One aspect that Microsoft got very wrong was Windows Updates. The situation has slowly improved with subsequent updates, but performing updates still isn't as smooth or customizable as it should be.

If you're fed up with thinking about Active Hours and dealing with random restarts, you might want to kill the update feature altogether. In this article, we'll explain how to stop Windows 10 updates.

Note: Failure to keep your operating system updated can leave you with security vulnerabilities. If you turn off automatic updates, you should still manually check for updates on a regular basis.

How to Stop Windows 10 Update

Method 1: Use a Metered Connection

If you set your Wi-Fi network up as a metered connection, Windows will stop automatically downloading updates to your machine. The trick works even if you're not on an actual metered connection:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Click on Network and internet.
  3. In the panel on the left, choose Wi-Fi.
  4. Click on the name of your Wi-Fi network.
  5. Scroll down to Metered Connection.
  6. Slide the toggle into the On position.

Method 2: Use the Group Policy Editor

Sadly, the metered connection trick does not work if you use an Ethernet cable to connect to the web. You should use the Group Policy Editor instead:

  1. Press Win + R.
  2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
  3. Click on Computer Configuration.
  4. Select Administrative Templates.
  5. Click on All Settings.
  6. Scroll down to Configure Automatic Updates and double-click on the entry.
  7. Select Enabled in the top left-hand corner.
  8. Choose Notify for download and auto install.
  9. Click Apply.

How to Manually Check for Windows Updates

To check for updates manually, go to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update and hit the Check for Updates button.

Have you disabled updates on Windows 10? Let us know in the comments.