Prevent windows 10 downloading updates

It will still download and install updates in the background, as usual. There is no outright way to stop updates in Windows 10, but the OS does understand that certain Internet connections charge by the amount of data consumed — such as in-flight or hotel Wi-Fi — or have a data cap — such as your mobile hotspot. You can close Registry Editor, and return to work. To download updates from now on, open the Windows Update page, and then choose Download.

Have you had any problems with automatic updates on Windows 10? Let us know via the comments below. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. Windows 10 automatically downloads, and installs OS updates Active hours let you prevent unexpected system restarts Metered connection is a helpful trick to stop automatic downloads. Set active hours for your Windows 10 device Active hours are meant to convey the time you usually use your device.

Under Update Settings , click Change active hours. In the dialog box that presents itself, pick a start time, and an end time. Hit Save. Set your Windows 10 Internet connection as metered There is no outright way to stop updates in Windows 10, but the OS does understand that certain Internet connections charge by the amount of data consumed — such as in-flight or hotel Wi-Fi — or have a data cap — such as your mobile hotspot.

Select Wi-Fi on the left. Under Metered connection , flick on the toggle that reads Set as metered connection. Do not press Enter. Right-click it, and choose Run as administrator. Grant it administrative access upon request. Right-click DefaultMediaCost , and choose Permissions.

In the new dialog box, click Advanced. In the next window, click Change next to the Owner field at the top. In the object name field, enter your Windows user name, or the Microsoft account that you use to log in. Windows Update really wants to automatically update on Windows Professional, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 10 have access to group policy and registry settings for this, but even Home editions of Windows 10 give you a way to stop updates from automatically downloading.

Windows 10 will automatically set certain types of connections — cellular data connections, for example — as metered. However, you can set any connection like as a metered connection. And yes, Windows will remember this setting for each individual network, so you can disconnect from that network and reconnect all you like.

Do you have an Internet connection with limited data? If your connection offers unlimited downloads at a specific time — for example, during the middle of the night — you could mark the connection as unmetered occasionally at these times to download updates and mark it as metered after the updates are downloaded.

You can click the Download button to download and install updates at your leisure. You can also override those active hours to schedule certain reboots when an update is ready. You can read more about how to do that here. Proceed at your own risk. You should really consider leaving automatic updates enabled for security reasons. This setting can be configured in the registry, too. This registry hack does exactly the same thing as the above Group Policy setting. However, it also only seems to work on Professional editions of Windows Download our Disable Automatic Updates on Windows 10 registry hack and double-click one of the included.

This only worked when we tried it on Windows 10 Pro, not Home. You have to perform a check for updates before Windows Update notices your changed setting. It involves disabling the Windows Update system service in the Windows services administration tool.

To prevent Windows from automatically downloading updates on any PC, just set its connection as metered. Browse All iPhone Articles Browse All Mac Articles Do I need one? Browse All Android Articles Browse All Smart Home Articles Customize the Taskbar in Windows Browse All Microsoft Office Articles What Is svchost.

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