, and left a PC totally disabled!
So, after I've installed Win-11, for instance, and it's downloaded all the relevant drivers for the PC's hardware, I run a little program that disables all MS Updates. The same program can turn Update back on if i ever desire it.
That program is an integral part of the Software I use when install Windows.
"Stopupdates10setup.exe" is all you need.

I hope that someone, reading this post, will download that program and run it. It works great for me, on all my PC's running Windows 10 or Windows 11. It's totally reversible, if the need ever arises.

Cheers Mates!
TM
Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This guide will teach you the steps to prevent updates from being installed on Windows 11 version 21H2, 22H2, and higher releases.

I use the WU pause advanced option to pause updates for the max time. Only issue is to remember the date and look at Brink's notifications regarding updates and their effects before unpausing or extending the pause.

Oh my. My first time here in this form has not disappointed. Very good info from all for me to digest. Thank you. I'm already familiar with, and had tried some of the suggestions. I appreciate the time and effort to help. I get the feeling that "TechnoMage2021" may be a "kindred spirit". <grin> I'm an old retired computer repair shop owner since the early 1970s. I'm not a tech wizard but did pick up some knowledge from the Techncians I employed. I'll have to update my profile here someday with some history. My first computers were a SWTP and later Heathkit with reel to reel analog tape recorder for storage. First "floppy drive" was a "floppy 8 inch thing". <grin>

Sorry for the trip down memory lane. So when and if I get the autoupdate thing to work (I always had the PC in question using an OS like Unix, DOS, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 and now 11), I will still want to be able to control the download. Pretty sure this 11 system is so automated that once I DO start the OS update, it will just do a bulk download of EVERYTHING and automatically install it all. This is why I "used" to hold off all updates for a few weeks until I could see what effect they would have on others so when I DID start the update later, I'd be prepared and hopefully be able to find, fix or modify the results before my PC is messed up because of some incompatihle personalzation I've done to my system. The problem is so far, all attempts to STOP windows up doing ANY auto updates has failed.

I "thnk" my problem became more an issue with this latest Windows version recently auto-updated during an OS update.
Windows 11 Pro 64 bit. 22H2 OS Build 22621.5555
Experience Windows Feature Pack 1000.22640.10000

If I had to guess something with this "Feature Pack" is causing some problems, with with my programs AND more importantly the updates.

Note that things I've tried have all been enabled and ARE showing they are enabled and supposedly working, but the system is STILL actually doing the automatic updates. There are a couple of suggestions listed here that I have not tried yet. Gonna give them a shot. Will be back with result.

Thanks for the quick and detailed help everyone.