A simple windows registry tweak which allows you to pause Windows updates until 12-31-2051.
Note
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This is a simple no-nonsense script to pause Windows update until 2051. Pretty much allowing you to update whenever you want instead of waking up to a rebooted machine.
Warning
This script is meant to be used in situations where you do not want your system automatically restarting while it is idle. I highly recommnend that you do run Windows updates once per month and ensure that you have the latest packages installed. Some of these updates could include security patches for important vulnerabilities.
I was tired of the complicated methods. I don't like having my machine reboot and me not being able to control Windows Update. It's my biggest pet peeve with Windows. This script makes my life so much easier because now I don't have to deal with it. The point was just to have a stupid simple solution using a script anyone can open in notepad and view the code. Without fear of viruses and people injecting crap onto your system. Enjoy.
Yes, I get it. "Thou shalt not leave thy computer outdated too long". I don't. But I keep certain apps running for work, and they can remain open for days as I work on a project. I don't like waking up to my entire machine sitting at user sign-in. I like to work on my projects, and then once I have some spare time, I'll run updates when I want to, not when the machine decides to.
This repo contains two files in the Releases section. Download the included .reg
files to your local system.
Filename | Description |
---|---|
windows-updates-pause.reg |
Pauses all updates until 2051 |
windows-updates-unpause.reg |
Re-enables windows updates |
Note
Depending on your machine's configuration, you may be able to double-click the .reg
file and auto-install it.
-
Download the
.reg
file to your computer. -
Select
Registry Editor
-
Click
Yes
when prompted if you're sure you wish to continue
Note
As of 08/03/2024, you no longer have to view the Windows Update window. Updates are automatically paused as soon as the registry tweak is applied. However, the instructions are still provided below:
- In Windows, click
Start
->Run
-> typecontrol update
and press ENTER.- You can also access the Windows Update window by clicking your start menu, selecting Run, and typing:
ms-settings:windowsupdate
- Near the
Pause Updates
section, click the dropdown and select how long you want updates to pause for. - Keep the script somewhere in case you need to reinstall / wipe your machine.
You can re-enable Windows updates by performing one of the following:
This repository includes two scripts:
windows-updates-pause.reg
windows-updates-unpause.reg
Download and run the script windows-updates-unpause.reg
. Windows updates will be re-activated, but you'll be able to re-pause updates whenever you want and for any duration.
To start Windows updates once again, open your start menu, type Windows Update Settings
.
At the top of the Windows Update interface, click Resume Updates.
To pause updates again, re-run the .reg
file in this repo.